ARE TINY HOUSES FOR SALE LOCALLY A GOOD CHOICE FOR A FIRST HOME?

To buy, or not to buy, a tiny house on wheels? That is the question...

I’ve recently been looking at Tiny Homes for sale, mostly THOW's, but first, the background.

As a single woman approaching the “big 3-0”, and especially with current events forcing changes in everyday life, I realize how lucky I’ve been to spend the majority of my 20’s freely wandering the world and experiencing different cultures. I’ve been able to get a better understanding of the planet, people, myself - and to truly know just how important it is to aim for a more sustainable lifestyle and cut down on traveling! Not that we really have a choice right now in 2020 – but hey, it's slightly easier knowing there's a reason that's beyond our control!

Yes World, surprisingly Reb may just be ready to settle down at last!

With this in mind, the idea of buying and living in a Tiny Home caught my eye when I was deliberating how to possibly become (gasp!) a responsible homeowner.

The Tiny House Movement has become a bit of a craze over the past few years in the US where I’ve been living, especially since reality TV channels started airing shows such as Tiny House, Big Living, Tiny House Hunters and Tiny House Nation to mention just a few. As much as this may come across as an appealing and sustainable lifestyle choice on the surface, I couldn’t help but wonder if choosing a Tiny home on wheels was really mybest第一个梯级的房主，所以我决定进一步调查。Here are the questions I looked for answers to, in no particular order, with with what I discovered.

So whatareTiny Houses exactly?

A Tiny House is generally considered to be 400 square foot or under相比之下，美国和加拿大的平均住房面积分别为2386平方英尺和1792平方英尺。

带轮子的迷你屋可以租也可以拥有，在西雅图这样的地方，迷你屋被宣传为为无家可归者提供永久的栖身之所——这可能是我的一些朋友认为迷你屋有损形象的部分原因。有些人甚至选择设计和建造他们自己的小房子-导致一些非常古怪的创作!This is when the firsttiny红旗开始在我的脑海中飘扬。

Where can you live in a Tiny House?

Theoretically, just about anywhere, as Tiny Homes can either be sited somewhere permanently, or built on wheels, the latter seems to suggest moving them like a trailer. (More on that later.)

Many consist of a bedroom area which is usually situated up a set of clever stairs that double as storage, and in what you would call the “attic” space of the house, (like getting dressed in a hiking tent – horizontally, yeah), a tiny shower room, and an open living room/kitchen area.

They provide a minimalist lifestyle approach, but be warned - minimal really means minimal - they likely won't have a real washing machine, or any spare room to store your holiday decorations, and you can forget ever being able to bulk buy food (or apocalypse toilet paper) again, so best cancel that Costco or Sam's Club membership if going Tiny!

Why consider buying a Tiny House?

Most people choose the Tiny Home lifestyle due to financial and/or environmental concerns, or maybe a bit of both. From the short to mid-term affordability aspect, it potentially looks like a really good choice.

目前，在美国和加拿大，有很大比例的人都是月光族，他们的大部分工资用于抵押贷款或房租，以及家庭账单。他们中的许多人也和我一样年轻——根据我的经验，年轻人离就业或教育前景最好的地区越近，生活成本就越高。更多的事。以温哥华为例，我住了3年，我根本负担不起市中心的生活费用!

小房子——它们是省钱的好方法吗?

Living in a Tiny home could drastically lower monthly household bills, and you might even be mortgage-freeif building it as a DIY project. This could give you the opportunity to put a healthy amount of your wage into your savings account, and after the first couple of years of living in your Tiny home, it would potentially have paid for itself.

At least that’s the dream all these TV programs would have us believe.

The financial reality of Tiny House living – Location, Location, Location!

Unfortunately, the reality often falls short of this heady goal when you consider where one’s perfect Tiny House can be located!回到生活在大城市附近的昂贵的一面——要么土地是非常昂贵的，要么租金是停一个带轮子的迷你屋，甚至不允许，除了一些看起来很破旧的房车公园——通常在嘈杂的铁路或港口附近。就我个人而言，感谢但不感谢这个想法，我太珍惜我的睡眠了!

