The Tiny House Movement is an architectural and social movement that encourages living a simpler life in a smaller space. People from all walks of life have determined that large home, and more specifically, the large cost of living that comes with it, is both unnecessary and a detriment to their happiness. These people have turned to tiny house living to reduce the financial and emotional burden of STUFF.
A large percentage of people involved in the tiny house movement are DIY’ers, meaning people who are interested in building their own homes. It is incredibly empowering and fulfilling to construct your own home from the ground up. With that said, as the tiny house movement becomes more mainstream, more companies are trying to capitalise on the increased demand by offering pre-built and custom homes.
Who’s Joining the Tiny House Movement?
While anyone can benefit from the advantages of living tiny, we primarily see two most interested groups; younger individuals or couples that do not have children, and those entering retirement.
There are many reasons younger people are more interested in tiny houses. There is risk associated with moving into a tiny house as highlighted above, and the uncertainty of having a permanent spot for your home can be emotionally challenging for anyone. But it is less of a concern for younger individuals who can be more flexible and make faster lifestyle changes. Changes, such as moving, become increasingly difficult the more roots you have down, for example having children in school.
Younger people have also had less time to acquire more belongings, so that idea of minimising is less impactful. People tend to fill the space they are in, and if you have not yet lived in a home on your own, you likely won’t have as much stuff as someone who has.
Those entering retirements are also more interested in tiny houses. As we age and look to spend less time working, our bills, unfortunately, don’t change because of our desires. To cover those bills and our cost of living, we either need to have adequate savings or reduce our cost of living to a sustainable level. Unfortunately, many don’t have the needed savings and are thus looking to the alternative. As previously outlined, one way to dramatically decrease that cost of living is to go tiny.
The biggest roadblock to retired individuals moving into a tiny house is the uncertainty of a permanent living location. No one in retirement wants to be told they must move and go through the challenges of finding a new location for their home.
As you may have noticed, these two groups exclude families. While some families do indeed live in tiny houses, it is not as common. The challenges around having the room for the stuff people typically associate with having children, as well as privacy and personal space limitations, is too much for many to take on.
Source: TinyHome Builders
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