Tiny Houses: Portable, Pure Living

Posted on: 12 March 2015

According to the Canadian Home Builders Association, a recent survey shows that average Canadian homes have dropped in size to 1,900 square feet from an average of 2,300 square feet in the mid-2000s. A growing trend of smaller homes and bigger lifestyles is spreading across Canada and the United States, with people from all walks of life making a move into the very latest version of living the simple life – tiny houses. Here you'll get answers to your questions about the tiny house movement and why it has become such an attractive option to so many.

What Constitutes a Tiny House?

If you grew up in a 1990s "McMansion" you might think of a tiny house as something around 1,500 square feet with two bedrooms and just one bathroom. By definition, tiny houses generally range from 100 to 400 square feet, with every inch of the space being multipurpose.

Tiny houses may be tiny, but that is the only prerequisite. The style of your house is limited only by your budget and imagination. From spartan and sparse to rich and luxurious, tiny houses come in all shapes and styles.

How are Tiny Houses Built?

Tiny houses can be built on all types of foundations, but due to their small size and varying zoning restrictions around the country, many are designed to be portable. They often have wheels and can be towed behind a pick-up truck.

Portable building manufacturers are now beginning to offer tiny house options. Portable sheds and small travel trailers are popular bases for tiny houses as they are both easy to move and fairly inexpensive.

Many people choose to build their own tiny homes, but tiny house builders are springing up everywhere. Whether you decide to try your hand at building in miniature or rely on the professionals to build the tiny home of your dreams, the possibilities are endless and the portability means your scenery can change as often as your heart desires.

What are the Benefits of Living in a Tiny House?

This question comes to the heart of the matter. People with tiny house, portable buildings, dreams typically want to spend more money on their lifestyle than on their mortgage. In addition to avoiding 30 years of huge mortgage payments, the benefits of a tiny house include:

  • Reducing your carbon footprint. Living in a smaller structure means you'll use fewer resources, including electricity, gas, water, etc.
  • Reducing your monthly bills. Using fewer resources also means paying for fewer resources. You can expect to cut your monthly bills down to next to nothing, especially if you decide to use alternative resources like solar power.
  • Allowing you to park just about anywhere. You don't need a huge piece of property for a tiny home. You can also change the scenery any time you want by dragging your home to a new piece of property.
  • Getting to splurge on decorative items and finishes. Because you're decorating such a small space, you can select more expensive flooring or splurge on a lovely painting – a little bit of luxury can go a long way in a small space.
  • Spending less time cleaning. While a tiny space means you have to be more organized, it also means that cleaning will be a breeze. There are fewer rooms to clean and fewer things to put away.

People all over Canada – young people, old people, professionals, families and everyone in between – are climbing on board the tiny house train. Smaller spaces and a paring down of material possessions is allowing them to save more money, experience new things and focus on what is truly important.

Now that you know the basics about tiny houses, consider committing to your own tiny house adventure and enjoy a life with fewer things and more meaning.

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