What Everyone Can Learn from Tiny House Dwellers
For some homeowners, bigger is better. Even as household size shrinks, square footage hasn’t followed suit. The median size of a new single-family home in 2015 was 2,467 square feet up by almost 1,000 square feet compared to homes built just 10 years ago.
But, not everyone has dreams of decorating a second dining room. Plenty of tiny house dwellers are finding that they can live large with less, downsizing to homes that are anywhere from 100-500 square feet. Sure, the financial perks are sizable (69 percent of tiny house people have no mortgage, compared to 29.3 percent of all U.S. homeowners), but there’s plenty more to love about about a smaller space. You don’t need to ditch your home and shack up in a 200-square-foot studio to incorporate some of the lessons of living lightly.
A place for everything.
Think there’s room for a junk draweror a junk closetwhen you’re living in 100 square feet? Keep clutter from piling up by designating a spot for everything in your home. Not only will it make it easier to find things, tidying up will get easier (and faster) when you’re not just moving piles of things next to other piles of things.
Think before you buy.
Once you have a designated spot for everything in your home, bringing in something new becomes a more deliberate decision. Do you like that cookie jar shaped like a dancing rooster enough to make room for it?
One in, one out.
Still undecided about that rooster cookie jar? Or about adding another plain black t-shirt to your overstuffed closet? Try implementing a “one in, one out” rule to help you decide about a purchase. One rooster cookie jar in, an old cookie jar set aside to donate.
Be picky about freebies.
One man’s trash is sometimes another man’s treasure. But sometimes one man’s trash should stay just that. Yes, it’s hard to say no to your aunt’s offer to pass down her wicker basket collection, even if you’ve never had any desire to own a collection of wicker baskets. But tiny house dwellers are great at saying “thank you, but I don’t have room for that” and there’s no reason you can’t say it, either. Tiny home or not, you’re not obligated to take in everyone else’s castoffs.
Master multitasking.
Whether you live in a studio apartment or have a little more space to spread out, you can minimize clutter and maximize space by choosing furniture that multitasks. Swap your dining table chairs for a bench that offers both storage and seating, mount shelving or a small desk to walls to clear floor space or choose a large ottoman that doubles as a coffee table.
Make a list.
Whether you’re stocking your fridge or shopping for furniture or home decor, avoid impulse purchases by writing down just what you need. Fall in love with something on the way to the checkout line? Snap a photo and sleep on it before you buy.
Choose quality over quantity.
In the words of Marie Kondo, tidying expert and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, hold onto the items that spark joy, and donate or throw away the rest. How you interpret the advice is up to you, but if your shelves and closets are packed with items that spark guilt, dread, and dust bunnies, start there.
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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