The cost of conventional housing forced David Westwood to move into a small house. According to him and his partner the weeks, months, and years, were just passing by while they were working full-time. They were spending all of their money on bills and being trapped in the same boring cycle of work, work, work. The couple had been searching for narrowboats and caravans when they ‘just kind of decided that’s what they wanted to do’ and discovered a firm that constructs tiny houses.
David is not the only one eschewing the conventional two-up two-down arrangement, in January, the Office for National Statistics reported a 19,000 per cent increase in the number of households in England and Wales that now reside in caravans or other temporary or mobile buildings.
The small home trend has gained momentum in the UK, whether because of a desire to downsize or due to the strain of the housing crisis. The self-storage industry is flourishing, as people discover that leaving their possessions in an anonymous box off a ring road is more affordable than living in a house big enough to accommodate them. It is a sombre sign of a nation, which means that it is in serious need of more affordable housing.
Some people won’t find much to be joyful about in moving into a small house. However, for some people, like Westwood, leading a minimalist lifestyle may free up time for family, making them feel lighter because of the lack of things they owned, they also make sure that they have much possession. After living in his £46,000 small house on wheels for two and a half years, David claims that he would stay tiny even if housing prices plummeted by 50%. He also suggested some tips for living effectively in a small place.
Decluttering
According to David, one should not undervalue the household stuff they have or how challenging it could be to get rid of it. Before deciding to purchase their 5.4 metre × 2.4 metre (18ft x 8ft) home, Westwood and his family had been minimising their lives for two years. According to Beck Wood, David’s wife, it required a lot of processing, mentally and physically to purge her London flat before relocating into her 12 x 2.4 metre barge in 2016.
“Think of your home as a container. It is about having the right amount of stuff for your container. Too much stuff for your space and you are just going to do what’s called ‘churning’…moving stuff from place to place, having a sense of overwhelm. You’re never going to feel on top of what you have within that space,” Clara Moore, a decluttering expert said, the Guardian reported.
“I would absolutely start with anything that’s broken, worn out or unable to be used by someone else. These items need to leave your home. Think about how many of something you actually need. I am only ever entertaining two or three people at a time, for instance, so I have four cups,” Rachel Burditt, AKA the Decluttering Darling said.
Even when you move in, you still need to declutter. Beck Wood, a lead designer at a Dorset-based manufacturer of tiny houses, is approaching her son’s toys like a nightclub bouncer.
“He is now going from newborn to baby and I’m already thinking I need to get rid of these toys to make way for new toys – it’s a one in, one out process,” Beck said.
Moore recommends a seasonal declutter as a great way to keep on top of things.
“With the belongings, you decide to keep, get smart with how to store them. It’s all the old adages: a place for everything and everything in its place. Having things ‘close to purpose,’ gathered into categories and stored in a way that makes sense to your living space and you. The kitchen may not be traditionally thought of as a tech zone, for instance, but if you habitually use your tech in the kitchen because you have a wee sitting nook, then store your tech in the kitchen,” Moore said.
“Given floor space will be tight, utilising vertical storage such as shelving, bunk beds, and peg boards on walls. If you can’t go high, go low. There are so many low and flat storage options to make use of that space. Look for unexpected spots, such as the backs of doors, where you could use canvas shoe holders as extra storage space, for example,” Burditt said.
Moore suggests thinking about how you fold your clothes and utilising slimmer hangers in your closets.
She continues by saying, “It is amazing how much more space you have when you fold using the Marie Kondo method where things are like little parcels.”
Living in a small place offers Westwood his own form of resistance against consumerism.
He said, “You just don’t have the room for things, which is great…in reality, you don’t need much stuff and you’re better off without it.”
Cooking
“First of all tiny kitchens don’t have to have rice cookers. Anything that we bring into our tiny spaces has to have more than one purpose. It cannot be a mono-tool. One chef’s knife, one paring knife, one saucepan, one sauté/frying pan and a cutting board. That’s really all you need to make fabulous food,” Annie Mahle, the author of The Tiny Kitchen Cookbook: Strategies and Recipes for Creating Amazing Meals in Small Spaces said. Mahle spent more than 20 years cooking on a small boat.
“The key to cooking in a tiny space is keeping on top of things. You need to clean as you go, chop as you go and cook as you go. In terms of what to make, the simpler dishes are obviously better, especially ones where everything can be cooked in one pan,” she added.
“It is about being organised. I had shelves above her work surface with all my glass jars with grains and beans…You can basically cook without having to move your feet,” Beck Wood agrees.
Mahle advises making a list of the necessities because storage space will be limited, then purchasing the smallest amount possible from that list. Once more, it boils down to being organised: “When you run out of that thing, it goes on the shopping list immediately. Whatever you do, don’t over-purchase.”
