Does size matter? It does when it comes to the growing real-estate trend of "micro homes."
In a consumption-based society where "more is more," there's a surprising movement gathering steam. An increasing number of Americans are downsizing their homes and moving into "tiny houses," which range from 65 to 400 square feet, according to the blog Tiny House Talk.
The benefits of living in a tiny house are almost too many to count. Monthly bills start to look like chump change. The homes are cozy and easy to manage, not to mention better for the environment. And the size limitation forces tenants to unclutter their life — getting rid of unwanted stuff and embracing a sense of minimalism and purpose.
Naturally, we wanted to experience it for ourselves.
I recently recruited my mom to live in a tiny house in Plattsburgh, New York, which is available for rent on Airbnb, for three days. It cost just $100 a night.
We survived. We didn't once go at each other's throats. But I don't know that I could ever go back.
This is me and my mom, Vicki. We’re close in that we talk on the phone every day, have held each other during more Nicholas Sparks movies than we care to admit, and share a hatred of messes. But we live about 250 miles apart. We recently tested the limits of our relationship by living in a tiny house for three days.
We booked a two-night stay at a tiny house in Plattsburgh, New York, on Airbnb. Mom was most concerned about the bathroom situation after I told her it might have a compost toilet — essentially a covered bucket. "I might be living in the car," she said.
I was more concerned about privacy and personal space. Would we be stepping all over each other? Would it be like living with that college roommate who never leaves the dorm room?
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