{"id":26247,"date":"2021-08-29T12:20:52","date_gmt":"2021-08-29T19:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=26247"},"modified":"2021-08-29T12:20:52","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T19:20:52","slug":"buyer-truth-behind-tiny-house-living","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-truth-behind-tiny-house-living\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth Behind Tiny House Living: How Four People and Two Pets Live Large in 232 Square Feet"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s something downright adorable about a tiny house. These extra-small homes, stationary or mobile living spaces that range from 100 to 400 square feet<\/a>, are also an appealing option for people eager to live a minimalist lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the internet, you could spend all day looking at tiny house<\/a> floor plans and photos, daydreaming about downsizing your living space and rightsizing your life. But the best way to learn the truth behind tiny house living? Ask someone who lives in a tiny house.<\/p>\n

On that note, meet Macy Miller, a tiny living enthusiast and advocate who shares a 232-square-foot home in Idaho with her partner, two kids, a dog, and a cat. She\u2019s lived in her tiny home for nearly a decade and has watched the tiny house movement grow from one cloaked in obscurity to celebrated on HGTV.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust the whole tone around tiny homes has changed,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s almost cool and popular, which is not what it was 10 years ago. But it is a good way to live. Cream rises to the top, in my opinion, and I wouldn\u2019t change it for the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (Macy Miller of MiniMotives.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A tiny house origin story<\/h2>\n

Miller has not always been a tiny house dweller. Before she made the transition, she lived in a 2,500-square-foot Boise, Idaho, house, making it just a bit larger than the 2,261 square feet<\/a> that 2020 U.S. Census data says is the median size of a single-family home. But she hated it from the start. With three unused bedrooms, it was simply too large. Her monthly utility bills only added insult to injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy utility bills used to be $600 a month, for heating and cooling for space I barely used,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Then came a global financial crisis, a divorce, and Miller\u2019s desire to avoid taking on a large mortgage. Miller, who was educated and trained as an architect, decided to use her skills to design and build a tiny house for less than $12,000, a journey<\/a> she chronicled on her website, MiniMotives.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She started construction in 2011 on a 196-square-foot house that could accommodate two adults and a Great Dane. In June 2013, she moved in, thinking it would be her primary residence only for a short time. But it turned out to be a good fit, and nearly a decade later, she still calls her tiny house home.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just flowed,\u201d she says. \u201cIt just made so much more sense for my life than that 2,500-square-foot house did.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tiny house tour<\/h2>\n

One of the things that attracted Miller to tiny house living was the mobility of it. When she set out to build her tiny home, she put it on a gooseneck trailer, which came in handy when her family relocated from Boise to Moscow, Idaho (more on that later).<\/p>\n

On her website, Miller recently posted a video tour<\/a> of her home, which starts in the living room, containing a couch and a TV \u2014 and Denver, the Great Dane. \u201cDenver wants to be within 3 feet of me at all times, which works out well in a tiny house,\u201d Miller tells HomeLight.<\/p>\n

Next to the living room, and up some stairs, is the sleeping loft Miller shares with her partner, James. Beside the loft and throughout the house, discrete storage areas hide items like winter coats, holiday decorations, and kids\u2019 games.<\/p>\n

A galley kitchen includes counter space, shelving for dishware, a sink, stove, refrigerator, and microwave. It\u2019s also where the washer\/dryer is located. The house\u2019s one bathroom has a large shower, a sink and a composting toilet.<\/p>\n

At the rear of the house, what was originally a patio is now the bedroom for Miller\u2019s two children, ages 7 and 5. When her second child was born, Miller enclosed the patio to create a bedroom with a bunk bed-like arrangement, increasing the size of the house by 36 square feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s four people in 232 square feet, but we get along pretty well,\u201d Miller says. In fact, she credits the smaller space with creating deeper family bonds.<\/p>\n

\"Bunk<\/a>
Source: (Macy Miller of MiniMotives.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Making a big move<\/h2>\n

Like many tiny home dwellers, Miller\u2019s journey has included significant zoning and location challenges. Her home\u2019s initial location was a residential area in Boise. Since Boise\u2019s zoning rules did not allow for a house her size, Miller spoke to her neighbors first to make sure they were ok with her being in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

Boise was her family\u2019s home for nearly five years. Then, the family took to the road for a year in a 84-square-foot camper to tour the National Park system \u2014 but that\u2019s a whole different story! When they returned, they decided Boise was no longer a good fit.<\/p>\n

