Increasing Popularity of Tiny Homes

David777

David777

Senior Member
Location
Silicon Valley
As someone that has never owned a home and doesn't have enough in the bank for expensive California homes, I've been watching the tiny home debate for a few years. Whenever these news articles appear, they are flooded with negative biased comments by large home builders and those workers that build them since such is an immense industry, highly involved with Wall Street and banking.

An industry that has for years been the worst facet of crushing USA inflation, especially here in California. And an industry with their puppet local urban politicians that tends to monkeywrench any attempt at lowering costs. A common manipulative biased criticism is they are too small. But then many young adults, low income people, and poor live in small studio apartments, mobile homes, or over crowd with many occupants in single residences.

What’s The Tiny House Movement? Why The Fuss Over Tiny Homes? | Tiny Living Life

According to the US Census Bureau, the average size of a home in 1973 was 1,660 square feet. By 2015 average home size had increased to 2,687. Yet during the same time frame, average family size went from 3.0 persons down to 2.5 persons. What does that tell us?

Today’s society is busy accumulating stuff. Consequently, marketing experts have capitalized on “bigger is better.” Go into any fast food restaurant and you can see the results. Everywhere we go we are encouraged to buy, buy, buy. So how do we combat that commercial mentality? Thankfully, one movement is doing just that…

Tiny home statistics:

Top 35 Tiny Home Statistics and Facts of 2024 - Today's Homeowner

Tiny House Statistics: Market & Trends (2023)

3-D printed tiny home:

Startup CEO says ‘the house of the future costs as much as a car’ — here’s how the company plans to make it happen
 

I've always preferred smaller flats and/or homes. Firstly, it's less maintenance, heating (in particular) much more manageable and easier to keep tidy. Just missing our old gardens back and front but our house is easy to maintain.

I've never been in favour of these overly huge houses...
 
David777 said:
As someone that has never owned a home and doesn't have enough in the bank for expensive California homes, I've been watching the tiny home debate for a few years. Whenever these news articles appear, they are flooded with negative biased comments by large home builders and those workers that build them since such is an immense industry, highly involved with Wall Street and banking.

An industry that has for years been the worst facet of crushing USA inflation, especially here in California. And an industry with their puppet local urban politicians that tends to monkeywrench any attempt at lowering costs. A common manipulative biased criticism is they are too small. But then many young adults, low income people, and poor live in small studio apartments, mobile homes, or over crowd with many occupants in single residences.

What’s The Tiny House Movement? Why The Fuss Over Tiny Homes? | Tiny Living Life

According to the US Census Bureau, the average size of a home in 1973 was 1,660 square feet. By 2015 average home size had increased to 2,687. Yet during the same time frame, average family size went from 3.0 persons down to 2.5 persons. What does that tell us?

Today’s society is busy accumulating stuff. Consequently, marketing experts have capitalized on “bigger is better.” Go into any fast food restaurant and you can see the results. Everywhere we go we are encouraged to buy, buy, buy. So how do we combat that commercial mentality? Thankfully, one movement is doing just that…

Tiny home statistics:

Top 35 Tiny Home Statistics and Facts of 2024 - Today's Homeowner

Tiny House Statistics: Market & Trends (2023)

3-D printed tiny home:

Startup CEO says ‘the house of the future costs as much as a car’ — here’s how the company plans to make it happen
Click to expand...
With all the people who are homeless and all the ones striving to keep up with the rent , this is good news. Of course there’s going to be pressure from companies who may lose business.
 

I like the idea of tiny homes but perhaps they are better suited to younger people. The bedroom is usually a loft with a ladder to reach the upper level. I would not want to navigate the trip up and down the ladder day or night, to be honest. Some of the larger footprint tiny homes have more flexibility in floorplans.
 
I have more land but way less house since I retired. I have one room containing kitchen, dining area and living room, one bedroom, one bathroom, and a loft where I sew, read, and stash guests who overflow the guest house. I really do not need more house. I feel comfortable and cozy here and if the walls close in there is alway an adventure waiting outside.
 
I watch some of those home remodeling shows to get away from politics and because I am interested in design of any kind. But when the prospective buyers sneer at only three baths or the giant kitchen isn't big enough it takes all the fun out of it.
Maybe the building or real estate industry is behind it. I can't help but think of those living under bridges.
 
When we moved to Dallas, we had a specific budget for a house. Our realtor showed us a really large house with a media room. We were in love with the finish-out, but we didn't want or need a house that large so our realtor arranged for us to meet with the builder. We told him we would love a smaller house with that finish and he said it wouldn't be profitable for him to build one. :(

We were originally interested in a townhouse, but our realtor showed us our current home. We loved the house and the location. We still love it. It is larger than we need, but when we are too old to climb the stairs the master bedroom is on the first floor so we'll just live on the first floor.