如果你希望建造一个永久性的小房子——再次抱歉打破任何泡沫，但在美国和加拿大的大部分地区，建筑法规不允许以真正更实惠的方式建造小房子，因为房屋应该满足最低建设标准。再加上那块至关重要的土地，除非它在某个远离电网的小镇上，否则根本不可能。

All the same – if you do find that Nirvana where you can park or build a Tiny House that you can afford and that’s legal, it goes without saying that a smaller home is going to be easier to maintain. And it won’t cost as much in the way of upkeep or heating – well at least if it’s well-built and well-insulated that is.

看到为什么这么多人被车轮上的微型住宅的概念所吸引，而真正住在其中的人却相对较少了吧?

How Much do Tiny Homes Cost?

所以很多人问这个问题:“迷你屋多少钱?”” – and nobody can accurately answer that question而不用问一大堆其他问题。一般来说，我已经调查了很长时间，可能会买一个小房子，我的回答是这样的——一个小房子的花费几乎是买方准备好或能够支付的!

I’ve literally wasted hours on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and various specialist Tiny Homes for sale websites, and I’ve seen many homes that looked fabulous on the pictures – only to discover when viewing that the photos were taken 4 years, 2 kids and a big dog and 20 000 kilometers ago. Buyer beware indeed!

我在加拿大BC省看过免费的迷你屋，甚至在华盛顿州看过8万美元的宫殿，我唯一得出的结论是，没有人能给迷你屋一个准确的美元价值——这是另一件增加我潜在的“购买迷你屋”焦虑水平和在“不”栏检查的事情。

Is Towing a Tiny House on Wheels (THOW) easy?

If you do choose to live in a Tiny House with wheels, (called a THOW to those in the know) it gives you the freedom to travel around the country with your home- whether it be for a career move, adventure, or even a bit of both. While this is not the most eco-friendly thing to do, the option is at least theoretically there and that's cool!

But here I am again bubble bursting – sorry! – The uncool truth is that most Tiny House owners I’ve spoken to generally HATE towing their Tiny Houses around. It’s pretty tricky to secure everything, the homes are heavy, you need a huge gas-guzzling truck, and not least of all, they get pulled over a lot by the cops! The problem here is that THOW’s frequently break the weight and size rules for what’s legal to tow around the US and Canada. To make matters, worse, those rules often change from one State to another! All in all, another harsh reality that sounds like a reason for a hard pass on a Tiny House to me!

Can Tiny House living reduce my carbon footprint?

Static Tiny Homes (including THOW’s that don’t actually move) do have the potential to help you dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. Less space means that you don't need as much ‘stuff’ (which I am sure that we can all agree on we have far too much of), and you also consume less energy and building materials for the home in which you live.

I read one study that shows that if you downsized to a Tiny Home you would reduce your energy consumption by 45%. If you choose to design and build your own Tiny Home, you can make sure all the building materials you use are sustainably sourced too, for example using FSC certified sustainably-grown wood and non-toxic materials.

What kind of person could live in a Tiny House?

Tiny Homes, in my opinion, would ideally suit a single person looking to live a simpler life or a minimalistic couple with no immediate plans to extend their family, all assuming you canfind a suitable building lotto put a Tiny Home on that is.

And this is where a Tiny House on a proper foundation could work, because if you chose to extend your family in any way, shape or form, and if you build a Tiny Home tothe principles of flexible house designon a permanent site, you could always look at extending it into a bigger home to accommodate your growing needs in the future.

I think I speak for us all by saying that having more financial freedom and helping the environment is a win/win.

Why a Tiny Home might not be a good choice?

As affordable as they may seem at the start, to put it into perspective, professionally manufactured Tiny Houses can cost around $400 per square foot, whereas the cost per square foot when building a regular house is generally around $200 - 250.

