In this blog, we’re talking about the tiny house movement and why, in the home of the Big Mac, the supersize soda, and the large popcorn at movie theatres, people are suddenly going crazy over homes that could fit in the foyer of an average McMansion.
First off, let’s talk economics.
The cost of living in the US has been climbing like an ambitious squirrel on a bird feeder – not that we have room for bird feeders anymore. As it turns out, the mortgage on a regular-sized home is, let’s just say, slightly beyond the budget of your average human. Along comes the tiny house movement with its adorable, doll-house-like miniatures and viola! Debt-free living. Tiny houses are like a rebel yell against the system, proving you can own a home without selling a kidney on the black market. Now, isn’t that nice?
Secondly, size definitely matters.
In this instance smaller is WAY better. One might argue that the rise in minimalism is driven by a genuine desire to reduce clutter and live more sustainably. I’d like to think it’s because we all love the challenge of seeing just how far we can push the concept of “less is more” before we snap and buy a storage unit.
Speaking of sustainability…
That’s another reason people are flocking to tiny houses. With the planet heating up like a pot of water on a stove, and humans collectively realizing we might be the flame underneath, tiny houses are a less carbon-footprint-y way to go. You can almost hear Mother Nature breathe a sigh of relief every time someone chooses a house with a bedroom and a bathroom that share the same square footage.
Lastly, less is more.
We’ve all been marinating in our homes due to the pandemic. Big homes felt a lot smaller after living, working, and attempting to do pilates in them for months on end. So, why not make it official and move into a home that actually is smaller? It’s like preparing for the worst – the next pandemic won’t feel that different. After all, when your home is a single multipurpose room, there’s no pretense about having a separate “office” space – it’s right there between the toaster and the fridge.
The tiny house movement is more than a trend; it’s a societal pivot away from the idea that more space equals more happiness. It’s a bold, and sometimes claustrophobic, statement that we as humans can adapt, live with less, and yet be content.
As it turns out, you can, in fact, have your tiny cake and eat it too, just not while standing up in your kitchen.
