Backyard Living Ideas

The Benefits of Living in a Tiny House

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With the cost of rent and the cost of living constantly on the rise, people are looking for more affordable housing options. This led to the tiny house movement that has swept the nation in recent years. The idea of downsizing to a couple hundred square feet might be daunting to some people, but there are a number of advantages. Learn the benefits of living in a tiny house and see if it's the right fit for you.

Tiny Houses Are Cheaper Than Traditional Houses

The average price of a new home sold in the United States as of October 2018 is $395,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While houses are available for much cheaper, you can still expect to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the purchase of a home. The average rent in the U.S. is $1,405 per month or $16,860 per year, notes CBS News. In contrast, you can find tiny homes for sale for less than $19,000 up to $50,000. If you rent a house or apartment, a tiny house will pay for itself in just a few years. If you are considering buying a house, opting for a tiny home will save you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You Can Take It With You

Many tiny houses are built on a trailer, in an RV or are small enough to load on a flatbed truck to take on the road. You can travel the countryside and save money on hotel and lodging expenses by taking your tiny home with you. If you move for a job, there's no need to spend time looking for a new home in a new city — just take the tiny house with you.

They Are Energy Efficient

People who build tiny houses for off-grid living often equip them with solar panels. This eliminates the need for a power bill, thus lowering your expenses even more. However, even if your tiny house is hooked up to electric power, it still uses less energy for heating, cooling, appliances and more. Tiny houses often have a square footage ranging from 100 square feet to 400 square feet. That's a huge difference from trying to power a 2,600-square-foot home.

Your Life Has Less Clutter

People spend a lot of their adult lives trying to deal with clutter. They look up tips for organizing closets, pantries, playrooms and virtually every room of the house. When you have a lot of space, it's natural to want to fill that space with things. You don't have that option when you live in a tiny house. You have to make hard decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of. Additionally, you won't be making frivolous purchases because you know there's nowhere to put it when you get home — more money saved.

Cleaning Takes Less Time

With just a few hundred square feet of space, there's not a lot to clean. Additionally, there are less things to dust and wash. If you have a busy schedule and usually rely on having a housekeeper come in to help, you can eliminate that expense. You can have your entire tiny house clean in a matter of minutes.

More Independence for Family

Some groups of people, such as aging parents, adults with special needs, students and others, rely on family for assistance with care and housing. Having their own home may be prohibitively expensive or the person may not be equipped for that level of independence. Rather than living in a larger home, having a tiny home parked in the backyard allows them to have a greater sense of independence while still under the care of family. Tiny senior citizen homes for sale have become increasingly popular in recent years and are lovingly referred to as "granny pods."

Backyard Living Ideas