5 Fascinating Facts about the Small House Movement

ECOS 09/11/2014

There’s a movement in housing that’s getting a lot of attention that rethinks the American home and the lifestyle of the people who live in it. It’s called the Small House movement and the name describes it well. Compared to the average size of an American home at around 2600 square feet, these diminutive dwellings typically have only 100 to 400 square feet of living space. The Small House tenant is going to have to live a little bit differently than the average person (pun intended!). Luckily, it turns out that a lot of these lifestyle changes are for the better! Here are five reasons why these mini-homes make sense.

#1: 78% of Small House residents own their home. Since about 26% of an average household’s budget is spent on housing this means you’ll either have a lot more money in savings or maybe just enjoy working a little less. #2: Buildings contribute to an estimated 1/3 of greenhouse gas emissions, so with a Small House your carbon footprint is drastically reduced. #3: The average cost of building your own Small House is $23,000 compared to $272,000 for a conventional home (which most people would have no possibility of building themselves). You can probably imagine saving up $23,000 (even if it is a lot of money). On the other hand, saving nearly $300,000 is completely inconceivable to most people. Thus, big mortgages, mortgage insurance payments, interest payments, endless payments for years and years to come. #4: 28% of U.S. dwellings house only one person. If the average home is 2,600 square feet then that’s a lot of space for one person! Just like all the cars with one person in them that can’t use the carpool lane during rush hour, one person living in a big house all alone just doesn’t make sense – especially when you think of the future of energy use and environmental sustainability in the U.S. #5: Beyond saving money and helping save the planet, there is one more priceless thing you’ll save with a Small House: TIME. Nearly everyone you ask will say they’re too busy and modern life for many seems like it’s constantly accelerating. A Small House means less time spent cleaning, less time on maintenance, and less time having to earn money to pay for the house.

With all the time you’ll have to actually enjoy the world around you, it seems a Small House may be a reduction in square feet, but it leads to a bigger life.

Interested in learning more about the Small House movement? Check out some of our favorite Small Houses on Houzz below:

If you’re interested in building one, be sure to use ECOS Paints and finishes for the healthiest indoor air in your humble homestead!

CATEGORIES minimal living|small spaces|tiny house

COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST