Tiny House Movement takes off

By MiNDFOOD

Tiny House Movement takes off
Many are turning their backs on the idealised large-scale home in favour of living smaller, simpler and more sustainably.

Encouraged by the prospect of greater financial freedom and a smaller environmental footprint, many across the world are shunning large scale homes in favour of a tiny house.

Similar to that of a traditional home, in terms of construction materials and building conventions used, a tiny home is exactly what it says it is – a small home, essentially a miniature version of a traditional-sized home.

A typical tiny house rarely exceeds 500 square feet, with some as small as 80 square feet, ranging in price from $20,000 – $50,000. There is even the option of a portable tiny house – a tiny house on wheels, which is usually less than 8ft by 20ft.

Not only are tiny houses less expensive in terms of taxes, building, heating, maintenance and repair costs, tiny houses may also encourage a less cluttered and more simplified lifestyle, thereby benefiting those who live within these homes as well as the environment.

Originating in Charlotte, North Carolina, the tiny house movement has quickly swept across the US at lighting speed and continues to flourish across the world, with its vision of living simply and sustainably. In a sense, it is both an architectural and social movement.

While the tiny house isn’t necessarily any easier to build than a regular home, many tiny home-owners opt to construct their own house with little to no expertise and this is part of the appeal, providing a sense of satisfaction. There are a wealth of tiny house resources out there now including e-books and blogs, as well as conferences and companies such as Portland Alternative Dwellings, a tiny house education and consulting company, that support those embarking on building their own tiny house.

The tiny house movement isn’t just about folks living in small spaces, it is clearly as much about lifestyle, with a tiny-house dating site recently launched.

As interest in the movement continues, A&E TV network has recently begun airing a reality TV show, Tiny House Nation.

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