Recently, the legendary Elon Musk hogged the headlines again. Interestingly, it’s not for an out-of-this-world scientific experiment or the release of a new Tesla or SpaceX craft. The multimillionaire, who could afford probably as many houses as he liked, decided to live in a tiny house.
The 400-square-foot home sits Boca Chica, Texas, where his Starbase is. Costing only $50,000, the house is both prefab and foldable.
Indeed, if the likes of Elon have preferred to living in a tiny home, perhaps there’s an itty-bitty part of you that’s maybe asking, “What is it in this type of house that people want it?”
Well, most homeowners will give you a variety of reasons. Many like the sustainability of the design and lifestyle. Others like to downsize and prefer to spend most of their money on something else, like travel. Some are just tired of working tirelessly to pay their mortgage.
But if you truly want to find out yourself what it feels like to live in a tiny house—and whether this lifestyle is for you—here are a few things you should not miss:
1. Parade of Homes
The Northern Wasatch Parade of Homes in Utah is a two-week event that will showcase two things: (1) some of the most beautiful and newly built houses in the Wasatch Front and (2) the smart builders and designers who created them.
This event works like a hop-on, hop-off bus trip. Using a single ticket, you can visit as many houses and developments as you like within the period. Inside, you can walk around, explore the interiors and exteriors, and even chat with some of the organizers and builders to learn more about the houses and the area.
One of the properties that you can see is the tiny home in Davis Technical College found in Lagoon Park. This home is likely not for sale since it’s just a prototype developed by the students. Nevertheless, you can already have some initial feelings about this type of house.
If you have only a limited time, you can check out the images from the Parade of Homes first. This way, you can already narrow down the places you wish to see.
Keep in mind, though, that this isn’t a 24-hour affair. The houses are available from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays and 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays. Moreover, the event is worth $15, which you can buy digitally. However, kids below 4 years old may come for free.
2. Tiny Home Festivals
The home prices in Colorado today are through the roof. According to Zillow, someone who wants to buy a property in the Centennial State should be ready to pay nearly $500,000. It is even more expensive in popular cities like Denver, where homes now sell for about $530,000.
Many potential homeowners in the area or those who want to get out of a hefty mortgage are looking for alternatives, and most eyes are on tiny houses. To orient potential home buyers, Colorado is hosting not just one but a lot of tiny house festivals this year.
The first one is the Colorado Tiny House Festival, which runs from July 10 to 11 in Adams County Fairgrounds. If you can’t catch that, you can wait for August 15 and 16. By then, the tiny homes will be at Henderson Road in Brighton. The People’s Tiny House Festival is also scheduled between July 17 and 18 at Jeffco Fairgrounds in Golden.
The festivals are usually not for free, but they’re cheap. Moreover, besides houses, participants can also enjoy good food, free music, and lots of learning straight from the tiny house experts, particularly the homeowners.
3. Tiny House Hotels and Airbnbs
To walk around a tiny house is one thing. To live in it even for a while is another. Usually, when you do the latter, you can experience more effectively the pros and cons of tiny home living.
You have two options: book a tiny house hotel or pick a tiny home Airbnb. The former are scattered across the United States, where these homes are legal. The latter is more difficult to find unless you use the More Filters option when booking. If you scroll down, you will find Unique Stays that lists camper/RV as one of the choices.
Tiny houses are not for everyone. However, you will not know if this is truly meant—or not—for you unless you see it with your own eyes and get to live in it even for a short time. Go on a search and understand their significance.
