As we go further into the new decade, the trend of tiny homes is becoming more common, especially among millennials.
However, with the rise in these homes’ popularity, one of the most commonly asked questions is: Is this growth in sales because of a trend or because of an economic necessity?
The size of a ‘tiny home’ is about 400 square feet, which is a significantly smaller amount of area in comparison to the usual, American, single family house of 2,500 square feet, that was common in the year 2015.
Tiny homes have gained popularity through social media, being portrayed as being affordable, as well as environmentally friendly, and not to mention, aesthetic.
These houses seem to have gained recognition at just the right time, as they may be the solution for the growing population problems of the world as well.
However, despite all these obvious benefits, some people are skeptical, as they wonder if these houses are simply a symbol that millennials have to settle for less than what their parents had, due to economic and social changes that are not to their benefit.
An UCLA study was conducted in recent years, and the results showed that the most used rooms in a house tend to be the kitchen and bedrooms, and residents rarely use their living rooms or porches. So, with houses that are more than 1000 square feet, and occupied by a family, most of that space is left unused.
This is why tiny homes are beneficial, as they are built smartly, with rooms that will be used, so that no space is wasted on areas that will later on not be touched.
Smaller houses are more appealing to our generation of minimalists, as we are facing problems of over population, and are running out of land resources.
In fact, many people in the past decade have begun to take on the trend of tiny homes. In 2017 alone, sales of tiny homes increased by 67%.
Another reason for the increase of tiny home sales, is because they are more economically strategic. As things like inflation run their course, many families who used to comfortably be able to afford to maintain houses over 1000 square feet are now struggling to keep them in good shape. So, they are now looking to smaller houses, which they can maintain with ease, and still live a comfortable lifestyle.
In fact, the average cost of a tiny home is $46,000, meaning most buyers do not even have a mortgage.
Tiny homes, for some people, are not only a preference, but a necessity for survival, as the cost of maintaining a ‘normal sized house’ is just too much to deal with for the average worker. In fact, one third of adults in the United States of America are about $400 away from financial difficulty.
So, to answer the question in the beginning of this article, yes, tiny homes are seeming to become more of an economic necessity over anything else, but that does not mean they are not trendy!
