PERFECT HOMES MAGAZINE Issue 14 | Page 147

Tiny Homes for Eco Adventures Rental income opportunities aside, most tiny home owners buy them to live in. It gives them access to a lifestyle that just isn’t possible in a traditional house. For adventurous types, attach your tiny home to your vehicle and use it to travel the country. Another big draw of living in a miniature house is a reduced environmental impact. Tiny homes are incredibly efficient, needing little water or electricity; they also cost less to maintain, renovate and furnish. Moreover, they tend to be built with environment-friendly materials. A number of homeowners choose to go off-the-grid altogether, installing solar panels to their roof. Since the average micro home only has six light bulbs, creating enough electricity is easy. Other eco-friendly options include green rooftops, grey water recycling, even wind-powered generators. Living in such a small space means you consume less and create a smaller carbon footprint – but the downside composting toilets can take some getting used to. Tiny Home, Big Profit Timing is another big factor in the micro home’s rise in popularity. The number of tiny homes grew in leaps and bounds shortly after the last real estate crash, when millions of people simply couldn’t afford to keep and maintain their homes so they simply had to walk away. Not willing to give up the idea of homeownership, some embraced the tiny house. Millennials, who saw the aftereffects of the housing crash, are also attracted to these unconventional dwellings. Living full-time in a tiny house isn’t for everyone and some traditional homeowners use a micro house in addition to their own home. Some use it for guest quarters, others use it for travel. If not needed for personal use, micro homes can be rented out on Airbnb and can bring in additional income. PERFECT HOMES INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE 147