I don't live in a 'tiny house,' but I did deliberately choose a major downsizing, moving from a 1580 sq. ft. condo (with another 1580 sq. ft. basement, unfinished) to a 650 sq. ft. house with no basement. I've gone through all of the steps you've mentioned while doing this - and I'm happier than I've ever been. In just 3 more months, I will be mortgage free, only owing taxes. I just turned 60. I wish we'd had the tiny house movement back when I was as single mother; I'd have done this much sooner. So, even if you don't want to live in a 'tiny house,' living smaller is really the smart thing to do... unless you really like stress, spending money on a place where you're hardly ever there, and working to pay for, and maintain, a house nobody really has time to enjoy.
Andrew PETHERICK I’ve been at my job for 12 years , getting school done slowly because my company needed me hours on end and couldn’t find a job that makes the same pay. I finally reduced debt and still couldn’t leave but I found a job that paid 3 bucks less, better hours , supported school ( more study and free time) and yes I have to change my mindset. I stopped buying unnecessary stuff and I have enough to spend freely, save and pay my bills. Letting go of the job was hard but I feel free. Can’t wait to get my own tiny home as well in that the future . (Thanks for seeing my rant lol)
Andrew Morrison is a legend to me. I first listened to this many years ago and now listening again I am reminded of the things I can be doing better. Listening to this, the world seems to open up around me and I see my dreams as not only attainable, but closer than I imagined. I can become self-sufficient. I can live without debt. I can do more of what i want to do and spend less time working to afford a lifestyle that is a facade of true success. I need to be more honest with myself. I need to follow what he lists on his action steps. All I need is my chainsaw, my bike, my guitar, food that gives me energy. All I need is Walden by Henry Thoreau. Nothing gives me more joy than knowing how little I need to be happy. Prioritize joy. I need to think about what i will have wanted to do before my life is over.
I don't make much money and I've always been worried about falling into debt I'll never be able to crawl out of. This tiny house idea is so practical that it seems unrealistic, as funny as that sounds. I really want to do this and be able to travel and enjoy nature and all the fun that life has to offer.
More people need to watch this video and also understand that tiny houses isn't about having a small home, it's a revolution and in many ways a solution to unplug from the matrix. We are currently designing a tiny home and finding land to put it on, goodbye rent & debt, hello tiny home freedom.
Young adult here, going to be moving out next year. So glad I discovered hOMe. I loved the idea of a tiny house but all the ones I saw were just too small for myself and for my partner. New goal in life = never have a mortgage. Thanks for the inspiration :)
On so many levels this is a great idea. I live on a half acre on Vancouver Island Canada with a 1500 ft2 home and 2 living in it. We only use about a 1/3rd of the house so we are going to build a tiny home in the back yard and rent the big house out to a family. I'm excited. Thank you for your ideas and inspiration Andrew. I've been perusing your website and it's been guiding me. Thank you so much for sharing.
if only someone told us these kinds of things and warned us back in 1973, i wonder how much better and healthier our lives and society would've been...well better now than never and i guess live and learn huh?
considering that half our wildlife is gone, Climate Change is only getting worse, oceans are acidifying, and people are becoming more sickly, infertile and commercialized, I just wonder if it's too late? If we had taken a downsized approach to living we wouldn't have a resource problem.
+Shaeid Patwary, are you on FB? If so join the group "Tiny House People" (among others) and scour the posts on it's wall. The encompass every detail of THOW everything.
***** Will do! Thank you so much for your answer. I hope to get more support from people. I really do want to make this wish come true, it's just I have no idea how to start this process!
What I’m really curious about as a Tiny House fanatic, is how much utilities would cost per month, and if you can buy or rent land off of someone. I’m still in college, but I’m thinking about my future and realizing I don’t want to spend the rest of my life in debt and a tiny house sounds like a practical and responsible idea for both myself and the environment. I dream of actually building a completely self-sufficient tiny house and I wonder what it would take to get there.
***** My other concern is where I would get water from. I’m not sure how expensive it would be to buy it, or if at some point I might run out when I need it most. In regards to a permit, I’ve heard that it really depends on what state you live in. Right now I am considering Vermont and I’ve seen other Tiny Houses being built there, although I haven’t seen the actual legislation regarding tiny houses.
