Table of Contents
Have you ever thought about downsizing or clearing out clutter but you’re overwhelmed by the size of your home? Maybe its time for you to join the tiny house movement.
What Exactly Are Tiny Houses?
Tiny houses are trendy real estate lifestyle houses that encourage people to live in smaller homes. In fact, tiny houses are real estate property that only takes a small space such as a 100 – 400 square feet unlike most regular American homes that require 2,600 square feet.
If you’re reading this, I guess you’re interested in the tiny house movement, or considering buying or renting a tiny house either now or in the future. Or perhaps you’re only interested in tiny houses like many people do. Whatever the case may be, in this article, I’ll show you all you need to know about tiny houses. You’ll read about what the tiny house movement means, the pros and cons of living in a tiny house, how much they cost, where you can buy them and what to consider before buying one.
What Is The Tiny House Movement?
Many people in the United States are moving from regular homes to smaller homes for several different reasons. Some are moving to save costs, some are downsizing and clearing out clutter, some are in love with a small space or a mobile home. The reasons are almost endless. But regardless of these reasons, the real estate trend of living in a very small home is called the tiny house movement.
The Pros and Cons of Tiny Houses
Should you buy or rent a tiny house or not? There’s only one way to find out, let’s consider the pros and cons of tiny houses.
The Pros of tiny houses
- Tiny Houses Are Mobile – If you enjoy moving around, especially if you’re a tourist one of the easiest way to cut costs such as hotel bills and still live comfortably is to buy a tiny house. You can move around in your tiny house to almost anywhere you want to and without leaving your home.
- Less Clutter – Every space is important in a tiny house. There are no rooms for dumping things around any how. In a tiny house, you only get to keep important items, all other items are discarded almost immediately.
- Easy to clean – Tiny houses are very easy to clean. You wouldn’t have to bother about cleaning a large kitchen and many large rooms. Rooms in tiny houses are smaller and the kitchenette is not not difficult to clean. In a tiny house, you can easily clean your new home and make it livable.
- Save More Money – Once you start living in a tiny house, you can cut your bills significantly. Tiny houses are cheaper to maintain because of their smaller sizes and fewer rooms. Water bills, electricity bills, waste disposal bills, etc. all cost less in a tiny home.
- Reduced Carbon Footprint – Many tiny houses are green homes. Tiny houses consume less energy, use less resources and produce less waste, and ultimately less carbon footprint.
- Better Quality Of Life – You can improve your quality of life by living in a tiny home. You’ll have less things to worry about, live around less clutter and with a clear head, you’ll be able to plan better and go after your dreams and ambitions.
- Easier Home Decor – Home decor is absolutely easier in tiny homes compared to other standard homes. The limited space and smaller room sizes in tiny homes makes it very easy to customize and decorate. You can pick an easy-to-design theme and customize your home easily.
- No Mortgage – Many people can’t afford a home without depending on a mortgage and it adds to the long term cost of the home. In most cases, buying a tiny house doesn’t require a mortgage. Most tiny houses are so cheap that buyers don’t need a mortgage to buy them.
The Cons of tiny houses
- Your tiny house won’t hang in the air – You’ll need a land for your tiny house. You can get away with the cheap costs of tiny houses but your tiny house wont hang in the air. Odds are you’ll have to pay for the land where you’ll put your tiny house. Once you find a land, you’ll have to bother about sewage, waste disposal, water, electricity and several other things.
- Tiny houses make people less hospitable – Living in a tiny house can make you feel uncomfortable and inhospitable when friends and family visits you. Because of the less space in your home, you may find it difficult to do things you do normally just because there are people around and your space is too small. There is little or no room for guests in a tiny house.
- Small storage space – The storage space in tiny houses are so small that you wouldn’t be able to store many things. This means you’ll have to make several trips to grocery stores and probably spend more.
- Living tiny with kids is difficult – Living in a tiny house with kids can be very difficult. While you and your spouse may like the tiny house, your kids may detest it. Life in a tiny house may turn out to be a nightmare for kids.
- Smaller home features – Every feature of a tiny home is smaller. Smaller bathrooms, smaller kitchen, smaller chairs, tables, dining space etc.
How Much Does A Tiny House Cost?
It’ll be absolutely wrong to nail just one price tag on all tiny houses. But its possible to name a price range on tiny houses. So if you’re looking to buy a tiny house or if you’re considering building one, what cost should you expect?
Some DIY Tiny houses can be sold for as low as $6000. But many DIY houses fall within the range of $15000 – $65000 or more.
Where Can You Buy Tiny Houses?
One of the easiest places to start searching for tiny house listing is the internet. You can start your search on websites like Tiny House Listing.
The entire site is dedicated to tiny house listing and on each listing they indicate key specs such as type of tiny house, the cost, whether its on wheel or not, or may be on water. The site also mention the size of the tiny house in square feet and the exact location of the house.
Another site where you can find tiny house listing is eBay. There are hundreds of tiny house listing on eBay. You’ll have the chance to view as many tiny houses as possible before making up your mind.
