Simplifying your life through tiny living (Part 9) (FAQ)

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Ben Brown, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Do normal homes feel big now?
Nope, not really. Because I grew up in a standard sized home, its all I knew for the first 35
years of my life. Although I will say, I do look around at other people’s homes and notice just
how much wasted space there is and how many useless items are sitting around in garages,
living rooms, offices, attics, and closets that people have no relationship with and in some
cases, no knowledge of. Its absolutely staggering to me just how much space people pay for
that they hardly ever use just because “its what people do.”
How much did it cost?
45,000 including the trailer, materials, labor, and appliances. I have known people to build
their own for under 10,000 and some even under 5,000 dollars but those are typically not
lived in year round or they’re in a place that has temperate climates half the year and extreme
climates the other half. So they just inhabit the 5,000 dollar shacks during the nicer months.
What’s your favorite thing about living tiny?
I’ll pick one from each category. First, the intangible. I think the concept of and relationship to
“simplicity” is my favorite thing because this brings with it all the things we just talked
about…living with intention, relationship with your home, your stuff, your free time, the
weather, and teaching you what it really means to know what makes you happy!
From a tangible standpoint, honestly, I think its my loft! It is the coziest place I know of that
inspires peace, creativity, security, and a welcoming magic that makes you really excited to
go to sleep every night or just sit up there curled up with a bunch of pillows, reading a book or
just listening to wind chimes as you feel the cross breeze cruise over your face from the
skylight to the back window, watching the clouds float along.
Honorable mention…the hammock! No tiny home would be complete in my opinion without a
hammock somewhere in the mix! Nothing quite like listening to the pouring rain or watching
the clouds through the big skylight as you drift in and out of naps in the hammock.
Least Favorite
Hmmmm….not a lot. Hauling water and dealing with a composting toilet are the two big pains
that I’ve learned to just put up with. The hauling of the water I’ve optimistically decided keeps
me in shape and the composting toilet saves water and I NEVER have to worry about
needing to call a plumber! And I suppose, there’s not really room for a hot inside.
Would you change anything?
3 things come to mind for me here. I would have a legitimate composting toilet, not a sawdust
bucket. I would DEFINITELY have gone with a ground level “long ways” water tank under the
sink so that I wouldn’t have to lift the jugs over my head and I wouldn’t have to watch the tank
so closely! And if I’m being picky, I would have installed one more window in the back behind
the fridge. The kitchen areas is a little dark back there but I’ve since gotten creative with some
mood lighting back there that really brings that part of the house to life.
Would you ever go back to standard size living? What would you miss most?
Perhaps. It would have to be an incredibly spot on and unique living situation that I simply
could not turn down. But probably not leaving the tiny life anytime soon. I think at this point in
my life, I will always find a way to have some version of living tiny at my disposal. Whether
that’s a guest house in the backyard of a standard sized home that will also serve as a taking
space for myself kind of thing if need be. In all probability, it will be some part of my life one
way or the other.