Daydreaming About Tiny Living?

 

The Tiny Life 

Imagine for a moment that those McMansions on tiny lots were tiny homes with a bigger yard. 

Developers haven't caught on to the tiny living movement, but citizens have. Many states now allow tiny houses and others still state that dictate yjrtr must be at least a certain amount of square footage for the home.

Those in trailer homes paying lot fees that go up and up, those who are renting (36% of the population) are at the mercy of rent increases skyrocketing over 25% in a year!

There is a long list of the reasons tiny living makes sense and an equal list on the drawbacks. Let's cover some of these things to consider - 

Economic benefits top the list on tiny living. Imagine if you owned your home outright and each month you had cash filling up your bank account? You can't buy more stuff for your home, as it is maxed out. You aren't a target so much for thieves who assume you have a modest life. 

Easy lifestyle is enticing. You have less to clean and care for. You can lock up and come and go as you please. You're also forced to spend more time outdoors and that is always good for you!

You can't take it all with you, so the downsizing process can be traumatic or cathartic, depending on how you view such things. There is something very thoughtful about deciding if something really serves a purpose or a beauty that makes it something you can't live without. 

The downside of this easy lifestyle is it can make one bored. If you aren't fussing over decor, cleaning and entertaining, hosting guests, and other distractions, you have free time. What do you do with your free time? 

Land can be your biggest issue. Can you build on your child's property so you can age nearby? Well, that sounds good until your son or daughter gets a job in another city. 

Figuring the cost of buying land to put the house on and the hookups for internet/cable, water, electric, trash are all considerations. If you live within a tiny community, you may be renting your space like a trailer park and then you're vulnerable to increases in monthly rent.

If your tiny house isn't portable, you are vulnerable to game changes, like your best friend's farm going onto the auction block when they can't make their payments. 

Logistics and safety within a tiny house can be awkward. If you share it with others, you aren't going to have any fun date nights without everyone knowing. As well, the toilet smells can interfere with the living space and the cooking smells permeate everything. As well, there are safety issues like how incredibly dangerous a fire can be within a tiny house as it can block an exit, smoke building up fast in the small square footage, and no natural breaks like walls to slow it down. 

Design is a huge consideration as there are more tiny home builders nowadays, but being smaller outfits for many of them, the waiting list is long to get one built. There are so many options of turning sheds into a home, utilizing shipping containers, and garages.... Be sure you consider things like aging and having to climb a ladder to your bedroom. Do you want to sink a well? Do you want solar power? How about space for a garden? How about putting in a root cellar underground to store extra food you can't put in the tiny space? Want to collect rainwater? 

Many of us dream of having less "stuff" around us, being more mobile, free of having to buy things and fill up spaces, having some nature and space around us. Some of us will act on it. 

Perhaps the best way to start is watching videos of tiny living, inquiring about your state's opportunities for tiny housing or land, crunching some numbers, and considering if you own a large house now and can sell in this crazy market, you may have just insured a home you own outright and nice retirement padding.