Awesome Tiny Homes That Will Get You Excited About Sustainable Living

Living in a van down by the river never looked so good.

The conventional concept of the "American Dream" has long involved a big house with a large, green yard. However, the economic realities of the 21st century have changed this dream for many people. Microhomes, miniscule versions of traditional houses, have appeared on the scene as an affordable, environmentally-friendly alternative to the "McMansion" phenomenon. There are many reasons tiny houses may be just the key to sustainable living.

The ESCAPE - Avoiding the Financial Burden of Conventional Housing

Via viralnova.com

Conventional homes don’t come cheap, especially when you consider the long-term costs of home ownership. For example, a house with a purchase value of $250,000 would usually require a $50,000 down payment, leaving a principal loan of $200,000. Over the course of their 30-year loan, homeowners would pay a total of $164, 813. 42 at an annual interest rate of 4.5 percent. They would also fork out about $90,000 in taxes and insurance over this period, and if they live in the same house for 30 years, they would probably end up spending more than $100,000 in repairs and maintenance. In reality, the house they bought would cost them around $600,000 – and that is a modest estimate.

Via viralnova.com

For many, owning a conventionally-sized home can mean walking a tense financial tightrope. For some homeowners, the financial obligations associated with home ownership will mean working extra hours, keeping jobs they do not like, and having little time for being together as a household. On the other hand, a tiny house can have an initial cost as little as $20,000 – a figure that can mean financial sustainability and freedom from debt for many people.

The Wildflower II - Accepting Environmental Realities

Via tinygreencabins.com

Living in conventionally-sized houses typically means a lifestyle that demands a lot from the environment. The average American household consumes 909 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, and this contributes to the country’s high energy consumption. Meeting this energy need has necessitated the extraction of fossil fuels, which has resulted in the depletion of this resource and the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. A tiny home designer with an online Civil Engineering degree says microhomes require about 70% less energy than conventional homes, meaning they’re a vastly more sustainable option for home buyers.

The Diogene - Making Comfort Possible with Limited Space

Via gizmag.com

Over the years, the conventional concept of comfort has become synonymous with lots and lots of space, along with countless time-and-effort-saving devices. Tiny houses, however, have shown that it is possible for both individuals and families to live comfortably in less space and with fewer gadgets.

Via gizmag.com

TV programs featuring tiny houses show that there are creative ways of making comfort possible even with limited space. An oversized chopping board placed over a sink can function as a temporary working counter, benches can provide extra storage, and a hanging rack can mean freeing up closet space. There is a long list of strategies for comfortable living in small spaces, and this proves that, while less may not always be more, it is something that people can live with.

Tiny Tack House - Making Progress

Via gizmag.com

Small living spaces are not a new story; people have lived in studio apartments and trailer homes for decades. The tiny house, however, is tailor-fit to accommodate the needs of its residents. That is why most tiny houses have to be custom built, and why living in a tiny house means knowing exactly what you need.

For now, many concerns still have to be addressed before tiny houses stop being an oddity. Foremost among these is meeting the need for privacy and eliminating noise. Tiny houses are certainly not meant for people who need solitude—unless they live along—and throwing a party in such limited space could be a challenge.

Via lloydkahn-ongoing.blogspot.com

For some people, having a tiny home is like a dream come true. For others, the idea of being crammed into such a small space is disconcerting. Though tiny home development has a long way to go before it will be fully embraced as a viable living option, the financial and environmental benefits of microhome living are undeniable.