By Tim Smith
For many decades, the facade of a huge house and sprawling swimming pool was the ultimate American dream. Fast cars and lucrative salaries were goals for many entrepreneurs, but the trend is certainly changing as more people today understand their impact on the world as a whole. Even the richest people around are looking into tiny houses. The idea behind small-home living is essentially a sustainable lifestyle. Cutting out all the excess means people are enjoying life with less square footage to heat, clean and maintain. But are tiny homes sustainable? Today’s evidence suggests they’re here to stay with a grand future ahead of them.
Heating and Cooling Costs are Minimal
The compact nature of tiny houses makes their heating and cooling needs incredibly low. In fact, you may not need to turn on the furnace during winter at all. Most tiny houses use smart window locations, such as south-facing glass. The sun warms the interior while holding the heat in with a concrete floor as a standard installation. Keep the space cool in the summer with a cross-draft by opening windows and doors.
Make your Own Electricity and Profit
Add solar panels to the roof and see your traditional electricity use drop below zero. The tiny space doesn’t use a lot of electricity to begin with so any extra energy created at the panels is sold to the electrical company for profit. Tiny homes can actually make money off their solar installation with basic conservation, such as turning off unnecessary lights and unplugging needless electronics.
Less Construction Materials, More Repurposed Items
Tiny homes take advantage of local materials that aren’t being used anymore by other buildings. Repurpose perfectly good siding and roofing materials, for instance, instead of requiring brand new materials. Any new materials purchased only increase pollution from their manufacturing process. The fact that the home doesn’t need many materials at all is a sustainable characteristic. You could technically build the structure with used materials and save considerable time, money and possible pollution within the local area.
Forces you to Avoid Clutter
Sustainability is a lifestyle so tiny homes only prompt you to keep that idea alive. When you go shopping, there are many tempting items to purchase that are unnecessary. Because you don’t have a huge home, there’s literally no reason why you need to even consider buying some products. The less products you buy, the less pollution that is forced into the atmosphere from manufacturing them.
Holds Answers to Housing for Everyone
Being sustainable means being environmentally responsible. When people have a home to cherish, they take more care of their property and surrounding land. Tiny homes give more people a chance to own property and build a sustainable lifestyle, helping the entire community to be healthier than before.
If you get a chance to walk through a tiny house, take the opportunity no matter how busy you are. You’ll notice space is used with intelligent organization around each corner. Imagine yourself buying the place to reduce your carbon footprint and make a difference in the world.
