Are you tired of celebrity mansion shows on television where they feature ridiculously large family homes with twenty rooms, a squash court, and an indoor pool? If so, perhaps you will enjoy the opposing trend of tiny homes. The tiny homes movement has been gathering steam over the last few years, as an answer to rampant consumerism and consumption. While a tiny home may sound, well, tiny, the philosophy behind it is quite significant.
Focus on the Little Things
Everywhere we go these days, we are bombarded by advertisements for the myriad of things that we should own. These signals can sometimes get overwhelming, creating a never-ending sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) and the tiring cycle of keeping up with the Joneses. Minimalism is a lifestyle choice where people choose to leave the consumerist rat race and keep sight of what is important. The basic principle of minimalism is to focus on the quality of life instead of the quantity of possessions.
Although the concept of minimalism has existed for eons, the idea took hold with the public after the introduction of the Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. The KonMari method of organizing and decluttering was widely adopted by audiences, who took to their wardrobes and garages, throwing out their belongings that did not ‘sparked joy’. While Kondo has said that her methods are more about mindfulness than minimalism, many of the principles can be applied across both lifestyles.
Minimalism is centered around the idea of only using what you need. By decluttering, simplifying, and organizing your life, you detach your self-worth from the price tag of your possessions. When you are not buried under monetary commitments to inconsequential items, then you will have the time and presence of mind to focus on the pursuit of true happiness and your goals in life. In other words, minimalism is the way to freedom; True freedom to live life outside of the trappings of consumer culture.
Cozy and Comfortable
Of course, subscribing to minimalism does not mean that having material possessions is inherently bad. What may be trivial to one person could be of utmost importance to another. Living a minimalist lifestyle does not mean that you cannot have the things you want such as a car or a house. However, it does mean that you should consciously choose to invest in an item because it truly makes you happy, and not because society says that you should.
According to the US Census Bureau, the average size of new homes in America has grown from 1,660 square feet in 1973 to 2,687 square feet in 2015. Meanwhile, the average household size has decreased from 3.01 persons to 2.54 persons. Yet, with all the ensuite bathrooms, entertaining areas, and spare bedrooms, studies have shown that we use a pitiful percentage of our living space. In fact, a recent paper has suggested that a single individual only requires 150 square feet of space to live comfortably.
Make no mistake, going from a spacious home to a tiny house is a radical change. But we are a lot more adaptable than we give ourselves credit for. Many new owners of tiny homes have found that they adjust easily to the reduced living space and the convenience of having everything within reach. If you have ever lived in an apartment in New York or Hong Kong, shared a college dormitory, or traveled cross-country in an RV, the tiny home will be no challenge to you at all.
Small But Powerful
Aside from keeping life delightfully simple, the tiny home comes with numerous other benefits. Due to their minute size, micro-houses require much fewer materials to build and boast a small carbon footprint. The limited living space is incredibly energy efficient, requiring less energy to light, heat, or cool. This means that your tiny home is not only beneficial for the environment but also helps you to save on housing costs and utility bills.
Another obvious perk of living in a tiny house is that there is much less cleaning and maintenance to do. As you cannot stuff that many things into a 300 square foot home, chances are that all non-essential items will be passed over. Sweeping or vacuuming your tiny home would take a fraction of the time that it used to, and any repair costs would be proportionately smaller as well.
Finally, because you can put wheels on your tiny home, it can function as a sort of upgraded RV, where you can hitch it to a truck and simply drive it somewhere else. Whether you are not impressed with the neighbors or simply want a change of scenery, you can now move to a completely different city but live there in your original home.
With a range of advantages and a poignant perspective on living life with meaning, the minimalist idea of living in a tiny home is anything but mere hype. While it remains an unusual sight at present, do not be surprised if you see more tiny homes popping up around your neighborhood.
