Upsizing as your family grows is no longer the expected norm. The price of living is increasing rapidly and, sometimes, bigger is not necessarily better when there are additional upkeep bills to pay at month end. In fact, there’s now a large number of people who are choosing to downsize their lives and spaces.
Welcome to the tiny house (or small house) movement – minimalist, innovative, efficient and technology-savvy spaces that are allowing people to live off-the-grid. It’s a real-estate trend for simpler, smaller living. And while for some it’s socially driven, others are joining the movement for the environmental and economic benefits (no bond to pay off!) that comes with living in a tinier space.
Eco-savvy spaces
Buildings contribute to an estimated third of greenhouse gas emissions, so with a tiny house, your carbon footprint is dramatically reduced. Also, some tiny houses rely on solar panels for energy and use composting toilets – less energy and less wastage.
What makes a tiny house?
And how small is small? Tiny houses are usually custom-built and fully insulated, with all the features of an actual house, just on a much smaller scale – try 46m2.
While living in a tiny house with all the eco-savvy features may be romanticised through YouTube series such as Tiny House, Giant Journey and Living Big in a Tiny House, South Africans are asking if there’s a difference between a tiny house and a container home, where shipping containers are repurposed into low-cost accommodation. Yes and no.
Quality over quantity
From a design perspective, the less space you have, the less you’ll need to buy to fill it. Within a tiny house, there is a limit to the possessions you can keep, which means essentials are truly that. And while the space is small, it doesn’t mean it’s without potential.
Can you live more by owning less? Inside a tiny house, nothing can be wasted and everything has to have a purpose. Simply put, you can’t afford to have a poorly designed house… but you can now afford to have nicer things, because you’ll have a whole lot less of them.
To find out more about simple living, tiny houses and being more conscious about how you live, go to www.thetinylife.com.
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