Dyna W Well the point is that if someone decides to put all their money into a tiny home, they would be investing in it for a long future. Having a tiny home also saves on maintenance costs, and you spend a lot less money than you would on a regular house, so it’s actually saving you money in the long run.
Long future in one home is shortsighted. I own a home and it's appreciation has outpaced any maintenance / residual costs. I can sell my home and make a good chunk of change, can you do that with a tiny home?
Dyna W Long future in one place is shortsighted. In most cases, a tiny home can be taken virtually anywhere. One of the points of minimising your living and simplifying your life is the realisation that a house is just a living space, and that your happiness and fortune come from within yourself rather than within your wallet. If you build your tiny home on the cheap and do it well, and you do become unsettled in your digs, you'd be in a much better position to sell it and make another home using that money. Or, should you wish to upgrade to a larger home, you can use all of the money you've saved by not paying for things such as a mortgage or rent, provided you've had the foresight to build up a nest egg. If not, like said in the video, turn it into a goal and have your short term decisions serve that long term commitment to yourself. If a tiny home isn't your deal, that's fine. Other people might not place as much value on their material possessions.
Awesome talk! My husband and I are in a very similar situation, but are still in the process of downsizing. We have paid off all our debt, quit our unsatisfying/stressful jobs, and even started a business from home doing what we love! I've been following you and hOMe's progress for awhile, and just want to thank you for your inspiration! When this process of simplifying can take some time, it is easy to get discouraged or lose sight of the ultimate goal. So this was just what I needed to hear today to remind me of why I'm doing it in the first place, and motivation to get my butt in gear again! Thanks for showing us living tiny is not only possible, but is a way to thrive despite our society of "keeping up with the Jones's."
Andrew! I had no idea you gave a Ted Talk! I'm so glad I took that strawbale workshop and met you! You're doing so many great things and I'm so thankful you are sharing them with others. Perhaps, if more people will listen to your message and live it, you might not seem like such an anomaly! It's been a real eye opener for me to see someone actually live values that I admire. Thank you.
The problem with tiny houses is that many people who live in them or want to live in them don’t appear to understand the lifestyle changes that need to be made in order to live in such a small space. Namely, I’m talking about the amount of possessions they have. While they have less than what most people in the west have, they still have to cram what they do have into the tiny space, and they have to climb and struggle just to get around (similar to a hoarder). These houses often incorporate complex systems of hidden storage units and hinges to try and alleviate the cramming, systems which can fail, which decreases the reliability of the structure. Finally, to perform many functions in the house, due to the limited space, requires one to prevent other functions; for instance if your table is in front of the door when it’s pulled out, no one can use the door. There was one I saw on television which had a guitar hanging above a spot on the couch, low enough such that no one could use the spot on the couch. It is this blocking of functions, low reliability, and low human mobility which render the space inefficient, which destroys the entire purpose of living in a tiny home. If you still want to live in a tiny house and minimize these drawbacks, you really need to pair down the material possessions you own. If you can’t, and you find it difficult to maneuver around, maybe you just need more space. Not much more, but a little.
Thanks for the talk Andrew. As a tiny home enthusiast, I encourage more people to join the revolution and be free from this systemic enslavement by the 'establishment '!
Seriously this is one of my favorite videos! I show this to family and friends because its exactly how i feel! We will be moving into our new tiny house by the end of the year! Excited!
Biggest thing for me is how are you going to be intimate with your partner when you have a kid and not feel like you are in the same room....lofts are not separation and I just feel like a small barrier is just not enough
Thank you for sharing your TEDx Talk. We are new members of the Tiny House Movement and we have been followers for years....Happy to be living with the principles outlined in your talk.
Once our kids are grown we plan to do this, because our house is already paid off and we have solar power, but our property taxes are over $5000 per year (we never used the public schools but realize they help many families). I bet they'll eventually create a minimum property tax per house since more people are downsizing though and the public schools will still need funding.
Incredibly mindpowering! As a newly wed I really look for all possible ways to save and prepare for the future while enjoying the moment with the "simple things" (as you put it). Awesome motivation!!!
Applying the 365 rule to the kitchen today in the pre new year new me decluttering. 6 bags going to charity shop. Including vintage tupperware. It is great.
This was a great cash of information and how it very much materialized all the things I've been thinking about these past few years of my life. I 'm planning to first un-clutter my present apartment, find a good spot out in the country and build myself a container home and go off grid by making it as green as possible, by growing my own food and raising a few animals...so this information just motivates me even more !!
