Tiny is taking over in a big way. From the television series to Pinterest boards, the tiny house movement is one of the biggest trends in home building.
What is a tiny house and why are they so popular?
Tiny homes are typically less than 1,000 square feet, some as small as 80 square feet. Some people are opting for tiny homes as a quiet retreat, while others are ditching their five bedroom homes altogether. Tiny homes can be a permanent fixture, or they can be mobile, which is perfect for people who value traveling more than routine living.
While affordability and environmental sustainability are obvious attractions for tiny homes, searching for simplicity in a material world has also led many people to go tiny. When you’re living in a 100-square-foot home, it is more about quality of life than quantity of possessions. You could have to decide what is more important, a home speaker system or a family heirloom?
In western areas of the United States, tiny may not be considered typical, but it is a fairly obtainable lifestyle. In fact, there are entire communities that are devoted to tiny living. If you’re looking to go tiny in south central PA, you may have had to travel states away to find the perfect home builder, until now. Liberation Tiny Homes is one of the newest tiny home designing and building companies, conveniently located in Lancaster (www.liberationtinyhomes.com).
The owners of Liberation Tiny Homes, James and Rosemary Stoltzfus, saw the growth of the tiny home movement and thought it would be a perfect fit for our area, which is a true blend of traditional and modern living. James, who has a background in residential building, became interested in tiny homes about three years ago and started pursuing building them about a year ago. “Tiny homes are a great option for alternative living,” says Stoltzfus. “I like that these homes aren’t cookie-cutter.”
Living Large
All of the Stoltzfus’ home designs are completely customizable 20-foot THOW shed style homes. “THOW” is tiny home professionals' lingo for “tiny homes on wheels.” The shell of the home starts at about $12,000, making custom building obtainable for people of all income levels. Depending on custom requests by the homebuyer, prices for the homes can go up to $50,000. "Here at Liberation Tiny Homes we believe in bridging the gap between your dreams to your reality; we will strive to meet your specific needs using beautiful design matched with simple elegance,” says the company.
Some may think that tiny means low-quality, but in fact a tiny home can make high end materials more obtainable since you are working with a smaller space. At Liberation Tiny Homes, homeowners have a choice of building and aesthetic materials such as a metal roof, AZEK panel siding, birch plywood wall covering and walnut counter tops. The design of these homes is modern and stylish, which is one of the keys to making a 20-foot home livable and larger feeling.
A Room of One’s Own
In 20 feet of home space, where exactly do you live? In a typical floor plan, there is a main floor that houses the living room and kitchen area, as well as your bathroom. And, yes, this bathroom can include a shower and flushing toilet, just like yours at home. Stairs, which can also serve as storage, can lead to one or two loft areas. One loft serves as a bedroom, and the other loft can serve as a bonus room or it can be eliminated for extra height on the main floor. If homebuyers choose to go with two lofts, the bonus room is perfect for a home office. Think about it; if you already work remotely, who says you can’t spend your evenings traveling the country in your own home?
Tiny homes often make owners get very creative because it is important to find storage wherever you can. For example, the right sofa can also serve as a guest bed, storage unit and dining area. Stoltzfus suggests Ikea’s “Small Spaces” line for small furniture that can be used in multiple ways and that has storage opportunities. If you’re thinking about going tiny, “the number one key is to get rid of everything,” Stoltzfus says. So far, inquires for Liberation Tiny Homes have been very diverse, but according to Stoltzfus, the financial benefits of this lifestyle often attract adventurous people in their twenties, as well as those nearing retirement. Locally, the struggle with living in a tiny home is the lack of land and community. “One of the greatest things about this style of living is the community that builds around it, but we don’t have that yet in Lancaster,” says Stoltzfus. So, locally, most people only have the option of mobile living.
To try and create better local options for tiny homes, Liberation Tiny Homes has started a “Lancaster Tiny Houses Meetup.” If you’re unfamiliar with Meetup, it is a website that allows locals with similar interests to get together to learn, share or do an activity, essentially allowing strangers to create a club. The goal of this Meetup is to educate interested tiny homebuyers, create a support system for those who are living tiny, and discuss ideas for local tiny living. Liberation Tiny Homes has a long-term goal of building a tiny house community and finding community investors through these meetings.
While these tiny homes are adorable, they obviously aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s the people that truly believe in the benefits of tiny and simplistic living who find success. But the idea behind downsizing can be applied to various aspects of all of our lives. Even the Stoltzfus family does not have any current plans to go tiny, but they do want to live small. Generationally, some people are starting to opt out of living large, and saving money for experiential things like traveling. And this seems like only the beginning of this trend.
Globally, tiny homes have an opportunity to change lives. In some areas of the United States, tiny homes have already been utilized as shelter for the homeless and veterans. Pair their opportunity for social service with the financial and environmental benefits, and this lifestyle could be a tiny step for mankind.
Photo Source: The Patriot News