As for Tiny Homes, HGTV actually had a series about them. Most who were interested were younger buyers who just couldn't afford to buy houses like their parents and grandparents had. It is a shame that so many Millennials are being shut out of the housing market due to rising costs.
 
Alizerine said:
I watch some of those home remodeling shows to get away from politics and because I am interested in design of any kind. But when the prospective buyers sneer at only three baths or the giant kitchen isn't big enough it takes all the fun out of it.
Maybe the building or real estate industry is behind it. I can't help but think of those living under bridges.
Click to expand...
Same here. We watch House Hunters and when I see Empty Nesters buying a 5000 square-foot, 5 bedroom home I just scratch my head.
 
The below comprehensive article is one of the best I've read as to why cities are having difficulty allowing tiny homes to be built because some residents with active loud voices backed by real estate corporations and banks using zoning regulations as weapons are far more interested in having their own homes continue to appreciate in value than reducing real estate inflation, the wealth gap, or homelessness. Huge issue here in California.

The “Availability of Affordable Housing” Crisis: Tiny Homes and Urban Infill

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/...e-housing-crisis-tiny-homes-and-urban-infill/
 
Alizerine said:
I watch some of those home remodeling shows to get away from politics and because I am interested in design of any kind. But when the prospective buyers sneer at only three baths or the giant kitchen isn't big enough it takes all the fun out of it.
Maybe the building or real estate industry is behind it. I can't help but think of those living under bridges.
Click to expand...
Uh huh. :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:


HGTV.jpg
 
I became interested in the tiny house movement via HGTV @seadoug. I've watched several episodes of the different versions of tiny home living that are produced for the network now. I've seen some amazing ones where the furniture and even the stairs have dual functions. There are luxury tiny home designers and builders who do a fabulous job with functionality and decor. I've seen tiny homes on wheels. ones with porches and some with other unique features.

Though not for me (where would I put all my clothes and supplies?), I think it's a cool option for those who don't mind living the minimalist lifestyle and don't want to be saddled with a mortgage. The only (possible) cons that I've read about before are:
"If you don’t already have a place to put your tiny home, you'll have to buy land or lease a lot. If you put your home on vacant land, you’ll need to factor in the cost of getting utilities to your property. And, depending on where you live, if your tiny home is on a foundation, you may have to pay property taxes.
Owners of tiny homes on wheels don't have to pay property taxes on the house. But you can’t put your tiny house on wheels just anywhere. Because of zoning laws, you'll have to pay for a place to park it, and depending on where that is, real estate taxes could apply."
What to Know About Buying a Tiny House - NerdWallet

I've seen stories about people who bought or built tiny homes and found out that due to zoning laws they couldn't leave their houses where they stood.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
Owners of tiny homes on wheels don't have to pay property taxes on the house. But you can’t put your tiny house on wheels just anywhere. Because of zoning laws, you'll have to pay for a place to park it, and depending on where that is, real estate taxes could apply."
I've seen stories about people who bought or built tiny homes and found out that due to zoning laws they couldn't leave their houses where they stood.
Click to expand...
Although its not a tiny house, we have to pay 3 different fees on our setup each year.
1) State registration fees for the Plate and 2) Property tax. Billed together.
3) Regular property tax. Our county charges a set value for an RV hook-up that is established on your property, and also for the wooden deck beside the camper.
Adds up to about $110 a year
 
FB must be giving me a hint because it keeps showing me a Tiny Spaces thread. It’s amazing how clever some people are in adapting to small homes.
 
It's always built for profit it seems. Apartment "tiny homes" are fine as someone is making good money from them and no occupant owns them. It's profit. Building condos, tiny home and mobile home communities for people to buy, not so much.

I agree these 120 sf with a loft places are not sustainable. But you start with 400 up, a well designed plan and they are very livable. But all the powers we vote into office (or didn't vote for) don't really care about us, the tax payer. Keep building big houses and apartments because that's all I'm seeing in my area.
 
I live in a 855 sq ft condo and it’s perfect for me. My son lived with me for a year and it was okay because he only needed half of a closet. I only have 3 if you don’t count the small one on my balcony.

The biggest house I lived in was 2000 sq ft when raising my kids but we only had one bathroom and there were 5 of us. I read that you are most comfortable in the size house you grew up in. I grew up in 1200 sq ft and there were 5 of us.
 
I find them appealing because the idea of an organized space with zero clutter and a huge relief on utilities seems like a good idea. Especially with all this going green we're hearing about.
 


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