Cheering for you, Otis! I grow food too. It's so rewarding! Unfortunately, my tiny appatement and my garden are 10 miles appart. I want to bring them together eventually. Good luck, sir!
We are in the process of selling the big house right now and going tiny so that we can retire early. We also have your book and watched your videos. Thanks for the inspiration.
Great talk. Thank you! I'm going to make the move to tiny house living in the next 5 years. As expected, lots of people think I'm crazy. Not that I care, but this video is a great introduction to this lifestyle that I can share with others, the few whose opinions I do care about.
+R. Martinez Same here brotha, I'm looking into getting one myself and although many people, even family, are going to think I'm nuts, it's about my happiness and my life not theirs. Just a matter of time for me while I do my research.
+Steven B Right on. I like how you put it. The truth, straight up. Thinking big with the tiny home ideas got me focused on the short term goals these days, funding, really. I want to spend the first years in my tiny home on the road, spending months or so at a time in different parts of the country. Good luck with your prep and move to this lifestyle.
R.Martinez, yes, we don't need to let ourselves get discouraged by the views of people around us. We need to find like minded, join the efforts, live in community etc. I lived a simplistic lifestyle since decades now, when back then no one talked about minimalism or Tiny living etc. Back then people close to me laughed at me or thought I'm crazy, today I'm so much better off. I'm 55 now, no mortgage but savings, time to travel, work as I please. Keep going.
Certainly a great idea but even after you pay for the house you need to own land which is expensive and pay property tax .You may rent the land which is never your . So i think it costs more than you suggest. Still love the idea of small.
The tiny home community here in Colorado Springs is a 50 lot park (Peak View Park). Rents are outrageous and if you want a tiny home it's going to cost you 200k. The dream was good but the reality is people cashed in to the idea.
I'm going to build one of these on my land. Unfortunately the area I live in has many regulations. I strongly feel if I try to be respectful by building the tiny house out of sight (shouldn't be too hard there) I should not have trouble. When I leave to hike the Pacific Crest Trail in April 2016 I wont have to pay ridiculous rent, utilities, ect. when I am away for 5-6 months. I spent more money holding down the fort while I was away for 5 months than I did on myself hiking the Appalachian Trail this year!
The idea of a tiny household brilliant, specially if you enjoy being outdoors and live in a place with a good climate. the only problem is, at least here in southern Europe, the law. The gov just want let you do it. For pretty much everything you need a proof of address and a tiny home is not considered valid. You are not allowed even to live on rural land.I can t see any way around the burocracy. Other than that is sure a great life style better than living in a lot of cities. Maybe a good alternative could be living in a trailer park or a camping site. I know that's considered trashy in the state but most of the camping site in Europe are in amazing locations
The same is true here in the states - at least where I am in California. You're allowed to build an "In-Law" or "Auxillary" unit that shares architectural features of the main unit. You're allowed to have and work on or build an "RV"- and Under 500sq. Ft' here in Oakland at least requires no permits or site/project reviews. the trouble comes when you want to actually LIVE in it- you're allowed to have/build/work on it- but not actually LIVE in it FULL-TIME. Just like a boat without a live-aboard license, you're not allowed to stay in more than a few consecutive nights a week. There may be exceptions if you're mobile- because if you're traveling, you're allowed to "live" in your RV, but you're not allowed to live in One Place (and have a life). The exception may very well be RV 'trailer parks' - which also have a negative image here. Perhaps this is one area with lots of room for growth- creating a new positive image of RV parks, & newer and nicer RV parks. TBC...
+bodybalancer - what's sorely missing from the tiny home movement- is a political grassroots component that is pushing for legislation to include new permits for tiny homes and allow people to live in them legally, and to not make permits cost prohibitive or to make it a hardship financially for people. It's in the interest of States to support this kind of sustainable small development, because it takes burden OFF of our local and state infrastructure which is already overloaded just for example with our water resources. In California a drought stricken state- in El Niño winters we have flooding of our storm drains, bad water quality in the bay because of waste water runoff and untreated sewage- and this burden could be relieved if more people go OFF-GRID and employ simple techniques like composting toilets. It would also relieve the burden on our energy grid. It increases the resiliency of our communities in the face of climate change making them disaster-resilient. Tiny- Mobile TBC.
