The Tiny Home Movement

The bottom line is that “Everybody’s situation is unique. For some, housing is simply a form of shelter. For others, it is the heart of their family or a symbol of safety and stability” (Romerdahl). Although some people may adhere to the traditional American Dream of buying a nice house and raising a family, others may prefer a more free spirited approach to life and enjoy the freedom of not being tied to a house.

According to the Census Bureau, the average American home is about 2,600 square feet. While national home size continues to rise, there is a growing population of Americans in favor of small and tiny houses. Reality TV shows including Tiny House Hunting, Tiny House Building, Tiny House Nation, and Tiny House, Big Living, have brought national attention to the movement. A typical tiny house falls between 100 and 400 square feet. The tiny house movement is one possible solution for individual financial and environmental concerns. Most tiny homeowners also cite a simpler lifestyle as a main factor for choosing to “live tiny.”

House, a shelter for people which is one of a basic requirement for human survival in today’s world. According to Andriotis (2014) and Shlay (2006), homeownership is regarded as an aspect of the American dream for a long time (p.1). The American dream, a pursuit that a large number of US citizens seek, require individuals work hard to achieve it. In other words, there are a vast of people hard work in order to afford their property. People has possession of the house if they have enough money to afford the payment on a home and be willing to purchase it. Otherwise, people need to rent a house to guarantee that they have a relatively fixed shelter. However, there is the limited right for tenants, and they have to depend on the decision of owners whereas the landlord have the power to make a decision on the property since they have the housing ownership. Thus, whether buy or rent have become a fundamental problem that plagues the individuals. Elsinga and Hoekstra (2005) point that the homeownership not only in favor of personal, but also benefit the community (p.403). Therefore, buying a house is over than renting since it brings tremendous benefits to individuals. Specially, purchase a house is a desirable option that generates tax benefit, build self-confidence for owners, and profits the construction of community harmony rather than renting a house.

Have you ever gone on a road trip and you 're driving through a loud, hectic city and then, BAM! You reach a quiet countryside surrounded by charming houses, and it seems so serene? You have just stepped foot in a small town. I personally prefer living in a small town rather than a big city because I am more comfortable with a smaller area. I come from a small town of about 6,000 people, and I have to say it is so much better than living in a big city (AreaVibes Inc.). Unique characteristics of a small town, a relaxed pace of life, and a safer environment are all reasons to live in a small town. The small town is home.

Not long ago I glance around looking at the people around me in a chilly fragrant small trailer home that smelled of pets with the dog barking and the cat sprinting across the carpet back and forth, I saw how much happier everyone was now compared to when we lived in a big clean house with a warm fireplace. That day I realized that it all comes down to the company you keep. You could live in a mansion and be miserable if the people who are there with you are toxic to the same extent you could live in a tent surrounded by friends and be as happy as a clam. We had just been kicked out of the house due to a divorce; thankfully we were prepared for it and made arraignments to stay with family. It is almost shocking the complete lack of stress

Definitely, there is quite strong need for affordable housing and for alternative housing forms. Recent study (an online survey, several interviews and social media research) has proven tiny houses appeal strongly to a broad demographic, especially to single-person or couple household.

- People who choose to live small may also have a more DIY attitude with learning on how to make do with what they already own rather than buying something new every

Tiny houses are all the craze because millennials and retirees are looking for cost-effectiveness over security. Mobility and cost-savings are two major advantages that motivate tiny home builders to downsize. Without prior construction experience, however, many enthusiasts end up learning the craft as they go. Do proper research before beginning your project, and keep these key tips in mind.

The elaboration on how much money living in a Tiny house saves on utilities, is dampened by the fact that municipal utilities like water, waste, electricity, and trash are not made available to illegal housing, so you will be required to find a way of living off the grid. “Tiny home dreamers may be less enthusiastic after actually living in one. Hauling water in, wastes out, and scrimping on electrical appliances or going without because small solar arrays are underpowered”(Wyatt 40). Even the task of getting your mail can be more difficult, if you are living off the grid you will have to set up a post office box.The claim that you can save money because you only need to buy a small plot of land, seems logical, but in many cases you see Tiny Houses having to be put on large plots of land, in order to remain out of sight, so they can fly under the radar of local code enforcement agencies.

Building a tiny house using less material: a lot of tiny houses’ owner using reclaim materials, repurpose old furniture.

This paper will expand upon the development of do-it-yourself websites, such as Pinterest and Etsy, and the Maker Movement and examine the effects they have on modern consumerism and cultural capital. I will do this by defining the Maker Movement and explaining how the way that homemade goods are viewed has changed over time. I will then be considering how these individually produced goods are beneficial or harmful to consumerism.

After reflecting on the minimalism unit, I can establish that this unit would be beneficial for some, however the overall experience would depend on the person. I think that the level of minimalism and the circumstance that forces you into it can also change your experience. For example, we see that there is a huge difference in the situations of the local families in Pena Blanca versus the situations between people living in Manhattan on 'We the tiny house people'. This is also then shown when we see the situations - for example Mark Boyle ('No Money Man') originally only started out with his idea of minimalism as a temporary challenge.

However, before we embark on the tale that is the Tiny House Movement, we first must understand the traditional home. As of 2015, the average home in America was about 2,600 square feet, and would cost generally anywhere between one-third to a half of any given pay. At those numbers, it takes on average fifteen years to pay off the home which leaves about 76% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck just keep a roof over their heads (The Tiny Life).

Society often falsely associates luxurious cities and poverty ridden countries as failures of affordable housing. Contrary to this belief, affordable housing has manifested itself in numerous forms. Spreading itself across world property markets from The United States and Canada to The United Kingdom, this trend has inflated house values and led to numerous consequences. Auckland is proving itself to be a notorious example of the affordable housing social problem.

When building a home, the advantages to large builders are well-documented. Big builders have "deep pockets." They can exploit economies of scale, leveraging this into supply-chain influence and getting discounts on materials (ideally, passing these savings along to the buyer) as a result.