A Big Part of the Small House Movement

3 Nov
2009

Filed Under Green, Trends · Tagged: downsizing, Green, small house movement, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company · Print This Article

Would you like to live in a 100-square-foot house? What if you could buy it for $50,000, pay no mortgage or no utilities?

Believe it or not, this is attractive to some people! Sure, it’s small group, but it is gaining in popularity.

One company at the forefront of this trend is Tumbleweed Tiny House Company, and its founder Jay Shafer has been living in houses of this size since the 90s. He now runs his own company and sells these homes (either plans or the whole house), and they run in size from “tiny” (65 – 140-square-feet) to “small” (250 – 840-square-feet). You can build the house yourself for less, or the company will come build it for you.

Some of them operate like RVs, and are technically a vehicle in which you can live. No water bill, no power bill. Some run off of wind or solar power. You don’t need much power to operate a 100-square-foot-home! Read more about the efficiency of the tiny house.

The homes are really about design – every square inch of space has a purpose. And people who actually do choose this lifestyle live quite comfortably. Watch this news clip about Tumbleweed to get a feel for what the houses are like.