Tiny Houses Are The Next Big Thing
The tiny house trend will make you rethink everything you’ve ever known about designing and buying a home.
Tiny homes aren’t necessarily a new trend. Native Americans and other indigenous tribes from around the world first created small tents, like tipis or yurts, that were fully livable and portable homes.
In more recent years, this trend has evolved from its humble origins of portable tents to more sophisticated tiny homes fully equipped with big house amenities that rival the traditional single-family home. In fact, since the cost of living continues to rise, especially here in California, some first-time home buyers are turning to tiny homes as the alternative to buying a traditional house. The tiny house option is appealing because it’s eco-friendly, low cost and less maintenance than buying a traditional home.
Apart from being cost effective, opting for a tiny house allows you to get creative with the space you design and convert. For example, a lot of nomads who opt for life on the road have taken to converting old school buses or RV’s into their very own tiny home on wheels. This isn’t your typical Winnebago though, just because it’s on wheels doesn’t mean you have to compromise comfort or storage space. Check out a few of our favorite reimagined school busses and RVs that put dad’s old camper to shame.
Not all tiny homes are mobile. If you’re not really the type to live out on the open road, perhaps consider other existing materials that can be converted into living spaces. For example, shipping containers and silos are often used to create tiny homes because the open floor space gives you freedom to design the layout as you please. Shipping containers are often times even stacked on top of each other, fitted and converted into 2-story homes equipped with spiral staircases and big open windows. Take a look at some of our favorite converted silo and shipping container homes with a modern twist.
If you’re not totally sold on the tiny house trend by now, maybe consider investing in a tiny home simply to diversify your stream of income. Airbnb has revolutionized the way we travel and made us rethink the concept of bed and breakfast altogether. Shipping container homes and other similar small houses offer a unique guest experience comparable to that of a boutique hotel for nowhere near as much. Airbnb provides a great platform to make a return on your investment, especially if you already live in an area that attracts tourists. You’d be surprised how many people prefer to stay in a silo converted Airbnb in place of the typical 3-star hotel on the side of the road.
Whether you’re looking to buy your first home or simply want to invest in new properties, tiny homes offer inexpensive buying options with the freedom to really make the space all your own. So, the next time you want to start thinking big in terms of home buying perhaps consider going small and opting for a tiny house instead.
