A tiny house is defined as a living space from 80 square feet to 400 square feet. If you’re not mathematically inclined, a standard garage is around 100 square feet, so we’re talking about living in a space the size of a garage or up to 4 times its space, for a luxury tiny house!
Not for everyone, but obviously we can see huge benefits here for others. If built en-masse, they would offer wonderful affordable homes for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessmess. And if designed well (a bit like those IKEA BOKLOK homes), they actually can be very nice to live in. Built on unused urban land with planted gardens and green space, they can be light and airy, well-insulated naturally and often decorated and fully furnished, to provide quite lovely living spaces, all for a very affordable price. And if you move – just like a turtle or hermit crab – you can take your home with you!
The main problem is finding land, and also the fact that tiny homes are still thought of as ‘whacky out there’, when in fact they are a far smarter idea for many people, over struggling year-in-year-out to pay the huge mortgages of damp and draughty homes, often in noisy areas with little green space. American Dee Williams was just 41 when she had a heart attack in her local grocery store. After years of doing up a sprawling old property, the illness made her rethink her life. She sold up, built a tiny home and now spends $8 a month on bills, 10 minutes cleaning her home, and often sits with a beer and her dog on her tiny porch, gazing as the sunset goes down.
Plank Bridge sells huts with a 20-year guarantee, sustainably built and they cost 80% less than the average first home. If you’re a Daily-Mail-obsessed type of person who worries how much the value will go up, then they won’t be for you. But if you want a nice affordable home if you’ve found land, these are beautiful and snug, with a living area, shower room, kitchen and bed. They even have a super tiny 99 square foot cabin, for those on a budget. Built by architects, to last in the British weather! Read the FAQ for important safety info like stoves and drainage.
The Wee House Company sells beautiful modular home kits, starting at £95K for a studio cottage up to a 3-bedroom cottage for just under £200K. The studio includes a lounge with French doors, quality fitted kitchen with dining space for two, a bedroom with alcove double bed and fitted wardrobe, shower room, loft storage and high insulation.
The Qube Tiny Homes
The Qube Eco Tiny Homes offers beautifully designed spaces, from a tiny ‘extra space’ studio you could use for a garden office or art studio, to a larger version that can be fitted with an off-grid solar system, water tank and composting toilet. The luxury versions could be used as granny flats or rented out.
Madi Homes from Italy
Italy’s Madi Home comes with all mod-cons and is even earthquake proof. But for most people, it’s more likely to take the philosophy of tiny homes, and the apply it in other ways. If you have no reason to stay local, could you downsize to a nicer properly with more outdoor space? Or perhaps move to a cheaper area?
Reading List
The Beginner’s Guide to Tiny Houses introduces the history of the tiny house movement, a breakdown of tiny house styles and you’ll meet the passionate tiny house community, with profiles of pioneers and their tiny homes. The book discusses the pros and cons of micro living, then take a quiz to find the tiny home that’s right for you. Learn how tiny homes are better for the planet, cheaper to maintain and even meet housing shortages. Fall in love with simple a-frame houses and tiny houses on wheels (THOWS!)
Living in Tiny Homes has lots of ideas by an interior designer who combines years of experience wot offer mood board-type layouts to bring light and space to a tiny home. Whether you’re converting a van to a house-on-wheels or downsizing from a large home, this has real-world illustrated room-by-room examples, to create your own small happy place.
Be content with what you have; rejoin in the way things are. When you realise there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. Lao Tzu
Bigger Than Tiny, Smaller than Average looks at small house options for anyone building a house, renovating an older home or buying new. The sidebars describe home systems and new materials that are good to save money on energy and maintenance.
The Tiny Book of Tiny Homes captures the essence of this downsizing trend by showcasing homes across a spectrum of styles and locations, each filled with stylish interiors, ingenious solutions for small-space living and stories of contented homeowners. You’ll also get advice from the growning number of talented builders and architects who have trained their skills to create beautiful and imaginative smaller dwellings. A book of inspiration for living large, in a small space.
The Wild Year is the uplifting story of one family who spent a year living in a tent. With a baby and toddler, mounting debt, work demands and stress, Jen and Sim moved out of their rented accommodation, sold their belongings and lived under canvas for a year, as nomads around rural Britain. Away from the screens and stresses of modern life, this captivating memoir is a read for nature lovers, who dream of a life outoors.