In May 2019, the family purchased a 6-acre plot of land in Moscow, Idaho, about 300 miles north of Boise. They relocated their tiny house and have begun creating a homestead. About a year ago, Miller\u2019s tiny house finally received legal status, through a conditional use permit that gives her property the official zoning designation of a single-space RV park.<\/p>\n

\u201cI much prefer being legal,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Going off grid<\/h2>\n

The move also gave Miller the opportunity to achieve another personal goal: going off grid. While much more challenging than the steps an average homeowner takes to connect to the municipal grid, going off grid can significantly lower utility costs.<\/p>\n

Most of Miller\u2019s tiny house\u2019s power comes from solar energy, obtained through a 2,500-watt solar array. They also have a backup generator that they use a couple times a year. To survive Idaho winters, the family alternates between three heat sources: an electric mini split, an electric convection heater, and a gas heater.<\/p>\n

To maintain a water supply, they built a shed next to their house that stores about 900 gallons of water (as well as extra food items, toiletries, and work space for Miller and James). They also built a barn nearby, with a slanted roof that enables them to collect rainwater from the sky.<\/p>\n

As for internet access, they use a mobile hotspot. \u201cIt works great, and then we both operate our business from home, so, so far, so good,\u201d Miller says.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
Source: (Macy Miller of MiniMotives.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A minimalist approach to life<\/h2>\n

On her video tour through her home, Miller points out the family\u2019s four coffee mugs \u2014 one for each person. \u201cWe have four forks, and four spoons,\u201d she says in an interview. \u201cThat\u2019s just how we roll. It\u2019s great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a look through the many blogs, websites, and Instagram accounts dedicated to tiny house living, and it\u2019s clear that the housing choice is not just about square footage. It\u2019s a way of life. For many people, being so constrained by what they can buy and store would be a challenge. But Miller has embraced the lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been a minimalist since the day it was born, so it was an easy transition,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Living in a tiny house makes it financially possible for her to homeschool her kids and for the family to spend more time together, she says. She gets to pick the projects she works on, like writing about tiny house living and connecting with other tiny house enthusiasts through her Facebook group, Tiny House People<\/a>, which has more than 45,000 members.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we were still living in a suburb, I\u2019d have 20 years on my mortgage still,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Slightly bigger plans for the future<\/h2>\n

The tiny house is not her forever home, Miller says. She and James have discussed plans to build a passive house on their property. It will still be small, about 600 to 800 square feet, but it will give her kids enough space to have their own bedrooms by the time they are teenagers. The tiny house isn\u2019t going anywhere, however. Miller says they would like to rent it out to give other people the experience of tiny house living.<\/p>\n

For now, though, it works for Miller and her family, which as of last summer also includes Ginger the orange tabby. They continue to enhance the house and their Moscow property, ongoing work that Miller chronicles on her Instagram account, @whatifworkshopIdaho<\/a>. One project on the docket for next summer: building a covered outdoor seating area.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Source: (Macy Miller of MiniMotives.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advice from an experienced tiny house resident<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no question that a tiny house is not the right choice for everyone, Miller says. A lot of people would not be able to handle living in such a small space, let alone with others. When she speaks to people about making the transition, they often cite barriers as to why they cannot make it work. Her encouragement? Keep an open mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cLiving in a tiny house is not about limiting what you want from life; it\u2019s about getting real clear about it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Write down what\u2019s important to you, then decide how to fit it into your life, she says. \u201cAnything is possible in a tiny house,\u201d she says. \u201cIf you give a little here, you might have to take a little there. And you just have to find a balance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remember: You can think of your move into a tiny house as a stepping stone. It doesn\u2019t have to be your forever house, she says. Even those who do not want to downsize can still \u201cappreciate living lighter\u201d \u2014 and all the benefits that come with that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe cannot keep up with the Joneses. They don\u2019t exist. And yet we all try,\u201d says Miller.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it\u2019s really freeing once we buck that system.\u201d<\/p>\n

A tiny house of one\u2019s own<\/h3>\n

If Miller\u2019s tiny house, and her tiny house lifestyle, sound appealing, then maybe it\u2019s time for you to live larger by turning tiny. A top-rated HomeLight agent can help, whether you\u2019re looking for 300 square feet or 3,000. Get in touch<\/a>, and we can help you appreciate the little things in life.<\/p>\n

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