RE: Tiny Houses and Apartments Gaining Popularity Amongst Younger Generations
I've been living "tiny" for the past 4+ years. Not by choice, but necessity. I had to move back in with my parents due to a slew of bad luck, and not being able to handle living in the house with them (I love them but they are the worst roommates I've ever had!).
There happened to be an old shack on the property that was overlooked, neglected and derelict. One day I had the bright idea of renovating it to get out of their hair... It only cost me a couple grand and I had a fresh space with nobody on the other side of the wall... Well, except the chickens, and the ducks, and the owls, and the race cars....................
Since I had limited skills, and because of space limitations, I was only able to plumb in some running water for a sink (cold only) and decided it would be fine to just use the restroom in the main house for showering and the toilet. I know some other tiny home situations are like this and all I have to say is that it's probably for the best that you have a bathroom, however small, in your tiny house.
The other main issue I have had in here is lack of storage. For some reason, people (particularly family) seem to want to dump their stuff on me. So despite there being ample storage in here at first, the stuff soon became too much and that is a daily juggle as well as I get rid of things...
But I am in the middle of a move as well to get out of here because I've learned that while the idea of living in a "tiny house" is fun, it's not for me. Would I do it again in the future? From the experience I have had and knowing what to look for, I would say yes. But only if it was completely necessary, or for a shorter amount of time as I have been out here for.
The real story is always in the comments.
Thanks for sharing @theb0red1! This is really informative. I have wanted to try out the tiny houses because of its practicality and principle. At the same time, I really admire those families featured on shows about tiny houses who were able to live fully even though the space is limited. If you think about it, the space in the tiny houses are just about the size of a 1-bedroom or studio--type condominium. So, instead of purchasing hundreds and thousand of dollars for a small space in high rise, this could be a better alternative.
However, just as you mentioned, there are some drawbacks with living in a small house. Accruing things would really be inevitable and expanding your private space might come up in the future.
I just hope to develop a housing project like this that would help poor communities.
If you are going to commit to living in a tiny house, I would definitely advise you to do a ton of research. I did it on an impulse as a quick fix and haven't had the most ideal experience.
Like I said before, knowing what I do now, I wouldn't be opposed to living tiny again, if the conditions and circumstances were right.
As to your observation about a tiny house being close in size to a one bedroom or studio apartment, in my case I would say they are both much larger, at least in my area and in comparison to the size of my shack (9'x13'). It could also be that the layout of these types of apartments make them seem larger than they truly are but I'm not sure.
As far as space constraints, to live in a tiny house right, the best way is to be a minimalist. I will say that though I wouldn't classify myself as a minimalist, living tiny has taught me about excesses, and enjoying life with less. I'm often shocked now at the size of people's average homes and the amount of decorations and stuff they fill them with! When you don't have a lot of area to fill and decorate, you naturally become more thoughtful about what should and can go here or there.
Thanks for sharing @theb0red1! That minimalism is what attracted me to tiny houses in the first place. With the restrictions of the space, you really have to think about what you really want and need at the same time.
Still, you are right. There should be a ton of research to be done when deciding to move into a tiny house. In my case, here in Asia, condos are just about the same size (in floor area) or smaller than tiny houses and they cost A LOT! I reckon if I'm going to be spending as much money, I might as well build it in a more practical manner. Thus, the tiny houses.
Still not sure how this could be applied in my location, but I'm looking at options. :)
That's excellent, and the trend could really take off with housing prices soaring as high as they are.