Exploring the Tiny house trend

The movement of minimalism has not just impacted fashion and lifestyle bloggers, but it has impacted property around the globe as well.

Modern decor and structural approaches to home building and renovations are as simple as possible, with the concept of less-is-more and minimising waste in the back of our minds.

The simplicity and minimalistic approach to lifestyle has birthed the Tiny House Trend, which has taken off across the globe and has recently made its way to South Africa.

Who would have known that we would one day look forward to living in smaller homes? If you said this 20 years ago, nobody would have taken you seriously.

While one might argue that people all around the globe have been living small for decades however, this is a different kind of small. It’s innovative, luxurious and deliberate.

What’s the deal with scaling down on size?

It’s all about effectively designing the little space at your disposal for optimal use.

In South Africa, Wanderlust Co. designs and constructs tiny houses for property owners seeking to join the popular wave. The company’s owners, Matt and Kendal, live in one of these innovative structures themselves.

Downscaling to a tiny home comes with pros and cons, so it’s up to you as an owner to determine if it’s a hit or a miss. If you choose a tiny house design that will cater to your spatial and daily living needs, then you’ll be set up for a win.

Just how tiny is a tiny house in South Africa?

The tiny houses that Wanderlust Co. produces will range between 15㎡ and 30㎡. They are often built onto a trailer, which makes these homes not only small but mobile. However, they can come in various forms.

One type of tiny home is container homes, whereby a shipping container is converted into your dream home at a fraction of the cost of a regular home. This trend has taken off with the group often referred to as ‘Generation Rent’ or Millennials. With the rising cost of living, being able to own a home, even a tiny one, is a welcomed eco-friendly, trendy solution for a group where owning a property seemed like an unachievable goal. Small homes provide an opportunity for the younger generation to enter the property market where they would otherwise be unable to do so.

Another reason small living has taken off in South Africa is the luxury of going ‘off-grid’ which is a lot easier and cost-efficient with a tiny home than a regular-sized home.

How much could you expect to pay for a tiny home?

According to an article published by the Daily Maverick in September 2019, the cost of a tiny home depends on its size and amenities, the average price for a small home is likely to set you back around R270,000 to R850,000. While this may seem expensive for such a small space; it’s a fraction of the cost of the average property in South Africa and provides mobility, enabling small homeowners to move to a different location as and when needed.

What makes tiny house living so attractive?

It encourages an eco-friendly lifestyle and offers the freedom to lock up and go.

In South Africa, the tiny house movement has the potential to shift the economy, depending on how rapidly people cotton on.
Here are a few reasons why this trend is so popular:

● Lower living costs: Living tiny means lower electricity and water costs as well as lower property maintenance costs and even rental.

● Sustainable, mindful living: This would also mean that people who live in tiny houses will use amenities a little more resourcefully and mindfully.

● Freedom to travel and move around: Living in a tiny house is like living in a caravan, only it is cooler, a little bigger, more stylish and more efficient. A house on wheels means you can travel and set up camp wherever you like!

● Eco-friendly and sustainable living is trendy: There has been a great movement towards eco-friendly living and taking care of the environment over the past couple of years. Living small means a lower carbon footprint, which makes it environmentally friendly and on-trend.

For many of us, the image of Stuart Little’s home in the children’s movie comes to mind when thinking of a tiny home. But, like the one in the movie, there is more to these types of structures in real life then you may initially think.

The idea of tiny houses has evolved and is appealing to more and more people by the day, not just because of the mobility and lock up and go lifestyle but the lower costs and ability to operate completely off-grid at a fraction of the cost.

Contact us today if you’re thinking of going tiny and need the best agency to help you sell your home.