Crushing Misconceptions About Tiny House Living

There are many misconceptions about living in a tiny house, many of which are unfounded due to social perception. The size of the average house in North America has grown to an average of around 2600 ft² and that is perceived today as the norm, even though the size of the average family has decreased. Living tiny means downsizing to a more comfortable environment with a less demanding lifestyle in a smaller eco-friendlier dwelling.

 There are many classifications of tiny, or small, houses that can suit the needs of most people. In actuality, many are already living in small homes like those living in studio apartments, mobile homes, early 20^th century homes and less than a 1000 ft² condos. Living tiny is all about living according to the current social needs.  As society evolves, the needs of the people need to evolve with them, with housing being one of the most important, along with food.

The main reason many are looking to downsizing is because they are unable to sustain living the social norm with living large and extravagantly comfortably. A family of 4 could easily live very contentedly in a 600 ft² with two bedrooms. With proper design of a multifunction open concept layout, the common area in the house could seem quite large. If we incorporated one of the bedrooms into the loft, or even have 2 loft bedrooms, we would still have a main floor bedroom and a larger common area. With 3 sleeping areas, we could even comfortably accommodate a family of 6. The advantage here is that a smaller home is less costly to build and maintain providing additional funds, and time, to enjoy life with.

Downsizing also means many need to reduce the volume of their possessions. The fact is that with all that extra space in today’s homes most have many items and garments that they have forgotten about stored in some obscure room that is barely used. Moving to a smaller residence doesn’t mean you have to give up your most important items. Photos, music, videos, and books can all be obtained, or converted to digital, allowing for additional storage space. Simply keep your most treasured items and relieve yourself of the burden of the excess. Make sure all your important items are easily available, use, and/or proudly displayed, and discarding anything that will just sit hidden and out of reach.

Many think of tiny house living is living in trailerable tiny homes, usually classified as travel trailers. This is only one form of tiny house living, usually embraced by the younger generation who are just starting out. There are actually many types of smaller homes people live in. As long as you are living in a dwelling under a 1000 ft² you are living tiny.

I have lived in a half a duplex that was classified as 490 ft², with the 2 bedrooms in the half-deep basement giving us 980 ft². We, as a family of 4, lived quite comfortably there for many years. Many tiny homes can be permanent structures, with or without basements, lofts, and attics. Living tiny is living creatively comfortably with all the necessary essentials providing more time and funds to enjoy life.

Stop taking care of and overspending on maintenance on your home and Join the Tiny House Movement to discover the correct type of tiny dwelling to suit your needs. Free up funds and time to enjoy the activities that bring you pleasure. Learn more about tiny living in our previous articles Advantages of Tiny House Communities and Tiny House Communities a Less Stressful way of Living.