I Want a Tiny House

Livin' large is not for me. When Ben and I got our first place together, we had just graduated from college and were so excited to be real adults that we rented a 3-story, 1800 square foot townhouse.We had rooms we didn't even use and some that we only used to store junk, so we quickly realized that a house that size wasn't ideal for us. Our next apartment was literally half that size. When we purchased our first home, while everyone else we knew was looking for the most house for the least amount of money, we were more interested in spending whatever we needed to get exactly what we needed - but nothing more. 

Next week, we're downsizing to the smallest place we've ever lived: a 1 bedroom apartment with 725 square feet. The condo we own is 1300 square feet so at first we were nervous about losing so much space, but the closer it gets, the more excited we are. In preparation for our move, I've been getting rid of stuff like it's going out of style. Decluttering. Purging. Simplifying. My ultimate goal is to only have the things that we truly need and use on a regular basis. The more we lighten our load, the better I feel.

{Source}

A few days ago we watched a documentary called Tiny. It explores the lives of people who live in tiny houses, which are generally 100-200 square feet. There are interviews with several tiny housers and the main focus is on a guy who, with the help of his girlfriend, spends about a year building his tiny house.

It was fascinating and exciting to see how these people live. I think this was the first time I've ever watched a documentary about people with extreme views and instead of thinking, "Are these people insane? Do people really watch this and agree with these people?!", I found myself identifying with the (arguably crazy) people on my TV screen. Maybe that says something about my mental state, I'm not sure. But either way, after watching it I felt more inspired than I have in a long time.

I love organization but more than that, I love efficiency. Living in a tiny space requires that they go hand in hand. I love the idea of not only owning just the things I need, but having them serve multiple purposes. In a way, the tiny houses were like a Pinterest dream. They're so well-thought to utilize space in the most efficient way possible.

One serious con for me is that everyone in the film lived either a little or a lot off the grid. I'm a city girl with no interest in living in the middle of nowhere, so I'm gonna have to find a way to work around that. At least the tiny apartment in the city that I plan to have in a few years will help prepare me for when I am ready to move out of the city...and into a tiny house.