Have views on tiny homes changed?

In 2018 tiny homes were one of the hottest topics in the housing field. In fact, interest in them was up a huge 75%. Now five years later, we want to have a look to see if views on them have changed.

What are they?

Tiny homes encourage people to downsize their living space, choosing compact housing instead of larger traditional builds. To officially be a tiny home, the property must be a maximum of 400 square feet. To achieve this they often need creative designs to create flexible living space. Interestingly, these homes can be static or mobile. The first can be built on a traditional foundation just like larger buildings. The latter can be on wheels or a trailer, making them more similar to a motorhome than a typical house.

Do people still want them?

It has been a really difficult time for housing, bringing some big changes in attitudes. A lot of people actually want larger homes today because of the pandemic. This gives them extra space so they can work from home and do other things without sacrificing living space. However, there is still plenty of demand for more affordable housing. Affordability is an issue in many countries, including a number of parts of the UK. So, there is still plenty of demand for smaller homes when they have small price tags.

Drawbacks

There are some concerns though, especially with residential architecture and parts of the US. The major one is whether the tiny homes could actually have a negative impact on living standards and health. That is one of the reasons there are minimum space requirements for dwellings. In fact, tiny homes are illegal in many parts of the US and would struggle to get planning permission in some parts of the UK.

Things to learn from them

On a positive note, architects can take number of useful things from them. Firstly, they showcase that homes can be a modest size to make them more affordable and to improve supply. They can do this while still providing all essential amenities. It can also make maintenance easier. Secondly, tiny homes generally make the best use of the vertical height of spaces. While the actual footprint can only be small, you can get more living space vertically with things like sleeping lofts. Next, a core idea is the homes connect effectively with their surroundings. This makes them fit better into the landscape and actually makes the home feel bigger because there is more space right outside the door.