go tiny to live large
pros and cons to living in a small home on wheels
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING TO DOWNSIZE
THEIR HOMES and belongings in search of more. More time to spend with loved ones and more money to spend on the things they want most. Tiny homes are living spaces that are generally between 100 to 400 square feet. While many tiny homes exist in the form of apartments and single-family houses, tiny homes on wheels are gaining momentum. Living tiny is not for everyone. Here are just a few pros and cons of tiny living.
cheaper housing
Although a pro can be that utilities are cheaper since you are heating and cooling limited square footage, it is not necessarily cheaper housing. According to the National Association of Homebuilders, a new home in 2015 can cost anywhere between $350,000 for 2,700 square feet, while a tiny home is between the $60,000 to $90,000.
more upgrades
Another pro is being able to customize your tiny home without worrying about going over budget. Because you are outfitting a smaller space, it becomes easier to afford the upgrades you desire. It is a lot more feasible to install granite countertops when you are paying for six square feet instead of 20.
easy to move
If your plan is to travel or move for a new job, you can easily take your house with you. Leaving you from having to deal with the time consuming process of selling and buying. The only downside to that is figuring out where to park. Parking a tiny house can be tricky. Aside from purchasing land, many owners of tiny homes have found success parking at RV parks, as many builders follow the legal parameters of travel trailers.
smaller carbon footprint
Making a home smaller is one of the easiest ways to lower the amount of resources needed to build it and the amount of energy needed to sustain it, giving you an advantage. Tiny homes can also be designed to live “off-grid”, reducing their carbon footprint even more.
storage and cleaning
There is no getting around this one. Less space equals less storage. This means getting inventive with storage solutions, and utilizing what would otherwise be “dead space”, such as space underneath cabinetry and stairs. Another benefit is cleaning time gets cut short. This is simple math. The less house you have, the less time you spend cleaning and maintaining it.
close quarters
While tiny living is all well and good when the space is just servicing one person, living in such tight spaces can be tough on relationships. There is not as much room to allow for solitude. This is not to say that relationships can’t work in tiny living spaces, but there are more challenges.