Planning on buying a house?

If you are, then you might be considering a tiny house as an option. The tiny-house movement is going strong and more and more people are getting interested. 

What’s a Tiny House?

In 2013 the average size of an American home was 2,662 square feet. The average house size grew considerably since the 1970s, mostly because of the growth in income and an increase in material wealth. The American consumer also is in the habit of buying a lot of stuff, which requires plenty of space for storage in homes.

Then came the trend for small houses, those are the dwellings that are less than 1,000 square feet in size. For some people, that was still too large and so the trend for tiny houses was born. Tiny houses are the homes with 400 square feet in floor space and there are tiny houses that have less than 100 square feet in space. 

Why They’re Popular

So, why are tiny houses gaining popularity?

Here are several reasons:

1. Tiny houses are more environmentally friendly than larger homes. Fewer resources are used in building them and fewer materials can be stored inside, which lessens its environmental impact.
2. Living in a tiny house offers a simplicity that is attractive to a lot of people in the same way that Marie Kondo and her philosophy of decluttering have become so popular. It is also connected with the popularity of minimalism.
3. The smaller the house, the lesser the maintenance work that it would require. This is a major attraction for some people who do not want to spend a great deal of time in maintaining their homes.
4. Tiny houses are many times cheaper than the average-sized homes and that is a major incentive to would-be homeowners.

Things to Consider When Buying a Tiny House

There are several financial considerations when you are thinking about buying a tiny house. For example, should you buy a new one?

A new tiny house has a price range from several thousand dollars to close to $100,000. A well-known builder of tiny houses has several units with a base price at $57,000. Those are the basic models. If you want additional features then you should expect the price to go up.

Another thing that you should consider is whether you should just build your own tiny house. For some, this would be easy to answer. Builders, carpenters, and those with experience with building things can do most of the work on their own.

The problem with going DIY in building your own tiny house is the cost. On top of the time that you will be spending on building and the materials that are needed for the construction, you may end up buying tools too which can raise the cost considerably.

Now, where will you build your tiny house? Most places have restrictions on building tiny homes and the solution is to just rent the land where it will be erected. You need to do some research first regarding the local regulations before you purchase land.

These are just some of the things that you should consider when you are thinking about opting for a tiny house.