Tiny houses are everywhere! These tiny, compact, affordable houses are the perfect addition to any family. Just look up Tiny House Hunters, Tiny House Builders, or Tiny House Nation. The blogs and TV shows show how popular the craze is right now, especially with the cost of owning a “normal house” growing out of proportion. But, besides the cost effectiveness of owning and living in a tiny house, there are tons of benefits. Ability to travel, eco-friendly living, less money decorating and cleaning, to just name a few. Together, we will go over the top 10 benefits of living in a tiny house, and hey, you might even want to start considering one.
Building a Tiny House Costs Much Less than a “Normal House”
Not everyone has the knowledge to build their own tiny house, so they have engineers design it for them. Obviously, due to this or any construction project, things are going to cost a little bit of dough. Luckily, however, tiny house costs a lot less than an average house. As a matter of fact, tiny houses only cost a fraction of the cost traditional cost due to only needing a fraction of the materials. And, you can find free tiny house plans from all over the internet if you don't want to hire someone to design it for you. This cost usually runs from $20-50,000 making it a little easier to pay without needing a mortgage. However, most banks would gladly hand over this small loan payment if you needed a mortgage since it's so much smaller than a traditional home loan.
You Can Travel the Country With Ease
If you build a tiny house on wheels, you can literally attach your home to your car and drive anywhere in the country. You can even set up shop. Never again will you deal with the struggle of finding some cheap hotel room on vacation when you can take your entire home with you. Whether it's the Grand Canyons or visiting the many trails of Vermont, you are completely covered to travel wherever and whenever you want.
But what about electricity, water, or sewer needs? You’ll never need them again...well...maybe some of them. Since most tiny houses have solar and rain barrels built into them, your house kind of takes care of itself. Think of a tiny house like an RV, wherever an RV can go you can go. You can even get a tiny house suited with RV hookups for easier stays at campsites.
Say Goodbye to Future Big Moves
New Job and need to move? No worries! Just pack up your house, attach it to your car, and be on your way. No need to say goodbye to your precious house you spent years in, making new memories, or renting a new house that may not be as good. Instead of jumping from house to house, you can stick with this one and move anywhere your heart desires. The only question is where to move to next?
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I am happy that the thought sharers are realistic people and are telling it like it is and not with the non-factual terms being presented in the article. In Maine we have had one fellow have to remove two tiny houses from a city lot even though they had proper utilities hooked up because they were too small to fit the town's building code. This is another consideration as many towns at least in the East have minimum square footage requirements to a home set up as a residence. I am also glad to hear realistic comments on what towing this kind of residence really means. You also have to consider whether the siding, roofing or any other exterior item will stand up to towing at 50 mph or above so you don't have parts of your house flying off and hitting another motorist. Travel trailers are engineered for this, who is guaranteeing that you tiny home is??
In Britain we use this sort of building in our gardens as an extension to our living space. Usually we would use a tiny house as an office or an art studio. I write an independent guide to this type of garden office at www.iobuild.co.uk
The article is misleading about the logistics of towing a THOW around the country. Hooking up to your car is not really an option. Most THOW must be towed by a larger pickup, 3/4 ton or 1 ton. A car will not pull (or stop) the weight. I like to watch the shows mentioned with one pet peeve. No one ever gets into the nitty gritty of water tanks, potable, grey water and black water (if you are not using a composting toilet). Also, nothing is ever mentioned about insulating the tanks and water supply lines for cold climates.
The article is misleading as far as how you will be able to move the THOW around. It mentions repeatedly to hook up to your car. Most THOW must be towed by a larger pickup such as a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. A typical car will not tow the weight. I like to watch the shows mentioned on tv, however, no one ever really gets into the nitty gritty about water tanks- potable and gray water (black water if you don't use a composting toilet) and how to insulate water supply and tanks for cold climates.
As a professional Tiny House On Wheels (THOW) builder, the points made here are pertinent. However there are some serious considerations you need to make when contemplating the realities of actually living in a THOW and bringing it with you on your travels. We want you to love your THOW and have no post-purchase regrets. 1) Make sure you have a place to park your THOW, and what will be required to make it a legal residence at that location. 2) Understand that many financial institutions do not recognize THOWs as a primary residence, and therefore obtaining purchase financing is not a trivial exercise. Our financing partner offers 20 year terms on purchase loans which makes them very affordable in terms of monthly payments, but 10% deposits and co-signer requirements are fairly standard requirements. 3) Make sure your THOW is actually properly engineered with a full set of construction plans, and is certified as legal for the road through the RVIA in the USA (or engineered and stamped as CRVA compliant in Canada). When state and federal legislation is enacted regarding THOWs, we are confident you will need this for future licensing and insurance of your THOW. 4) We find the majority of THOW clients are not planning on traveling the countryside with their THOW, and in fact plan on keeping them at one location for a few years at least. However if you plan on towing your THOW like an RV, you may want to consider looking at upgraded construction methods which are better suited for travel. For example, steel stud framing will reduce the overall weight of your THOW by a few thousand pounds, which is a HUGE difference when pulling your trailer across the country. 5) If your THOW is going to be relatively stationary and you are utilizing solar panels, we recommend NOT to install them on the roof of the THOW. Your panels will operate better when on a rack on the ground as the operating environment is cooler at ground level than on a roof, and they are easier to clean from snow and dirt when on a rack. Tiny Houses On Wheels is a rapidly growing industry and deservedly so. Just be aware of the legalities of living and traveling with a THOW so there are no unhappy experiences!
Thank you so much for the info - one thing I wish I could find on this or any website is a printable flyer or brochure to pass to neighbours about the dangers of chemical lawn care - could someone with that kind of talent set one up for this site please!!! and thank you!!!!