Living Large In a Tiny House

Even before Thoreau wrote of his experiences at Walden Pond, people knew that downsizing can be an important part of living sustainably. Reducing waste, our carbon footprint, and our impact on the environment are all aspects of living a more responsible life. Over the past 15 years, extending these choices to the homes we live in has gained popularity.

Now, kits for procuring a tiny house are widely available. You can choose your favorite design and assemble the home yourself, or have it constructed for you and delivered to your desired property. The cost can range from $25,000 to over $100,000—going this route, clearly, doesn’t do much in the way of saving you money on your home.

To save on building costs, many tiny home builders use reclaimed or natural materials to put together the home of their dreams; as with larger homes, reclaimed materials, cordwood, and straw bale construction are all viable options that save money and are relatively friendly to the environment. Many small space dwellers choose to reclaim and restore existing structures rather than build from the ground up. In rural areas, old camping trailers and RVs are popular choices, as are grain silos and storage containers.

The simple life is certainly an ideal that many people are adopting. The good news is that the values of tiny living can be shared by all, even if living in a small space is just not your thing. A simplified life means trimming back on things you just don’t need. Netflix and e-books mean that we don’t have to have as much stuff sitting around.

Being conscious of your impact on the Earth and doing little things—whether it’s helping a friend figure out how to recycle properly or launching a neighborhood cleanup project—help make the environment better. Being self-sufficient is another value that a lot of tiny homeowners share and it’s as easy as planting a home garden or making your own beauty products. Overall, the tiny house movement is about independence with the understanding that we’re all a part of the ecosystem. How we live in it is really up to us.

Want to Build Your Own Tiny Home?

Here are some links to help you get started:

Tinyhouseblog.com
Tinysmarthouse.com
tinyhouselistings.com/tag/Oregon
smallhomeoregon.net
tumbleweedhouses.com
seattletinyhomes.com