Why I Don’t want a Tiny House.

Tiny houses are all the rage, are they not?! And I love them! But I don’t want to live in one.

Lots of people have asked us recently if we’re planning on a tiny house. We are in a transitional season right now. We sold our homestead in Florida, and we’re renting a townhouse in Washington while we save for land and most likely self-building our home.

So the question of tiny house living naturally comes up.

Retro-fit a bus! Retro-fit a shed! Build a cheap tiny home! 

All from people who aren’t living tiny 😉

I get it though, it makes sense, it would get us our homestead dreams faster. True. And it seems like just the counter-cultural thing our family would dive head first into. And yet…I absolutely don’t want a tiny house.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the minimalist movement. I crave the simplicity that comes from a more minimalist lifestyle. And truth be told, the idea of a tiny house has it’s appeal. But when I think about my real priorities, a tiny house just doesn’t fit the bill.

Now, I’m not saying I want a mansion. Not at all, I hate cleaning way too much for that! But a “tiny” house?? Nope.

I value personal space.

I come from what the modern American culture would call a “large” family – though I would never classify it as such at a mere four children 😉 And now with my own family of 5, you know what, sometimes a person needs some personal space! Sometimes it’s necessary that there be more than one bathroom in the house. Just sayin’.

Especially as a homeschooling family, we have NO lack of family time. So I don’t see a need for tiny house living to force that to happen for us. Having space for everyone to have some time apart…it’s just healthy in my opinion. At least for our family. (don’t worry, we love each other and love being together…but we have a household full of big personalities! And space is helpful!)

I value hospitality.

Apart from those mental health requirements, I want an inviting space to have friends and family over. Like, you know, enough space for everyone to sit down at a giant table, for us all to gather around to enjoy a wholesome meal and a card game. Simple things really, and they outweigh my desire for “minimalism”.

I have this dream of a 20 person farm table, where we can all gather together with family friends for dinner. Or where my someday adult kids and their spouses and kids can sit together for a family dinner – no kids table necessary! Mark my words – this will happen one day 🙂

What about energy efficiency?

The other reason people build tiny homes is for energy efficiency, off grid, “green building”…and I think that’s so admirable. But I don’t believe you HAVE to build a tiny home in order to make it all of those things. Trust me, my husband has big plans for building our home one day with lots of energy efficiency and off grid capabilities.

Verdict = Traditional home for us!

Tiny house living is fantastic for some. And we actually plan on having one on our property one day for family or friends to visit. But for this season of our lives, and our family’s values…a traditional home is what we dream of.

So will we be living in a tiny home? No. Do I think tiny homes are awesome? Yes, for the right people, I think they are great. I just don’t think they are for everyone – our family included.