I’m a tiny home specialist – how to stop your dream life as a minimalist from turning into a nightmare
KARI Cooper thought she had everything planned out perfectly for her tiny home adventure.
She already made the decision to swap her 850-square-foot, New Jersey apartment into one which measured just 220 square feet.
At that time, in 2011, the tiny homes movement was very much in its infancy, but Kari was already spreading the gospel about the advantages of downsizing and its financial benefits.
She knew what she wanted – or at least she thought she did.
“I was talking in a lecture about how I was sure that I was going to have a loft bedroom, and then I got up in one, turned around and went to go down the stairs,” she told The U.S. Sun.
“But then I realized because I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom all the time, I was probably gonna murder myself if I had a loft.
“I’ve learned right away by getting inside one that that was not gonna work in my tiny house. “
Kari stresses the importance of planning for anyone contemplating downsizing.
After deciding just how tiny you want to go, careful thought has to go into who else will be living in the space and what their needs are.
“I had to have a ground floor that my son could grow up with. So if you get inside, you can find out what you can live with and what really works with you,” added Kari.
Kari often spends two weeks at a time, off-grid in her yurt – a large, tent like structure – and so knows exactly how to minimize.
While living in a yurt full-time isn’t an option, she can easily store the 16-foot abode in the back of her car, therefore adding another option to how she lives her life.
Any prospective tiny homes owner has similar choices before they take the plunge, such as the kind of property chosen, whether its on wheels or not, the location, the amenities installed and much more.
As an ever increasing number of construction companies jump on the tiny home bandwagon, the quality of the products will only improve.
While cut-price options are readily available, for those willing to buy ready-made houses, prices can range upwards of $60,00 for completely finished models.
Some retailers, meanwhile, have affordable lines of ready built frames – like those on sale at 84 Lumber – which allow the owner to start from scratch, if they so desire.
Whatever you choose, the independence of a new, tiny life cannot be underestimated, according to Kari.
“You can live how you want, ” she says. “There’s so much customization available today to make it just exactly how you want your dreamhouse to be.”
“I think people are really drawn to it, ” Kari added.
“I have a friend that lives in one that’s a revolutionary war house, that has a working pump and a piano. The freedom of being able to create your own space is fantastic.”