The tiny house trend is a social movement and everyone and their mother is jumping on the bandwagon. It’s all about, you guessed it, downsizing and living with (much) less…

As home prices and living costs in general keep increasing, many are living by the mantra of “less is more” and moving into very small spaces.

Although a small home is essential if you want to actually be a part of this trend, it’s about much more than where you live, and those of us who live in regular spaces can also learn some lessons from the tiny house movement.

So what is the tiny house movement?

Whether you choose to live in a built structure or a movable home (yes, we mean a mobile set up like a van or trailer), is up to you. And although that might not seem ideal to those currently living in large homes, there are definitely many advantages to downsizing. You’ll spend less money on home maintenance, you’ll have more freedom to move around, a lock-up-and-go setup is hassle free and, the best part, it’s beneficial for the environment and has loads of potential for environmentally friendly supplies.

We bet you’re wondering “just how small is small”, right? Well, think around 35-50 square meters and you have yourself a tiny house.

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This is where the whole “less is more” line of thinking comes in: it’s all about quality over quantity

Less space means you’ll have to be more conscious about what you buy, because, let’s face it, there might just not be a spot for that coffee table you’ve been eyeing. This, of course, leads to less consumption, spending less cash on material items you don’t actually need and in essence having more of that cash to spend on experiences.

 

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The 30-foot Oceanside by Handcrafted Movement (@handcraftedmovement) was designed with a downstairs bedroom and bedroom loft with stairs access. The home features a bright white interior with blue and oak accents. . View more pictures and details through our profile link or visit tinyliving.com! . #tinyliving #tinyhouseliving #tinyhouse #tinyhouses #tinyhome #tinyhomes #tinyhousemovement #tinyhousenation #tinyparadise #tinyhouselove #tinyhouseonwheels #tinyhomeonwheels #smallhomes #simpleliving #diynetwork #hgtv #tinyhousebigliving #tinyhousebuild #tinyhousebuilders #tinyhousehunters #tinyluxury #tinyhousecommunity #houses #sustainablehome #tinyspaces #livingsmall #cabins #lessismore #cabinlife #tinyhouselife

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What about South Africa?

Although this trend hasn’t launched as widely in South Africa as in the USA and Europe, there are many who are embracing the benefits. Container homes and retail spaces are popping up everywhere and make a great alternative to expensive-to-construct buildings.

One South African has taken the tiny home trend to a whole new level. Garth Ensley is an artist who is living the sustainable life in the Garden Route. He’s passionate about the tiny house movement, lives in a mobile home and has his own YouTube channel documenting his lifestyle.

Another South African living in a tiny home is Cindy Alfino, a blogger who packed up her whole family (husband AND three kids) and is traveling the country in a camper van which will be their home for a year. You can follow Cindy’s adventures on Instagram

 

 

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Day 50 – Coffee Bay to Maclear 1. After packing up the van we waited and waited and waited for the mechanic. And then realised that 10 minutes means something very different in Johannesburg vs Cape Town vs Coffee Bay. Eventually we took matters into our own hands and with the help of the guys at Sugarloaf, we managed to get sorted. 2. We left at around 12.30 but made it to Maclear in good time (3 hours according to Google maps but closer to 4 and a bit hours in real life). 3. Managed to miss most of the potholes and Optimus did really well, even on an unexpected mountain pass! 4. There is something magical about driving in to a new place in golden hour – everything just looks so inviting and promising. As opposed to driving in in the dark where it feels ominous and scary. 5. This camp site is freaking beautiful. Like seriously amazing, just wow. The pictures don’t do it justice. They never do. 6. The bathroom is something from my nightmares though. It’s clean and everything but the walls are stone and roof is rough wooden poles. It’s basically a spiders paradise! 7. Uprooting our lives every few days is weird. I hate move days. Before this adventure, the furthest I’d driven was Paarl… I’m not what you’d call a natural driver, but like with many other things in this trip, I’m stretching myself and growing my ability to cope with things I don’t enjoy. Anyways, what I was saying is that I don’t like move days, the driving, the finding the place, the settling into that place, the getting used to the new set up (ablutions, shops, petrol etc). But at the same time, after 6 days in Coffee Bay I was itching to leave. I think for us 5 nights in one spot is probably the longest ideal time. 8. We have run out of all fresh food. Our fridge is empty. We’re going Grandpa (from Grandpa’s Great Escape) and about to eat everything we have in the cupboard – bring on the spam Ala custard. 9. Tomorrow we’re going in search of a shop for food and a pair of pants without holes in them for the snow we’re praying to see in Lesotho at the end of the week!

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What do you think? The tiny home trend might not be for everyone, but it definitely has an appeal we can’t ignore. If you’d like to try your own tiny home, Umnyama Ikhaya converts shipping containers into eco-friendly, off-the-grid tiny homes!