7 Reasons Why a Tiny Home May Not Work for You

A wood paneled tiny home in the forest

Tiny homes are all the rage and it’s fun to consider the possibility of simplifying your life in favor of a small space. But tiny living is challenging and definitely not for everyone. You might think you’ve considered all the reasons why you should make the switch, but you should also think about why a tiny home may not be for you.

1. You Need Personal Space

Even if you’re a people person, you likely enjoy time alone. On the other hand, if you’re not a people person, you might not even like to have your closest family members around. You have to decide for yourself, but be honest about whether you could share the space equivalent to a hotel room with your spouse, kids, or even your pets. There’s no room for a man cave or a craft room to escape to when your partner wants to watch TV. Being able to focus might be an issue, and there is no compromising when you just want to be left alone. Can you keep your sanity with almost non-existent personal space?

2. You Enjoy Entertaining

Friends at a dinner party

Maybe your tiny home is located next to a scenic backdrop with temperate weather year round, but we’re guessing that’s probably not the case. The outdoors is often a pertinent part of the living space when it comes to tiny living and that is never more true than when you are entertainingmostly because you don’t have a choice. If you enjoy having friends gather at your house and outdoor space isn’t likely, tiny living might not be for you. After all, if you can’t carve out a spot for cooking, serving, and mixing cocktails, it will be a challenge to host game night.

3. You Like Your Stuff

Minimalism is a romantic dream, but you might not find it nearly as rewarding as you hope. While some people have it in their nature to own and use very few items, most of us have grown used to more stuff and larger spaces. It’s true that tiny homes can incorporate unique storage and other design elements, but the reality is that you will need to purge 90% of your belongings. Think less than 30 total clothing items, a few towels, no kitchen gadgets, minimal dishware, and duplicates of nothing. It’s okay if getting rid of all your stuff gives you hives. It just means that tiny living might not be for you.

4. It’s Illegal

Attempt to check with the authorities in your area and you’re likely to be bounced from one department to another. That’s because the policy development surrounding tiny homes has not kept up with the growth of the tiny community, leaving most officials wondering what the laws are exactly. In short, though, full-time living in a tiny house is illegal is most cities in the country. While you might get away with it on a family member’s property, street parking will likely bring you troubles.

5. You Don’t Like Financial Risk

A piggy bank, coins, and a hammer

There are a slew of reasons that tiny homes are a bad financial decision. First of all, they do not come with land, which is often the major portion of the asset when it comes to home ownership. So now you only have a small accommodation on wheels that will likely devalue like a travel trailer rather than increase in value like traditional homes.

Plus, even if you are able to get a loan, which is unlikely, you’re probably going to pay high rates for the privilege. That’s because mortgage lenders want to fund homes built to code by professionals and they see tiny homes as a deflating asset to take on. Building the tiny home yourself can save a bunch of dough if you have the time and the skills, but you will likely be shocked to find out that having someone build your tiny home for you can cost nearly as much as traditional housing in your area.

6. It May Not Be Safe

Tiny homes are often not built to the same code standards as a traditional home, leaving the question about safety in the face of extreme weather. While your tiny home can likely handle typical wind and rain, high gusts could rip off roofing, break windows, or lead to leaks. Plus, tiny homes are not anchored to a foundation so you’d be facing evacuation if a tornado comes to town.

7. It’s a Short-term Plan

By definition, tiny homes don’t allow room for growth. That means it’s a potentially incomprehensible challenge to start a family in your tiny space. You also probably won’t have room to acquire new things, take on a hobby, or add pets. At best, most tiny home situations end up being short term, which could be a great solution for you if you’re not the type to concern yourself with deep roots.