According to David Westwood, there are a lot of things that need to change when shifting to a tiny home. The daily chores like bathing, cleaning and sleeping see a drastic change that a person adapts sooner or later. Westwood also noted that they now spend a lot more time together and their expenses have decreased by half since moving in. He lists this as one of the major benefits of family life in his modest home.
How big are tiny homes?
From eco huts to stacks of shipping containers, tiny houses come in all different sizes and designs. There is only one condition that unites them all: tiny dwellings must have a floor size of 400 square feet or fewer, which is lower than the bare minimum for a London flat. You may construct or renovate your own for as little as £6,500 if you’re up to the work.
It is no surprise that demand for tiny homes is growing, given that tiny homes save on average £780-£1,057 per month (according to statistics from 2020). Downsizing has numerous advantages, including improved economics and a minimalist, low-carbon lifestyle. Even in the most isolated locations, tiny homes may be outfitted with off-grid gas and solar power so an individual can still enjoy a hot shower and comfortable evenings.
What are the numbers?
There are roughly 25 million homes in England, including various sizes of flats and houses. The government has declared a goal of constructing 300,000 new homes annually, however, this aim has not yet been met due to COVID-19 and shortages in the building industry. Property numbers have increased from 21.2 million in 2001, which translates to an increase of little more than 3.5 million in 20 years. That translates to an additional 175,000 homes each year in England.
Also, when compared to other countries, residences in the UK are fairly modest. The average home size in the UK is 818 square feet, which is greater than the averages for Hong Kong (484 square feet), Russia (614 square feet), and China (646 square feet). Nevertheless, it is smaller than France (1,206 square feet) and the United States (2,164 square feet). In Australia, a house is 2,303 square feet in size on average.
Despite the fact that the homes offer very little space, the average house price in the UK has increased to £296,000, which is almost equivalent to the average price of a home in the United States. In comparison to Wales (£220,000), Scotland (£195,000), and Northern Ireland (£169,000), England has the highest average home price of £316,000. Since the same time last year, the average house price has increased by £36,000, or 13.6%, in value.
Though the idea of tiny homes is quite popular in the UK, it has not yet fully taken off. It is not to the degree that it has in some other nations. The global tiny home market is presently estimated to be worth $3.9 billion, and in the following five years, it is predicted to rise by slightly under 5% and reach a total value of $4.2 billion. North America is predicted to experience the greatest rise, accounting for 57% of the overall increase.
The idea of tiny homes is spreading across the world. Tech billionaire and sporadic world’s richest man Elon Musk is the most well-known supporter of tiny homes. Musk sold several of his enormous properties and settled in a 375-square-foot prefabricated tiny home in Texas. Despite the interest, however, it is estimated that there are currently only 200 tiny homes in the UK, although this number is expected to increase somewhat.
On the other hand, houseboats are not regarded as tiny homes, though they may meet the category’s size guidelines. Despite often having only one story, houseboats provide many of the same advantages as compact residences. It is possible to employ solar and other renewable energy sources, which lowers the need for fossil fuels and lessens the owner’s carbon impact. Additionally, moving the boat from place to place can aid in avoiding the mooring fees that are often assessed if the boat stays in one spot for 14 days.
In order to build a small house, the experts suggest a small house kit that has everything to construct the house on your own. Although it is the least expensive way to have one, the owner must shoulder the majority of the burden of the construction themselves. The cost of a tiny house kit starts at £6,500, while more expensive choices are also available.
As an alternative, several architects and businesses provide pre-built tiny houses. In certain circumstances, the company already has these designed, but it is also feasible for the potential owner to collaborate with the designer and come up with a custom home design that the manufacturer will then build for the owner. These ranges in price from £30,000 to almost twice that amount, but even at £55,000, the cost is far lower than purchasing a home.
Benefits of tiny homes
Living in a tiny home has many advantages, but there are also many challenges that must be faced. The location of the house is one of these challenges. Most are mobile homes, so they can be moved, but if the owner doesn’t already own property, renting land might cost several hundred pounds each month. It is typically not essential to obtain planning clearance if the owner has land and the building is a mobile home. It is advisable for buyers to check with their local councils to see if a permit is needed, especially if the small house will be in the same location for more than 28 days.
Tiny homes have minimal energy requirements. They can also have solar, wind, and other sustainable energy generation systems installed. In any event, small homes use about 45% less energy than equivalent normal dwellings, which not only results in sizable monthly financial savings but also lessens the environmental impact. Tiny homes can help homeowners save up to £1,057 per month when all expenses are taken into account, including the price of the house, the cost of heating, and other costs. Many prospective homeowners cite the fact that they would be able to spend more time in the home they are paying less for by working less and saving money as one of the key reasons they would think about relocating to a tiny home.