+bodybalancer *disaster-resistant. Tiny, Mobile communities do not need to be rebuilt in the face of environmental disasters such as fires, floods or what have you- they can be evacuated and moved out of the way of a disaster when possible, and can be built to withstand disasters by being fire-retardant using mycelium insulation and fire-retardant exterior paneling, or hurricane-rated windows & doors. Over time in the face of climate change and environmental disasters- tiny mobile communities will save money on not needing to be rebuilt. They're lower cost and faster to build or rebuild anyway if need be. Not only are tiny homes and mobile communities more durable and disaster resistant, this lifestyle promotes mental health by allowing a more balanced lifestyle, and fewer working hours to maintain and pay for. It is no wonder Americans are workaholics, alcoholics, and that mental health is a disaster here and so many are on mentally ill, depressed, & on prescription or illegal drugs.
Nice, Andrew. Working hard over here toward my goal of building hOMe for my girlfriend and myself. Planning to run our Shaklee business from it as well. Great advice on simplifying life. I've done it once before and its an amazing feeling. Looking forward to shedding the waste again soon.
I already live in a small house 800 square foot, thta is small enough for us, living in a house with loft bed would not work for most people because it would be dangerous getting up and down esepecially at night to go use the bathroom, when your sleepy. a tiny house would get old fast, it would literally force you outside and away from home because the walls close in after a while. it is a rare individual who can live crammped and on top of each other with little privacy. not saying it is a bad idea i would think a house under 1000 square foot would be small enough to save money and for mainteance stuff like that. of course the less space you have the less you have to clean provided you do not have alot of clutter to clean (furniture, tables, heating and bathrooms stuff etc)
When people can no longer afford to live in a normal house, there is something fundamentally wrong with the system we live in. The solution cannot be that we resign and all move into tiny houses, while the rich get richer and richer and achieve bigger and bigger mansions on the backs of the working people. I can't possibly be the only one who sees this?
Need to have a talk on places tiny is allowed and why they are not and how to figures into energy plans and needs. Not doing so is cart before the horse on all stages.
How can I a homeless girl with nothing afford to build a tiny house I really dream of my own off grid tiny home with a little land so if can plant fruits and vegis no one cares to help any one out here in Ocala fl.and with no fam or friends to help it's not easy and my dream will never come true nice speech God bless u and ur family with all the prosperity in the world
As a tiny house lover, I have checked into buying land to put one on but there are so many restrictions. Where do you put one legally without paying an arm and a leg for lot rent?
+Kelly Hicks I just bought these: www.udemy.com/tiny-house-design-part-1-codes-and-foundation-selection/ There are four of them. Worthing looking into.....I believe I have a discount code. Message me if you want it. Will need to look for it.
Only if you plan to keep moving it around, 'cause you can ask a friend or hire a truck to move it where you want it, similar to moving a shipping container.
I could do a tiny house if I lived alone. I'm rich, so my house is a modern, custom mecca. I enjoy it very much. And it allows me to do what I love - foster children. I foster up to six kids at a time. Foster kids - you know all the kids you hipsters throw away because they don't fit into your narcissistic lives? Yeah, those kids.
Or ending...??...hospital rooms, rest homes.......not 1600 sq ft but yet required by most cities to build. And they say we are gassing the earth to death and can't fig out how green energy can support...stupid waste.
My only question is "adult privacy" with children? I have an only Child, just one, but even then in a Tiny house, how do you get that special grown up time?
A tiny home is a travel trailer built a little stronger and insulated. Travel trailer companies could change to "tiny house" companies. "Tiny house park" or "trailer park", reality will stay the same. A name change could overcome a stigma associated with "trailer park". A different word is all the good change that is here. The people in the park would remain the same.
people that work part time or lower income people, or people on welfare, or people that rent probably pay more than 27% of there income to housing. and those are the people that need support the most. utilities add up too, especially if you have gas heating. cities would be denser if you could buy small plots of land for a tiny house on wheels, and they should be cheaper too.
gonevamyth , curious..... Why college students? This gentleman is in his mid 40's doing the tiny house thing. What makes you think this should be relegated to people in their early 20's?
President Bush commanded us to just go shopping after 911.... consider Annie Leonard's video "The Story of Stuff" it will start to change your life, IMHO.
