I don’t live in a tiny house yet, but I have several reasons for wanting to do so. I’ll update this list over time.
Less stress
I currently work full-time doing a job that’s hard on my brain. I love the idea of coming home and being able to relax. Part of being able to relax means I’m not stressing over money, worrying about what I’d do if I lost my job, or having to maintain the house.
Having a “simple life” is appealing as well. I’m not the type of person who needs to be constantly stimulated by excitement. Hanging out and enjoying peace and quiet is good enough for me!
Less expensive
At the moment, I live in a 3,400 square foot house (two stories plus a finished basement). It’s expensive to heat up in the winter and cool down in the summer. The utilities alone are $400/month.
About 70% of my income goes toward the mortgage, basement loan, utilities, HOA, homeowner’s insurance, property taxes, and general maintenance like furnace filters and carpet cleaner. Another 10% goes toward my vehicle and auto insurance.
Having a smaller house with smaller bills would make me significantly happier. This is the driving force for me.
Easier to organize
I have so much stuff that it’s hard to keep organized. I need or use maybe 10% of it. The remaining 90% is just taking up space, but I’m not prepared to part with all of it yet.
If it’s not something I use very often, it should be sold or thrown away. I can only imagine how liberating “the purge” is going to feel when that day comes. All this “stuff” will be left behind when I die anyway. There’s no reason to keep it unless it helps achieve my life mission. Right now, that mission is to relax. 🙂
One option might be to build a “storage shed” near my future tiny house, assuming it’ll be parked at a semi-permanent location. I imagine it being a large underground storage room that can double-function as an emergency bunker.
Less maintenance
- The lawn must be mowed at least once a week (20 minutes) and treated to prevent weeds (30 minutes)
- The weeds in the rocks and soil must be sprayed and pulled weekly (30 minutes)
- The sidewalks must be shoveled when there’s snow (20-45 minutes)
- The trees must be trimmed twice a year (30 minutes)
What’s next?
The next step is to make a list of my daily activities and how they influence my tiny house floorplan.
