Five Things You Need to Know About Tiny Houses
The tiny house movement is rapidly growing and more and more people are building their own. Because they are so new to the house market, people don’t know almost anything about them except that they are very very small and they are featured in the HGTV’s shows “Tiny House Hunters” or “Tiny Houses, Big Living.”
So, me being a such a tiny house enthusiast, have gathered some of the most important information about tiny houses there’s out there. In case you didn’t know anything about them, here a list of things I think you should know about tiny houses:
1.Building a tiny house could save you a LOT of money
Most people join the tiny house movement in order to have that “financial freedom” we all dream about. There are a few things to consider before I give you an estimated number. Are you going to build it yourself? Or have someone else do it for you? LATCH Collective states that the average cost of a professionally built tiny home is around $60,000. And if you feel adventurous enough and want to build it yourself, so no labor costs, a tiny house can be built for around $20.000. To add to these numbers, 68 percent of tiny house owners do not have a mortgage compared to the 29 percent of all U.S. homeowners.
2. The world is your backyard
Whether you decide to build your tiny house on wheels or literally build it in a backyard, tiny houses give you the ability to move anywhere you’ll like. In California for instance, there are a few zoning regulations that do not allow you to live in a tiny house on its own land. Elaine Walker from Tiny House Community explains that it’s either because “camping on one’s own land isn’t permitted or because one can’t have a tiny house without also having an approved primary dwelling on the property.” But you can always find a spot for living in the backyard of a larger home, an RV park, or an existing community or eco-village.
3. You can finance your tiny house
If you do not have the money “out-of-pocket” to build your tiny home right away, you could always finance it. There are a few ways to get your tiny house financed. You could get a traditional mortgage, but only if your tiny house will be on a foundation and meets the building codes. Another option is a bank loan, and tiny Elaine suggests The Lightstream division of Suntrust Bank, which offers loans for tiny houses on wheels. If your tiny house will be on wheels, and it will be certified on wheels, you could get an RV loan. You could also get super creative with your application and a loan through a Credit Union.
4. You can have a Minimalist lifestyle
What also drives a lot of people to join to tiny house movement is the opportunity they get to downsize. Tiny house enthusiast come across that along with building a tiny home, they also have to get rid of most of their stuff. A lot of times we do not even use most of the things we own so why not get rid of them? Living with less creates financial freedom, less stress and could give you some more free time. It is difficult to accomplish it but it can get done.
5. They contribute to sustainable living
According to Heidi Redlitz from Green Future tiny houses get major points for sustainability. Believe it or not, most tiny houses are built with sustainable building materials. In order to save some money during construction a lot of people turn to salvaged material that can be collected almost anywhere; dumps, neighbors or Craigslist. People also turn to companies that build tiny homes specifically with recycled or sustainably-sourced materials.
Some owners go literally “off the grid.” This means they will use composting toilets, solar panels for electricity, etc. And finally, since they are so small, the consume less energy and other resources.
Just as Redlitz says “the point is that you look for ways to use less of everything — space, resources, utilities, and money — to practice a sustainable lifestyle.”
