The tiny house movement

                             What is the tiny house movement?
   In the past few years, the tiny house craze has been sweeping the internet with endless photographs of beautiful tiny homes, tiny houses on wheels and even immaculate tree houses built for tiny kings. The movement has become hugely popular do to all the social media coverage, news articles and popular TV series such as tiny house builders. You may ask your self why? Why are these tiny homes so popular? What is the big deal, and why would someone want to live in such a tiny space? Explaining the tiny house movement will provide the answers to all of these questions you may have and more...
   Many people describe the movement as a social movement, designed to downsize ones lifestyle and material belongings, in attempts to create a smaller carbon footprint. While this statement is true, it is still a rather broad topic and often leaves many questions remaining. This holds true especially for those who are not yet involved in the tiny house mindset. So, instead of providing a dictionary definition, I will just tell you why we are going tiny and what the movement is for us. 
   Going tiny forces one get rid of all the unnecessary, material crap that consumes ones life. It forces you to make the decision of throwing away or donating things that you haven't touched years. At first it is a really difficult to do but afterwords you realize how materialistic anyone of us can become. Getting rid of the crap frees more space for more important things like love, time, hobbies, creativity and life.
The tiny house movement. The small house movement
   Going tiny is also great for saving money! Especially if you set up off the grid. With things such as; solar powerrain collection and wood heat you are literally cutting out the electric, gas, and water bill!     Speaking of saving money... The initial tiny house investment can be anywhere from 15-50 thousand dollars depending on the; size, style, and materials used during the build. Some of you may think that is a lot of money but...when you really think about it... you'll realize that there's no mortgage, fewer bills, and less maintenance (despite popular belief, tiny houses are built to last just as long if not longer than your traditional home). 
   Considering the average size of a tiny house is usually around 120 square feet, your money and time can be spent focusing on the design and aesthetic of the house. 
    Can you really share 120 square feet with your spouse or family member? We do! Charles and I have discovered through this experience the strength of our relationship. We manage to fully enjoy each others company and our huskies! The real grace of living in a small space is it forces you to get outside and do the things you love to do. We like fishing,  floating on the riverwalking the woods and playing with the dog and metal detecting. Living tiny actually encourages a healthier lifestyle. Instead of sitting inside watching television all day, we get out of the house and spend more time in nature! Although, we would be lying if we said after dark we don't binge on netflix....
So for us, the tiny house movement is a better lifestyle choice. Most importantly, it helps us become more spiritual people and less material beings.
It may not be for everyone but it is right for us!

Our current tiny home is a barn or gambrel style tiny home, set on a cinder-block foundation. The current size is 116 square feet. We are in the process of constructing a small add on which will bump it up to about 125 square feet. We have solar power, along with a hook up for a generator, incase we ever need more juice. In the works is our rain collection and filtration, to meet our water demands. Our journey started out with focus on being prepared and having a place that is completely self-sustainable, with no reliance on the grid. you can view our video walk through HERE.

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