Just like building a regular house, if a Tiny House is built on a foundation, it will still need to meet minimum code requirements. Most cities don't allow Tiny Homes on wheels to be parked in residential yards, or even used as a permanent residence without the appropriate permits or zoning. Some Tiny House owners choose to purchase land, but however you go about it, permits will probably be required and this can be both time consuming and costly.

另外值得一提的是，从城市获得建筑许可有点像在雷区中导航——我是第一个承认我在这方面毫无用处的人。你还应该记住，每个城市都有不同的许可要求，所以在决定选择《Tiny》之前，最好先研究一下这方面的问题。

但事情是这样的——说了这么多关于将《Tiny House》变成现实的困难，我对《Tiny Homes》最大和主要的担忧是，虽然它在短期内看起来是一个省钱的选择，但从长远来看，它不太可能变成那样。

Tiny Houses on Wheels may end up costing more, not less

To explain, Tiny Homes on wheels are assets like cars - they are most likely to deteriorate and depreciate over time - whereas regular real estate tends to appreciate. As anybody who has ever owned an RV or a boat in a damper climate knows, water leaks, high humidity from cramming too many people in a small space, and the damage and mold that can cause can be simply horrid, as well asadversely affecting health because of mold allergies. That's why Ecohome recommends that anyTiny Houses are systematically built with ductless mini ERV unitsas well as to the minimum code for water barriers and insulation for the areas it may be sited and lived in.

You should therefore realize that it could be difficult if you ever wanted to sell your Tiny Home on wheels asthere are likely not as many potential buyers as for regular real estate. This could pose a bit of a problem if you were needing to move for a specific reason, were on a limited timeframe, and didn’t want to lose too much money.

It’s definitely worthwhile weighing the options carefully and realistically as to whether a Tiny House is likely to be a good investment if you’re putting together a workable financial life-plan for the future.

Is living in a Tiny House difficult?

In short, leading a minimalistic lifestyle is harder than it seems. You must accept that you wouldn't be able to buy that cute home decoration, expand your kitchenware, or buy those new outfits you've seen – and some might counter that that’s a good thing. Storage is very limited when it comes to Tiny Homes, and if you have to pay for storage elsewhere to keep all the items you just couldn't part with, it defeats the whole purpose of living in a Tiny House in the first place.

我承认这对我来说是一个巨大的挑战，我很喜欢保留家庭和个人的纪念品，我甚至不想去数我有多少双鞋和钱包!在有限的空间里，你也不太可能适当地或以你通常的标准招待客人。这对我来说也是一个艰难的选择。

虽然我很喜欢认为我有点像一头独狼，虽然我知道我可以很好地应对在大自然中独自生活，但我承认我更喜欢与人相处，我不喜欢这样。如果同时有很多朋友和家人来我家炫耀我美丽的新家，那太难了。

You should also be aware that you would probably have to deal with either a composting toilet or a holding tank which requires maintenance, can be costly, and well –who has the time or inclination to deal with that?(Not me for sure!) On a side note to this, you would also have limited privacy for such things, but hey, that doesn't bother everyone right?!

孩子和宠物如何应对迷你屋的生活?

If children and/or pets are on your agenda, or if you are already blessed to have them, I would recommend living in a Tiny home for a holiday firstbefore committing - just to be sure that it’s a lifestyle you feel you and they can cope with. If accommodating several suitcases and their contents plus a big wet and hairy hound is a struggle for a long weekend, imagine being there full time!

It also goes without saying that children are messy, and your Tiny Home will become messier a lot faster than if you were living in a standard sized home – plus that mess is going to be in the only room in the house that's impossible to close a door on and run away from. It is also worth testing out whether your animal would adapt well to living in such small quarters, especially if you own a big pet, as we all know animals need space for their daily zoomies!

带轮子的迷你屋是一个好的选择吗?

While Tiny Homes are usually made to be around 8.5 feet wide to adhere to road regulations, I’ve concluded that it’s probably not a good idea to take them on the road very often– if at all. The one main problem of this is that it’s just not environmentally friendly - you would likely have to have the heavy-duty version of a truck to be able to tow all but the smallest Tiny House, and those kinds of vehicles are terrible for fuel consumption – or worse still, they are belching out carcinogenic and asthma-provoking diesel fumes.

