Towards the end of 2018 I started looking into the potential purchase of a tiny home. I decided to go with a tiny home for a number of different reasons.
I rarely travel. Tiny homes are mobile, though, not nearly as mobile as R.V.’s.
I don’t own property. Rent at R.V. parks and campgrounds is the most affordable.
I’m not wealthy. At the time of the purchase, I couldn’t afford either a tiny home or an R.V., no less an apartment. Nevertheless, I was able to purchase a trailer with the potential framework of a tiny home.
From there, I looked towards the future. I thought about the possibility of parking the home on a small plot of land. However, as I write this article today, that possibility looks less and less likely.
Many areas have strict zoning laws, restricting what an individual is aloud to keep on his or her own land. Finding a suitable plot of land might be difficult.
Property prices have been rising, and rising quickly. The current cost of land is a major hurdle to overcome.
Tiny homes are often pet friendly. I have an older cat and wanted her to have a decent living environment.
Originally, I learnt about tiny homes back in 2016 via HGTV. They seemed interesting, unique, and an inexpensive way to own a home. In some cases, the only way to own a home, during an era where those on fixed incomes and the working poor have been forgotten or simply dismissed.
I started doing additional research online. I watched videos and visited different websites geared towards tiny homes. Those websites along with HGTV offered plenty of inspiring ideas.
Within a few months of owing the trailer, I started building the interior. With each day of work, the idea of a tiny home instilled a greater impression. They are very customizable. They’re a blank canvas with endless possibilities.
Even though they are tiny in size, with a little creativity, they don’t always feel tiny. A table that slides under a counter, when not in use, offers additional space to the living area. Stairs that double as storage and fold away furniture are a few other ways to turn a small space into a larger space.
Moreover, tiny homes allow their owners to live off grid. Solar systems have become very affordable, if designed properly. They can provide power at any time, at any place.
Rainwater harvesting systems are available to collect and store water in certain areas. In other areas, a combination of water storage tanks and water filters provide clean drinking water for many months.
The footprint of a tiny home is very environmentally friendly. Composting toilets turn waste into mulch and recycled materials are available to use as building supplies.
The tiny home I’m building still has a long ways to go before it’s finished. I’m on a limited budget. Yet, with each year that passes, I’m able to make a few upgrades.
Even at it’s current stage, it is now very livable. If all goes according to plan, by the end of the year, the trailer should have another round of minor improvements. Then, next year, the same. Eventually, this trailer should have some semblance of a tiny home.
Additional Information: The idea for a slide out table was from the following YouTube video: Living the Vanlife as Digital Nomads in a VW Westfalia.