Home / Fall 2015 / Tiny houses make big plans: New trend helps owners save money and the environment

Tiny houses make big plans: New trend helps owners save money and the environment

Tiny home owned by Jenn Baxter highlighted HGTV.com (Photo Courtesy: HGTV.com)

Written by Kenzie Kesselring, Opinions Editor

The bigger the better. The more the merrier. Go big or go home; until now. The tiny house trend is the latest craze in the housing industry, and it’s catching people’s attention. HGTV and DYI Network have developed several shows that highlight people looking to building or find their own tiny home in hopes of contributing to their less than traditional lifestyles.

A tiny house is defined by the “Tiny House Community” as a home between 100 and 1000 square feet. These homes can costing anywhere between $10,000 and $40,000 and many can be easily and cheaply moved by cars, trucks, or other heavy machinery, while others are built on foundations. These homes can fit into small place, or be placed on large plots of land, adding to their appeal.

Most of these house hunters are in their 20s and 30s are opting for smaller more mobile houses to fit their on the go, low key lifestyles. Since these homes are substantially cheaper than traditional living, owners are able to set aside more money to fund their wanderlust or to save for their future. Huge long lasting mortgages are a thing of the past for those downsizing into the new trend.

The mobility and the cost effectiveness of tiny houses aren’t the only advantages of the trend. Tiny houses allow owners to simplify their lives, along with drastically reducing their carbon foot print. Since tiny houses are much smaller than traditional homes, there is not much room left for frivolous house hold items or a large wardrobe. According to OPB.org 80 percent of Green House gas emissions from the average American home are from electricity and fuel consumption. Luckily for those attempting to “go green,” tiny houses use significantly less gas and electricity than traditional homes. This along with the reduction of supplies used to build the houses tends to peak the interest of environmentally friendly home owners.

While the tiny house craze is creative, cost effective and environmentally friendly, it’s not for everyone. Many cannot handle the idea of being confined to such a small space after living in homes 10-15 times the size the majority of their lives. Also, when cohabiting is thrown into the mix, small living can become tricky.

However, being able to travel, become a homeowner with no mortgage at a young age, and having the opportunity to keep a home intact while moving across country, makes tiny living worth giving up the extra elbow room traditional houses provide.
As a young person who wants a life full of all of this, people rarely pass up the opportunity to remind you, that you can’t have it all. But tiny living is starting to prove that by giving up a little space and a few belongings, you can come closer than ever before.

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