"The tiny house movement is (…) an architectural and social movement that advocates living simply in small homes and is a counter reaction to the ever increasing need for more”, said Veerle Rigter last year in her column on Ginger Research. In daily life, it means that an increasing amount of people lives in tiny houses (often so small they are built on a car-trailer). As an advantage, inhabitants have lower costs, pay no mortgage, own less material things and need less time and money for maintaining their house and their belongings.
This creates more room for spending time on important things in life, such as family, friends, hobbies and relaxation. Alongside, less money is needed to pay for fixed expenses which allows inhabitants to work less, or to spend money on other things. Overall, it gives inhabitants of tiny houses space for a different lifestyle than the average citizen in a developed country.
But.. Do you NEED a tiny house for living this lifestyle? No, you don’t.
I think a tiny house is a material (yes, material!) expression of a minimalist lifestyle. The minimalists (Joshua and Ryan from theminimalists.com) explain minimalism as “a tool to rid yourself of life’s excess in favor of focusing on what’s important—so you can find happiness, fulfillment, and freedom.” In general, minimalism stimulates making important life decisions more consciously, while trying to pursue a purpose-driven life. Often, this includes getting rid of excess possessions, activities and even friends.
I believe the tiny house movement is an expression for the desire of an increasing amount of people to live a minimalist life. General awareness is growing that it is not better to pursue material possessions, such as houses, cars, stuff and money. However, the challenge is to change your material lifestyle into a (more) minimalist lifestyle on all aspects. The tiny house movement supports this transition by making it impossible to own many material possessions and by reducing the required money for fixed expenses.
However, even in a tiny house it is a challenge to live a minimalist life. It is still possible to spend time on unimportant things, to waste money on over-the-top holidays and luxury experiences and to not take the risk to pursue your dream. Much more important than a house are the choice you make in life about what to spend your time and money on. Fortunately, there are many other ways to develop myself into that direction, such as the books written by the minimalists.
Personally, I don’t need a tiny house (although I would love it!) to pursue a purpose-driven life. I will do my best to use other inspirations and motivations to make more conscious choices every time and to get rid of excess on all aspects of my life. I'm on my way!