How Investing In A Tiny House Can Create Financial Independence In The Future Investing. There are those of us who are risk adverse in the stock market, those who see the opportunity to invest in the stock market and those of us who bury our heads and avoid the stock market altogether. There’s a case for each I suppose.   Deciding to go tiny would certainly fall in the same category for many people. It’s too risky for some, some of us see the opportunity it creates for our future, and some choose not to recognize it as a possibility at all. However, if you’re reading this magazine I’d ven ..read more

We all have to admit there is not much room in a tiny house. What is not being taken up by our own bodies or the bodies of our families or fur-children, needs to be taken up by the rest of our stuff. This stuff can quickly start to take over the space that we need to live in. We may think all of our things are necessary or beautiful. However, it might be time to think more about if the beautiful things are functional, or the functional things are beautiful. The best of both worlds is to have items with functional beauty. Imagine a coffee maker or electric kettle. Rather than it just being a re ..read more

Brooke lives in a custom 11-foot-wide tiny house with her two sweet cats. She decided to make a major lifestyle change after getting divorced and experiencing burnout as a nurse. Ultimately, this led her to leave big-city life in Phoenix for a simpler life at the LuxTiny community in the White Mountains of Arizona. She’s in Phase 3, which just opened but is in development. Brooke worked closely with LuxTiny Manufacturing to design her park-model tiny house. Her design goals centered on creating an open feeling, her cats’ needs, and room for full-size appliances. So, an extra wide tiny house j ..read more

Over 10 years ago when I still lived in California I had the privilege of becoming acquainted with a company called New Avenue Homes. I with a couple of tiny house friends were invited to speak at a Sunset Magazine event. At this event I met the owner of  New Avenues Homes and toured one of their homes. In a recent email they shared with me a unique 500 square foot prefab ADU that they currently have for sale. This is a special ADU because Sunset Magazine was involved in decorating it and now you can own it if you choose. This ADU includes a kitchen and living area, a bathroom, a laundry ..read more

With affordable housing all but disappearing in states around the nation and alternative living trends continuing to swell, more than Millennials are looking to live in less than 400 square feet. Tiny Cottage Home communities like Simple Life in Flat Rock, NC and Village Farm Austin in Austin, TX, are positioning themselves to attract both active retirees and even professional couple with few children. Even though tiny houses began their ascent into mainstream media more than a decade ago they remained largely underground. But with more and more age groups searching for flexible and affordable ..read more

Cooking with the sun is a unique experience. I’ve used and tested a couple of solar ovens here over the years. This one is really tiny but I’ve also done a review of the Solavore Sport Solar Oven which is quite large. I purchased the GoSun Go on one of their sales. I also have the option to connect it to 12 volt and will do a review to test that in the near future. Each size has their purpose. The GoSun Go is made more for one person and even light enough to take backpacking if you choose. It is great for cooking for one person, a great way to boil water and by solar standards create a quick m ..read more

Over time, the tiny house revolution has grown, and an increasing number of families are choosing to find smaller dwellings to cut down on costs and live more sustainable lives. However, some families may not have joined the tiny house bandwagon because they have several kids and do not think tiny homes will meet their space needs.  While it may not always be easy, there are ways to create fun spaces and lasting memories in a tiny home, and these tips are a great starting point. Designing A Tiny Home With Kids If you have a hand in designing your tiny home, then there are some considerati ..read more

The coffee connoisseurs out there are going to frown at this, but I prefer instant coffee.  Sorry, but not sorry. It seems like every tiny house, van, camper, and trailer owner out there makes a special space in their tiny place for coffee. It can be a coffee station, coffee paraphernalia storage area, coffee grinding gear, or coffee-making counter. The fragrant bean makes an appearance in all of them. I have always loved coffee. I love the smell, the taste, and the feel of the beans in my hands. The roasting process is an art and so is the making of it. There seem to be dozens of ways to ..read more

Since 2014 Tom and Johanna Elsner have been building tiny houses on their farm near Winston-Salem, North Carolina for people who want a small footprint with a sense of style and personalization. The couple genuinely believes in building houses for people who are looking for home. Such is the case with Brian Luce. Having moved to North Carolina about two years ago, Brian was looking for a custom builder to help him create a home that would be sustainable while also comfortable for him and his daughter. It was Tom and Johanna’s warm hearts and honest smiles that convinced him to hire them and it ..read more

Is a tiny house the secret to a stress-free life? Laura LaVoie answers this question in her article this month. Stating  “Not quite. While building your tiny haven, you might actually find your stress levels spiking.” However, simplifying your life in the long run will make your life less stressful. There are many ways to live tiny and Andrew Odom’s Op-Ed this month talks about the option of restoring the homes of the early days of America we have in our towns. By not letting them be torn down and replaced by modern homes we can keep the heart and soul of America and enjoy the benefits by ..read more