Choosing to live small

Whether it’s the chance to own your own home, the freedom to relocate on a whim, or to reduce your ecological footprint — the tiny house movement continue to attract attention.

Just this past week, more than a dozen people travelled to Manildra for a week-long workshop on building their own tiny house on wheels.

There is no hard and fast definition of just what a tiny house is, but as the name suggests, they are small, usually less than 40 square metres. So, what is it that makes people consider living in such a small space?

Affordability for one, says Annette Mayne, who coordinated the workshop in Manildra and has spent the last 15 years working on recycling and upcycling campaigns for councils, businesses and charities.

With tiny houses costing just a fraction of traditional real estate, Annette said there are many people turning to tiny houses as a way to escape the rental trap and own their own home.

“The idea behind them is to find an affordable living option for people, young couples, particularly in city areas where they are not able to afford housing,” said Annette.

Living in a tiny house is cheaper too, she said, with heating and cooling costs negligible.

“The other advantage is that it forces people to consume less stuff, have less belongings and learn how to be more mindful of their consumerism and consumption habits,” said Annette.

And a lot of people are attracted to the minimalist lifestyle that comes with tiny house living.

“It’s a comfortable and affordable living environment with a smaller ecological footprint because you are using less resources and taking up less space,” said Annette.

“People that live in tiny houses tend to be more involved with libraries, tool libraries where people share equipment. They are more likely to be involved in community garden setups, so it encourages less individual hoarding of stuff and more collaborative community-based living.”

Tiny Houses are also and attractive option for people looking to add a studio or second dwelling to their property.

“People that might have older parents wanting to move in with them but need their own space… It is a good option for them, because it is built like a house not a caravan. It has a bigger ceiling height and the insulation is the same as you would have in a normal house, you can have a shower and bathroom facilities and kitchen,” said Annette.

“And, if it is on wheels and it is transportable, it often skirts around legislation about having a secondary dwelling on a property, because it is relocatable, so it is classified differently.”

Regulations around tiny houses vary from council to council, but if they are transportable, they are generally considered to be the same as caravans.

Living in a tiny house is not going to suit everyone, as for most people it requires a significant change in lifestyle.

“They need to shift their thinking in terms of their overall lifestyle overall. So, the idea is to not have a tiny house and then have a shed full of loads of stuff. The idea is to minimise the amount that you've got and learn to live with less, which has a greater social and environmental impact because there's less production of unnecessary stuff,” said Annette/

To learn more about tiny houses, Annette recommends visiting www.theupcyclist.com.au or the Youtube channel ‘Living Big in a Tiny House’.