The typical dream home usually includes an enormous house, a pool, and a vast amount of property to roam on a sunny day. However, sometimes, less is more. This is the motto when it comes to “living tiny,” a movement that is taking the nation by storm.
Most people would agree that living a healthier and more environmentally-friendly life is costly, but with tiny houses, this is not the case. These 100- to 400-square-foot homes cost on average $23,000 to build. This is a significant decrease in the cost of living when compared to the average $272,000 cost of a standard-sized home. Tiny house owners also have lower taxes and little to no debt. Sixty-eight percent of people living tiny have no mortgage. Without mortgages, tiny house owners save an average of $1,061 a year.
Because tiny houses are much smaller than the average American home, they substantially lessen the owner’s carbon footprint. The homes require less lumber and building materials, have less space to heat and cool, and reduce electricity and fuel use. Tiny houses are half the size of a normal home, which reduces lifecycle emissions, including nuclear power and greenhouse gases, by 36 percent.
Tiny houses are also healthier and easier to produce. Some cities have gone as far as to make villages of tiny houses in order to shelter the homeless.
The tiny house movement is gaining international traction for a reason: tiny houses are environmentally friendly and affordable.