I have been fascinated with the Tiny House movement for years. It is one of two things I always default to when watching YouTube videos to relax and kill time. The other is makeup tutorials.
A tiny house, by definition, is a home that is 500 sq ft or smaller, therefore requiring a lot of downsizing and minimalism in decor and belongings. Most tiny houses in the movement are build on flatbed trailers, and can be moved.
Living tiny is a way for many people to own their home and still live mortgage-free, and I think that sounds like a perfect situation - in fact, if I had the opportunity to own and live in a tiny house, I totally would! I like the idea of not owning a bunch of stuff, just the necessities, and being able to use every single bit of space. I actually get a bit stressed thinking about owning a big home, because I don' like the thought of having rooms that are not being used!
A common obstacle with a tiny house is where to put it. In my city, your best option is to rent a lot in a trailer park, which isn't necessarily a bad thing - you'd be hooked up to city utilities, garbage collection, sewer, etc. The problem is, of course, that there aren't that many trailer parks, and the existing ones are already full of...well, trailers.
You could use someone else's land to park on, but how many of us know people with a bunch of extra land to spare? Living in someone's driveway is not an option - someone tried that in Calgary a few years back and they had to move, the city did not allow it even though the homeowners did.
You could purchase a vacant lot, but there is often a minimum size requirement for the home you build on it. Buying a land parcel is an option, but who has that kind of money? Oh, right, I do - in my imagination!
In my imagination, with my imaginary money, I would buy a piece of land and divide it into several smaller lots, kind of like a mobile home park, but nicer. On each lot, I would build a tiny house. It would be simple, but completely livable and move-in ready - it would have basic appliances and be hooked up to water, sewer/ septic, and electrical.
Each tiny house would be moveable in case the owner decided to leave, but it would be placed on a concrete foundation. I used to live in a mobile home and the fact is, they move. Not much, but enough that it was an issue for me, and it is the only thing I don't like about the Tiny House movement - the fact that most of the homes are on wheels!
I would then sell each lot + house. You would be able to own your own little piece of land and your own home, at a price where, even if you did take out a loan or a mortgage, you would actually be able to pay it off and actually OWN your place outright. I would also give the option of buying just the house and rent the lot it was on.
It would be a small community of small houses, and I would name it The Juno, after my dog.
Of course I would live there too! I am an awesome neighbour!
If you had the option to downsize to a small, modern house with all the amenities plus a nice little outdoor space, and own the whole thing for less than $100,000, would you? For me, it is a no-brainer! Leave a comment below and tell me what you think - I am actually serious about making this happen somehow, and I would love to know if there is actual interest in this concept!
-M.
