Most of us have heard the phrase "less is more", a quote by architect Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe. The infamous quote was directed towards minimalism, an approach that involves stripping a design down to its bare essentials.
Similarly, the Tiny House movement advocates for downsizing our way of life, both architecturally and socially. So what exactly qualifies as a tiny house? Well, according to the 2018 International Residential Code, Appendix Q Tiny Houses, a tiny house is a "dwelling unit with a maximum of 37 square metres (400 sq ft) of floor area, excluding lofts." In comparison, a typical American home is around 2,600 square feet. American houses have more than twice as much space as British, Italian, or Japanese houses, and three times as much as those in Russia or China.
People have multiple reasons for choosing to live tiny. Some are looking for ways to own a home without mortage, some want a house they can take with them wherever they go, and some are just trying to tread more lightly on the Earth. For most Americans, 1/3 to 1/2 of their income is dedicated to the roof over their heads. Buying a house often translates to at least 15 years of working over your lifetime to pay for it. Because of the high cost of owning a “typical-sized” home, as well as the associated expenses (and culture of “buy now, pay later”), 76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.
So, what’s the alternative to this high cost of living? One solution is to live smaller—and it’s that realization that brings many people into the tiny house movement. Tiny homes may be rented or owned. You may choose a mini home on wheels or your small home may sit on a foundation slab or piers.
While tiny housing primarily represents a return to simpler living, the movement was also regarded as a eco-friendly solution to the existing housing industry. It leaves a much smaller footprint on the planet compared the the average home. With a smaller home, there is also less to clean which means more time to yourself. There are also smaller bills to pay, which means less financial stress. People are embracing the tiny life philosophy and the freedom that accompanies the tiny house lifestyle. The tiny house movement is about more than simply living in a small space. The tiny life allows for you to have more time and freedom to enjoy life's adventures.
References: thetinylife.com
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