Tiny homes are the new cheap houses

That’s right! Tiny homes are the new cheap houses and it is possible to build one for well under $100,000. Sometimes these tiny houses are completed for less the $50,000.

This is a new idea from people trying to downsize and live their lives in a simpler way. They are shedding many of their possessions and living in a space much smaller than the normal suburban house.

The Tiny House movement

The Tiny House movement has blosssomed because of the huge cost of housing over the last decade. People have been looking for housing alternatives more than they have ever before and so was born the Tiny House movement.

A tiny house is built on a standard trailer frame (2.5 x 4.2 metres) and is therefore portable and can travel on roads. They have a lounge area, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom but all in a very small area.

Tiny House, Big Living

At the forefront of the Tiny House movement is a young New Zealander named Bryce Langston. He has a Youtube channel called Living Big in a Tiny House and website. He travels the world visiting people who have built tiny houses, interviews them and presents brilliantly shot video documentaries of the houses.

He asks questions about their motivations to start the project. Most people say they started  for a number of reasons. To save money, to reduce waste and their carbon footprint. Many wanted to move away from the city to a more rural lifestyle. They are able to work remotely via the internet or in the local community.

Some people have sold a house or flat they had in the city and spend their spare time building their tiny house. Others have built the whole project by using recycled materials and keep the cost down by owner building the house themselves.

There are problems though.

As with all alternative lifestyles tiny houses also have there own set of problems. One of the most prominent hurdles is finding a place to put the tiny house. Unless the tiny house owner has a friend or relative that has a property for the house to stay on – there can be regulatory problems. Tiny houses are a recent idea and like all new ideas sometimes they are ahead of government regulations.

Where to park the Tiny House.

Currently in Australia (and also many other parts of the world) tiny houses and caravans can not be permanent dwellings. Many local councils frown on tiny homes or caravans parked permanently even on private property. Caravan parks are another alternative as they have power and sewerage already installed although Tiny Home parks are still not available. Apparently they are starting to appear in certain American states but here in Australia they do not exist yet.

Slowly the tiny house movement is being supported by individuals such as Adam Simmonds of Tiny House Real Estate. He started a website that lists properties for people to park their tiny homes. Listed on the site are various places that are mainly rural where a person can park their tiny house for a small amount of rent (around $100 per week). Bryce Langston also recently interviewed a young guy named John Paul who wanted to move to the Blue Mountains about 90 mins from Sydney. He placed one post on Facebook to try and get a parking spot for the tiny house and received 150 replies and 4 offers.

How much do you need to compromise?

I think this is the question asked by many people about the tiny house movement. Of course it is not for everyone but if you want a new life without the hassle of a huge mortgage and the stresses of city living it is an alternative. The compromises are many – smaller spaces mean less storage. To be self sufficient you need a water supply, gas supply and electricity, either via solar panels or by parking somewhere where you can share a power bill. If you watch a few of Bryces videos though you will soon realise that the compromises are worthwhile and all the people interviewed think their lives have changed for the better.

It may be not for everyone but I thought I would include this interesting lifestyle as as an alternative that is possible even on a very small budget.