The Nature of Homeowning Is Changing in The 21st Century

The nature of homeowning is changing in the 21st Century, and in various ways. A lot of this has to do with rising costs, and the resulting decrease of homebuyers into the market. Another reason has to do with our increasing awareness of our environmental impact as a civilization here in North America. A trend which is emerging in the Real Estate sphere is the construction of smaller homes, and 'tiny homes', which incorporates all of the lifestyle elements we've come to expect of modern living, albeit with less square footage. But, what more is there? Guest poster Elaine Hirsh is here to outline the ins and outs of tiny homes. *** The tiny house movement is rapidly growing thanks to the economic downturn. Once considered a fringe movement, these homes are becoming more and more mainstream, and even making it into the news. Companies that build tiny homes, such as Tumbleweed, Tiny Green Cabins, and Bungalow in a Box, are seeing their orders pick up. So what is a tiny home, and why are they so popular? Are they really the future of housing in this country? What is a "tiny home"? A tiny home is one with less than 400 square feet of floor space. Small homes, which are also increasing in popularity, are between 400 and 700 square feet. The vast majority of tiny houses are 200 square feet or less, and a surprising number weigh in under 100 square feet! This tiny home was a pre-fab, and is used as a painting studio on a larger property. But, the square footage isn't much different to a studio apartment. Photo: Earthworm Surprisingly, many of these houses pack everything needed for daily life, including a kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and sometimes even an office in a space smaller than some walk-in closets. Many of these houses also have lofts, which can effectively double the square footage. In addition, the majority are built on trailer foundations, making them highly mobile and exempting them from building codes that often forbid such small housing units. Why are tiny home purchases on the rise? Why are these tiny homes becoming so popular? After all, they are incredibly small, and most Americans can't imagine living in such small spaces. Jay Shafer is the owner of the Tumbleweed Tiny Homes company. Photo: WBUR Boston's NPR News Station There are a number of reasons behind their growing popularity, but the most important is cost. The median selling price of a new home in the US is $221, 800, according to the Census Bureau. Tiny homes cost anywhere from $20, 000 to $50, 000. That's one tenth to one quarter of the price! What's more, many tiny homes are sold as build-it-yourself kits. Putting one together won't require inexperienced architects to run out an earn a PhD online, and if consumers build their tiny houses themselves, the cost is even lower, sometimes only a few thousand dollars. Advantages of tiny homes The advantages don't stop with the purchase, either. The lucky consumer who buys or builds a tiny home is immediately mortgage-free. Taxes are extremely low: for a trailer-built home, they can be as little as $100 a year! Utility bills for a tiny home are also either very minimal, or if the home is off the grid, nonexistent. Insurance is also much cheaper. Owners of tiny homes take some of the largest expenses every homeowner pays – house payments, property taxes, and utility bills – and either eliminated or minimized them. Tiny homes and green living Another major reason behind the popularity of tiny homes is their environmental friendliness. They occupy much less space and require fewer materials to construct. Because they're so small, they use less energy, which means less fossil fuel has to be burned to provide them with power. It's also much easier to make them energy efficient or provide them with an alternative power system, such as a solar power setup. The Whidbey Tiny House from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, one of several models the company offers (click image to go to their site and see the plans). Photo: Tumbleweed Tiny House Compay Tiny homes and the future of homeowning It seems like tiny homes may play a large part in the future of housing in the US. They may never become the dominant choice for housing, but more and more Americans are choosing them as they realize tiny homes are a great alternative to the traditional house. Tiny homes cost less and have lower continual expenses than traditional housing, and are also much more environmentally-friendly. With all of these advantages, tiny homes will almost certainly become even more popular in the future. Source: BuildDirect