You can also find tiny house listing on Tiny House Marketplace. As its name implies, the site is a marketplace for buying and selling tiny houses. You can browse tiny house listing on the site or post your own listing and its absolutely free.
Another website where you can find tiny houses for sale is Tiny House For Us. This site is committed to three key things: listing tiny houses, selling tiny houses, and renting tiny houses. If you’re looking to buy a tiny house directly from a tiny house construction company, check out TumbleWeed Tiny House Company.
Make sure you don’t miss WHEELHAUS. You’ll find beautifully crafted and constructed tiny houses on the site.
If you’re in Texas, you can check out Tiny Texas Houses. That’s a good place to start searching for tiny houses to buy in Texas.
Infographic source: The Tiny Life
What To Consider Before Investing In Tiny Houses
When you consider these 10 things I’m about to show you, chances are you’ll end up buying the right tiny house with all the right features and at the right cost.
#1. Who Constructed The Tiny House?
Is the tiny house you’re looking to buy constructed by professionals or is it a DIY construction by an amateur? If the tiny house was constructed by an amateur, you’ll have to be really careful. You’ll have to inspect the real estate tiny piece thoroughly so you wouldn’t end up buying a disaster that is only waiting to happen.
But if the tiny structure was constructed by a professional, then you can always sit back, relax and enjoy your tiny house as much as you can.
What if you can’t figure out if the tiny house was built by a professional or an amateur? You can take a friend or two along during the inspection or even hire a realtor to help you check the structure thoroughly. Safety should always be at the top of your list whenever you’re looking to buy a tiny house.
#2. Was The Tiny House Constructed On A New Or An Old Trailer?
Tiny houses that are constructed on new trailers tend to last longer than the ones that were built on an old or abandoned trailer. Since most tiny houses foundations are trailers, building a tiny house on an old trailer is similar to building a mansion on a weak foundation.
If the trailer is not strong enough to hold the house for a long period of time, the entire tiny piece can cave in, especially while in transit. But if the tiny house is built on a new trailer, it the piece will be safer and you’ll be able to travel for as far as you can. Before buying a tiny house, make sure you check if its built on a new or old trailer.
#3. Is The Tiny House Good Enough For A Fresh Start?
Life in a tiny house is always a fresh start, especially if you’re moving into your first tiny house. But if someone had previously occupied the tiny house you’re looking to buy, you’ll have to find out why exactly they are leaving it.
There are thousands of reasons why the occupants decide to move out, but make sure those reasons were not caused by the deteriorating structure of the tiny house. Before buying a tiny house ask yourself if a tiny space is good enough for a fresh start.
#4. How Much Does The Tiny House Weigh?
Just before you sign the deal to buy a tiny house, make sure the weight of the structure is not as heavy as the original weight the trailer was designed to carry. In fact, it should weigh a lot lesser.
You should also do your best to verify if its not already approaching the stage to weigh more than what the trailer was designed to carry. If your tiny house is lighter, it’ll be easier for you to tow it around.
#5. Is The Tiny House Wired For AC Or DC?
Many typical homes in the United States are wired for AC. This indicates that appliances in such homes are wired to run on AC too. You’ll have to inspect the tiny houses you’re looking to buy if its wired for AC or DC. If the tiny structure is wired for DC, that means you’ll have to buy special versions of all the appliances you have.
Before buying a tiny house, make sure you know the exact wiring system of the structure and its cost implication.
#6. Are You Considering The Tiny Houses’ Insulation?
Make sure you verify the insulation of the tiny house just before you buy. You’ll have to check the R-value of the material used in constructing the tiny house and make sure its good enough for your climate. Before buying a tiny house don’t lose the chance to check its insulation.
#7. How Will You Get The Major Utilities You Need?
There are several key utilities you’ll need to keep your tiny house running appropriately. If you cant lay your hands on these utilities, living in a tiny house may turn out to be a nightmare. Before buying any tiny house, carefully inspect the structure and verify how all the key utilities you may need work and their cost.
#8. How Will You Transport The Tiny House?
Chances are you’ll buy the tiny house at a location where you don’t intend to live. So you’ll have to move the tiny house to the specific location where its best appreciated and where you can make the most of it. So just before you put your signature on any tiny house deal, make sure you verify how to transport it to your desired location.
#9. Are You Cut Out To Live In A Tiny Space?
If you’ve never lived in a tiny space before, buying a tiny house and living in it may be a huge challenge for you. If you’re the type who enjoys living in a large space where you can throw your things around easily you may find it extremely difficult to survive in a tiny structure.
So just before you signed the check to buy tiny houses, ask yourself if you’re really cut out to live in any.
#10. Do You Have A Family Or Will You Live In The Structure All Alone?
If you’re living all alone, its easier to make up your mind to invest in tiny houses and getaway with it. But if you have a family, its advisable for you to consider each of them to find out if they can actually survive in a tiny home. Don’t conclude on assumption or instinct, ask them before going out to vote.