所以，尽管你有一个更可持续的或更负担得起的生活方式的良好意愿，但由于不可接受的碳排放，以及支付汽油后的银行余额，把你的迷你屋挂在你7万美元的超级卡车后面旅行，对环境来说并不是一个好兆头。

From owners experiences, moving a THOW also puts a lot of wear on Tiny Home structuresandrelationships! For example, one couple I spoke to managed to jam theirs under a gas station canopy first time out! Most honest amateurs who have towed a multi-ton trailer would confess to being pretty nervous about it, and it sure wouldn't be my idea of fun!

Seriously, if traveling is in your future plans, you might want to consider leaving the Tiny Home where it is and buy an R.V. or a trailer instead, as that is what they are designed for. With Tiny Homes becoming increasingly popular for two/three night stays, you could always investigate turning your Tiny Home into a vacation rental while you’re traveling. A little extra income from home never hurt anyone!

如果你选择走这条路，像Instagram或Airbnb这样的平台将是发展租赁业务的一个极好的方式，而且可能也会节省一些白发。

In short, and after careful consideration to answer the above question, I’ve concluded that no, Tiny Homes on wheels are not what I would call good in my book. If you do decide to go down the Tiny home route, keeping it sited permanently in one place would be the more sustainable (and less stressful) option, though I’m unconvinced that it’s even the best option as a permanent residence.

As great of an idea as Tiny Homes could be, and as much as it fits a certain aesthetic while exuding a carefree and charming lifestyle choice, in reality, is living this way likely to be sustainable in the long run? Is it a worthwhile investment? Would I ever sleep nights?

在我看来，这些问题只能由每个人来回答。归根结底，这取决于你是哪种类型的人，你将如何应对它，以及我只能描述的《Tiny House》生活的许多缺点。

TL;DR – A Tiny Home isn't for me (and here's why)

就我个人而言，虽然我很享受Tiny House提供的潜在经济自由，并认为它们作为一个概念很可爱，但作为一个单身务实的女性，这种生活方式并不适合我。It could be said I over-think things. Maybe.

But in all honesty, one of my main reasons for opting out of Tiny House living is that I’d feelwaytoo guilty for my ginger cat Alan, who’s far too used to wide open areas and being a bit of a lunatic - especially when it comes down to his daily “mad half hour”.

“Crazy cat lady” I hear you say; a label which I am more than happy to wear. I know I speak for many women of my generation when I say that as Alan is my fur-baby and his welfare is a priority, my hands are tied.

不要评判我。这是艾伦，看看那张脸!(Squeeeeeeee :)

Also, as I'm a sucker when it comes to animals, and in an ideal world I would have my house filled with all the rescue animals I can cram in, so while I'm still hoping to one day make this dream a reality, a larger-sized home is the one for me – even if only slightly bigger.

Considering a Tiny House has definitely been worthwhile, as I now know that a smaller-than-average sized regular home, or abeautiful Architect designed Zero Energy Ready Prefab Home for salewould still enable me to live a relatively minimalistic and sustainable lifestyle - but would also provide me with a decent investment and the room to entertain and grow my family in the future. I feel like this is where I’m most likely heading then - wish me luck, and don't hesitate to comment below if you think differently, if you've tried it and failed, or if you're loving Tiny living!

Now you know more aboutbuying a Tiny Home on wheelsand why I decided not tolive in a Tiny House Findmore pages about Tiny Housesandresilient green building techniqueshere : See more photos of Tiny Houses & Laneway Homes See Architect designed prefab Tiny Houses for sale How to stay on budget when building a home Ontario clarifies building-code for permits for laneway homes & legal Tiny Houses in Toronto What are the laws in Washington State for Tiny Homes? 集装箱迷你屋是好是坏? Find more about green home constructionin the EcoHomeGreen Building Guideor to learn more aboutthe benefits of a free Ecohome Network Membership, see here.