Mansions give way to tiny cabins

The US economy is healthy and growing at a steady pace. You’d think everybody would want to be moving up and into mansions, but it’s just not the case.

If our tiny cabin sales are any indication (and they are — we’ve even been featured on Tiny Nation), tens of thousands of people around the globe are choosing the tiny cabin lifestyle

Clearly, it’s not for everyone; some laugh it off, but for those into it, downsizing, simplifying and being mobile beat a mansion every single time.

According to Kimberly Amadeo, a US economy expert, the 2016 economy will grow slightly faster than 2015’s growth rate of 2.1 percent and home prices will rise at a much slower rate (US Economic Outlook: For 2016 and Beyond).

If it were a couple of decades ago, a home upgrade would look like bigger and better. Interestingly enough, “the cycle of debt in which almost 70 percent of Americans are trapped” and “environmental concerns, financial concerns and the desire for more time and freedom” top the reasons why people are joining the tiny cabin movement, according to a recent post on www.thetinylife.com (What Is The Tiny House Movement? – The Tiny Life).

Our customers seem to be focusing on simplicity and creativity. Most of our customers do not live in their tiny cabin; it’s a hunting cabin, a weekend getaway or a spot for guests to enjoy.

We even had a visit from a local community college exploring housing options for students. Wouldn’t it be great if a college student could have their own, private space, have it paid for and able to move with them when they graduated?

Tiny cabins are considered an “out building” so they usually wind up on a pad of limestone or cement — and easily transportable.

Although we’ve discovered some planning/zoning experts don’t like the “portable” aspect because of issues in the past with these types of buildings falling into disrepair and being abandoned — but not specifically tiny cabins (they’ve been swept up in this bundle of concerns and we don’t expect it to last). Our customers have found it fairly easy to resolve by requesting a variance.

We are moving forward with the college student housing idea because it makes so much sense. The college leaders we’ve talked to think there may be some room to incorporate skilled trades training into the placement and finishing of our tiny cabins — including electrical and carpentry work, and even solar.

The future may hold less debt, less house to maintain, and a lot more freedom for tiny cabin owners.