The Tiny House Trend
In our last post we talked about reality TV shows on HGTV and their effect on the architecture and homebuilding industries. One show we did not touch upon was "Tiny House Hunters". In fact, HGTV has a whole series of shows focused entirely on the Tiny House movement. We continue to wonder when this trend will begin to lose its appeal as people move into them and realize that sharing your entire life with someone in 200 sq. ft. isn't exactly the minimalist fairytale they were sold.
Downsizing to just what you need in life is one thing — no one needs a 5,000 sq. ft. mansion with a four car garage unless they have ten kids. And, have no mistake, the allure of being able to hitch your home to your SUV and live off of the grid is real. But how many of us are truly ready to scale down to a space that is barely larger than some tree houses we had as children?
However, as housing prices, especially here in Austin, continue to soar without a cap in sight, we have a feeling the Tiny House trend will continue to stay strong, especially with Millennials who have shown a definite awareness when it comes to conservation and the value (or non-value) of material possessions.
So, where are we going with this post? We want to hear from you! What are your thoughts when it comes to the Tiny House movement? Do you think this trend is long-lasting? Could you see yourself living in one and, even more, sharing this space with one or more people? What would your life look like if you did live in a tiny house? We want to hear it all? Why? Because, believe it or not, we've never been hired to build one and we're looking for that adventurous client to challenge us with one.
Leave a comment below, or Tweet us your answers @atxarchitects, or leave a comment on Facebook (click here) — whatever you like. We just want to hear your thoughts. :)
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Photo by Nicolás Boullosa
