Ever since 2008 when tiny homes became all the rage for people looking to spend more time with their family and less time on maintenance and home costs, I’ve been so in love with the various styles available. Some people say that living in a small home is hard. Perhaps if you have a large family, but having a tiny house has plenty of advantages.
- Tiny homes are less expensive to buy/build
- Tiny homes cost considerably less to operate since you are only heating/cooling a small area
- Easy to clean – in an hour or two you can clean your entire home top to bottom
- Tiny homes give you the ability to spend more time on living and activities and less time worrying about bills
- You can take them anywhere
There are so many options available to you to make a small home more livable. We put together some helpful and easy tips to help you start your tiny home journey.
GET RID OF ALL YOUR UNWANTED STUFF
Decluttering is the first thing you need to do to make your tiny house more livable. Do you really need 6 different slotted spoons for cooking? Go through all of your belongings and put away things that you no longer use or need. If you haven’t used it in the past six months, you won’t use it in the next. Check your closets, cabinets, other storage areas, and keep only the necessities. If some of your belongings are still in good condition, you can either donate them to Goodwill, a women’s shelter, or hold a garage sale.
If you have a husband who is a packrat like mine, you’ve probably got some waste materials floating around. This is an ideal way to make extra cash out of your trash. For example, you can bring your scrap metal to copper recycling companies and get paid. Aside from scrap metal, you can also recycle your used water bottles, cardboard boxes, etc. You would be surprised at how good you will feel about recycling your trash and making your home more livable!
HAVE PROPER STORAGE
When it comes to making your tiny house habitable, this is where being a minimalist comes in handy. It’s easy to keep your belongings organized when you are a minimalist. If you aren’t though, ensure that you have enough storage space for your items. Think of space-saving solutions that will best suit your home and your lifestyle. There are options such as built-in cabinets, hanging shoe racks, creating drawers that slide under your bed or the stairs, and under seating areas as well.
UPGRADE YOUR COMFORT LEVEL
Just because you are going the minimalist route and downsizing your belongings and your home, does not mean you need to compromise when it comes to comfort! So many people think you can’t have comfort in a tiny home. You can make your home as comfortable as can be, and pay special attention to your bedroom area. Install welcoming light fixtures. Invest in soft throw pillows for your couch and comfy pillows and bedding. Good quality window treatments can also help make your home feel cozy, as well as giving you the privacy you need and prevent harsh sunlight from coming in.
By following these simple tips, your tiny home will look fabulous and become a comfortable, livable space to enjoy with family and friends. Your home may be tiny, but with a little creativity, your small abode could be better than any large, grandiose home could ever be. Your home is your pride, and making these small changes and improvements will go a long way!
All of the tiny home photos in this post are courtesy of ne Kindesign
