Living in a tiny house

●The typical American home is around 2600 square feet.

 Tiny homes are living units under roughly 400 square feet. Many tiny homes are under 8 feet, 6 inches wide, so that they can be easily transported across roads and highways without special permits or traffic provisions. Most municipalities mandate that a permit is not required to put a building of less than 120 square feet on your property. You can purchase plans to build it yourself, order a kit, or buy it ready made and delivered to your site.

There has been an increase in popularity of tiny homes. There is something about them that makes them charming. They are modeled after some huts in India and are used as mini cabins for cross country skiing. There are a surprising number of options available.

1.       Tiny structure built from a used cargo shipping container

Benefits: rust-proof, water-proof, highly wind-resistant, bear-proof, fire-proof, and resistant to damage from downed trees. Shipping container homes are too tiny and air-tight to safely use indoor wood or propane heating. Prices start at $17,000.

2.       Tumbleweed Tiny House Company: Prices start at $16,000 if you built it yourself.

3.       Tiny Green Cabins: These cabins are made from organic certified material. They have welded steel frames. Customizations include solar panels and solar hot water heaters, allowing the homes to be taken entirely off the grid. Prices start at $14,999.

*Many of these homes include a toilet, shower, and sink. Most people use small propane heaters or electric space heaters. Some people use wood stoves but they tend to overheat such small spaces.

Benefits of tiny homes:

1.       Utility consumption: lower utility bill.

2.       Reduced maintenance: There’s less space and less stuff. Caring for it takes less time, effort and cost.

3.       Life simplification

4.       Self sufficiency

5.       Less impact on the environment

6.       Less initial cost

7.       Less insurance and taxes

Negatives of tiny homes:

1.       It is difficult to host visitors.

Things to consider:

1.       Your bed needs to be a loft, or a fold-away. Multi-purpose items are great.

2.       To build to code in most localities around the country, your structure requires two entries in case one is blocked during a fire. However, many floor plans and designs for tiny homes incorporate only a single entry.

3.       Make sure you love the person you are living with. There is little privacy and when there is tension there is not much room to blow off steam.

4.       It is important to consider what your needs are before designing your home.

Where can you park or build your tiny house?

Most people park their mobile tiny home on their own property or on their friend’s or relative’s property. Some people travel and move around from place to place. You can park them at campgrounds.