Going Tiny: 3 Things to Consider Before You Move
Photo by Stephanie Renee Cluff on Unsplash
If you’re like me and you enjoy small bursts of YouTube entertainment, chances are you’ve come across a tiny home build that has left you dreaming of life on the road. Whether it’s a tiny house on wheels (as is all the current rage) or it’s van life, bus conversions, or even full-time RV’ing - there seems to be a collective desire for simpler, mobile living.
Perhaps you’re inspired by the idea of having a home on wheels that can be planted on a beautiful patch of land - either permanently or month-to-month; perhaps your rent or mortgage is too high and you’re looking for alternatives to the regular grind; or perhaps you’re simply tired of the clutter that comes with having so many things packed into your home and you’re itching for adventure!
Whatever your reason for seriously considering this kind of transition, whether it’s from a full home or from apartment living, I truly believe that once you’ve determined that this is financially obtainable to you, there are 3 things that you can start doing even before you’ve signed off on the down payment to your new home and lifestyle.
Consider if Tiny Living Really Makes the Most Sense For You (Both Financially and as a Lifestyle Change): Budget, budget, budget. My partner and I could talk all day and night about our tiny living dreams, but until we broke down how much money was coming in versus how much money would be going out using various potential criteria, we had no idea what we could truly handle.
You have to do the online search and make the phone calls about where to park your new home. You need to figure out if that location is close enough to your job or if you need to consider new employment. There are concrete numbers that you need to see on a spreadsheet that will help materialize the dreams you have floating in the air.
Once you have those numbers in front of you, be realistic about what you can afford to give yourself and what you can’t. Can you spare a few months of not working while you travel for a bit? Can you be ok with getting various part-timers as you travel? Uncertainty is not something to shun - you should get comfortable with it if you’re making these big changes. Do your best to plan but don’t get discouraged if something doesn’t work out right away (more on that later).
When it comes to which is best between a tiny house, van life, or an RV - there are many factors involved that depend heavily on what is ultimately best for you and your family. Here is a helpful first glimpse at what to expect about each of those three mobile options as you continue to do your own research.
For our family, my partner and I initially dreamt of a tiny house on wheels that could be built in Newport, TN (see Incredible Tiny Homes) and be easily transported a short distance to Asheville, NC, where we eventually dream of living. Our initial idea was to buy a property we could both live in and rent out of - but both our duplex idea and our single-family home turned partial-airbnb went down the tube within a month of truly pursuing that path.
We then decided we’d look for land and put our tiny house on it, eventually creating another tiny home community like that of the existing and well established Acony Bell in Mills River, NC, south of Asheville.
With everything that’s gone on in the world recently, however, our original quote for a tiny home build (with customizations) went up $20k (without the customizations) in just 7 months. Not only that, estimates for the completion of tiny-home builds everywhere are (as of this writing) between 6-12 months.
Because of the situation my partner and I were in - our home was ready for closing before we could secure our new living situation - we decided we would become renters for a few months. Having one month to pack a spacious 1,243 sq. ft. home holding a decades worth of two adults’ stuff - it was daunting as heck to be out by closing day. Read on for help in avoiding some of the struggles we went through.
Consider How Many of Your Things You Actually Use Day-to-Day: Really start paying attention to the things you use and the rooms you frequent the most in your home.
For my partner and I, we spent considerable time lounging between our recliner and our computers. Between the two of us, we have various hobbies that include painting (both oils and acrylics), electronic keyboards, skates, camping gear, and other project gadgets.
Personally, I don’t consider myself as having an extremely excessive closet, but no matter how modest you think you live - tiny living will, ironically, push your boundaries.
Some things were easy to part with - old clothes that were like new that were donated, old movies and trinkets got donated as well, extra camping gear that we gifted to family and friends who were interested. Some things were not as easy, at least for me. Things that held sentimental value - I had to decide if it was worthy of storage space, or if converting it to a ‘pictured memento’ was enough.
Knowing what I know now, after making 2 drastic moves within one month, I can tell you that you probably have multiple pieces of PJs that you don’t actually need. You have half a closet that you will not miss. You have plenty of items to keep you warm in the winter months, and you don’t need all 6 jackets hanging in your closet to do so.
Out of sight really is out of mind. I’ve heard it said many times before, but you really can live with a lot less than what is currently stored in your home. When we finally moved out of the house and into the apartment, exhaustion and a cramped space really put into perspective how much suffering came over trying to save so many things. What once fit in the home now seemed bulky in the apartment; what once was such a convenience now felt like such a nuisance taking up precious floor space. And once we let go of things that truly no longer served us, I can attest that we really, finally felt more free.
Consider WHY You Want to “Go Tiny”: This is the most fundamental consideration, which is why I left it for last so that it stays the most fresh in your mind.
Your why is what is going to get you through the tough times ahead.
When you actually start putting things in moving boxes and get frustrated with having to make extra runs to the store to buy more boxes; when you feel so cramped in your new small space that you feel dejected and want to abandon all plans; when you go to bed in your new home thinking it was so dumb of you to trade everything you knew and all the comforts you enjoyed for so many unknowns.
Your why is what will shift your focus - it’s what you’ll have to come back to in order to stay the course, to remember what you first hoped to gain from this change rather than what you are currently missing.
Some of our big whys involve wanting cooler weather and seasons, wanting to live in the mountains, wanting acreage to grow our own food and build a community, wanting a slower paced and affordable lifestyle. And our deepest why relates to the desire to give our future children a healthy, wild, memorable and sustainably secure childhood. We want them to enjoy playing outdoors (looking at you, unbearable South Florida heat), we want them to look forward to hikes and camping, to enjoy growing and picking food with us.
Your why will pull you into the future you truly desire, while your fears, doubts, and worries will only keep you stagnant. There’s a time and place to do things cautiously and be smart going about decisions - but keep moving forward. Rest assured there will be bumps - but after each one there are new possibilities, new paths that will lead you to the next and the next and the next.
Life is unfolding exactly as it should be.
What I know now, I once had no clue about.
And so what I don’t know now will be revealed to me in time.
Until that time, I shall choose to move ever forward.
Keep this little mantra in mind if that panic starts to take over. And I highly suggest getting a good-night’s rest - situations that seemed so dire and impossible the night before have a way of becoming malleable and clear the next morning.
Be easy on yourself, take your time doing all your research, and let your dreams guide you. We have this one life to live, and if you’ve the good fortune of your health, make the time and effort to see this through.
Every time I shared an update about my plans, I kept saying “this is nuts.” When we finally got our RV travel trailer and parked it in our reserved spot, I thought “they’re letting us do this without adult supervision?” When I laid my head on the pillow that first night, I thought “omg, what did we do?”
I took two deep breaths and recalled how we’ve been talking about moving for years. I reminded myself that this is what it actually looks and feels like to leave the comforts you know for the dreams you want to realize. I remembered all of my whys, because without them our life would mean staying in a place with a future that is not viable to us. While there are many brilliant people making South Florida a lovely, enjoyable place to be, but I think about words that naturalist John Muir wrote to his sister - “The mountains are calling and I must go...” The mountains are where we want to place roots, nurture the earth, and nourish our bodies and souls with fresh food and wholesome living.
With love, Emi.
