Luxury and the “Tiny House” Movement

There is an interesting movement taking place in the housing market, it’s a new niche called “Tiny Homes”.  Made all the more popular by TV shows such as Tiny House Hunters, Tiny House, Big Living, and even Tiny Luxury.

While some may be sceptical of the longevity of this niche, terming it a fad, there does seem to be more substance to this growing market than first meets the eye. Look more closely and you might also be surprised by the level of sophisticated and luxurious options available in the market today!

What is a Tiny House?

Usually around 500 square feet or less the tiny house offers its inhabitants optimized space for those who want micro living, an ease of maintenance, heating & cooling cost savings, as well as a smaller building footprint.

Before you think that living in this tiny dwelling is not feasible note that in 1978 the average single-family home size was only 1,700 sq ft, against today’s 2,700 sq ft. While this is still a sizeable difference, perhaps it’s not as big as you think, especially when you see the space efficient architectural and creative design techniques applied.

Why are people choosing Tiny Homes?

These tiny houses are becoming a growing a trend for those who do not want the space and costs of running a traditional style house. Instead these homeowners are ready to realign their budget to spend it on the luxury comforts and flexibility that comes with building a custom, sometimes mobile, little home.

Of the multitude of reasons why people choose to buy a tiny home the most common are environmental sustainability, affordability and transportability.  These homeowners translate it to the concept of living in a luxurious studio apartment, but with the freedom of owning a free-standing home that can be placed in the location of their choice.

Multi-functionality attracts the Affluent

Although many people love the idea of a tiny house, they don’t really want to restrict their total living space to just 500 square feet. However, affluent buyers have started to find additional uses for these petite dwellings! Everything from a guest house, home office, studio, mother-in-law suite, to a rental property or a luxury cabin getaway.

Cabins in the Wood become Luxury Getaways to the Country

Although these small structures only make up less than 1% of real estate transactions in the US, this niche is now attracting significant developer attention. Take Retreat by Oakstone, their first Tiny Home community of 48 luxury cabins sold in less than 3 weeks. Their second community set in 95 acres has over 70% of its 130 lots with pre-launch deposits.

Jack Miller of Parks Realty, Nashville explains the attraction of why he not only became their Brand Ambassador but purchased his very own tiny home.

“For many folks who live in the city a quick escape to the country for the weekend is a great option.  Our first two Retreat Communities offer not only easy access (less than 90 mins away from Nashville) but provide a sense of being a world away.  Each tiny home is allocated its own beautifully wooded lot (some as large as 2-3 acres!) but the luxurious designer cabins in harmony with the surrounding nature is absolutely stunning”.

These photos show a variety of luxury, contemporary and modern styles, that simply break our perception of what we traditionally think of as a cabin in the woods!  Tiny can indeed be luxurious.

Craftsmanship Returns

In this day of mass production, this new niche is breaking all the rules with its demand for ‘master craftsmanship’.  Attention to detail, design and architectural specifications require incredible precision to ensure that they conform with housing regulations and legislation. This is even more important when these tiny homes are designed to include granite countertops, porcelain tubs, top of the range kitchen appliances and incredible interior designs with custom furniture – now add on the transportability factor for those want their home on wheels!

Usually many tiny house floor plans tend to feel … well tiny. Orientation in a floor plan can be critical in achieving the feeling of a larger room or could spell disaster, creating a space that is physically narrow and visually unappealing. So, today’s designers are creating a much larger space than is actually taken up by the building footprint. Large tall windows and open balcony spaces make tiny homes not only feel larger but help facilitate natural circulation of heating and cooling.  These larger vertical spaces also help incorporate modern amenities and storage.

Given the expanding market for recreation, lifestyle, bringing the outside in and open concept living, tiny houses certainly have added a new dimension. This concept is still in its infancy, so ‘watch this space’ as great things lie ahead for this little dwelling.

If you are considering buying a tiny home, then you may want to consider working with one of our Members, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialists, who offer a deep understanding of their local market and can also help you understand the opportunities available in your immediate area.