One of the many satisfying aspects of building a tiny house is finding that the process is so manageable. No single operation in the building process is very time consuming or costly. None of the steps require a large quantity of material or a major amount of exertion to accomplish. It’s hard to get bogged down building a tiny house because you move so smoothly and quickly from one phase of construction to the next.
The smaller scope of a tiny home project also means that small odd lots of material can be sourced. When you require only 120 square feet of finished flooring, or 2 ½ squares of roofing you can scan the ads for a larger builder’s remnants. We were able to purchase a quantity of 8’ lengths of cedar siding at a discount because a limited quantity was available. Because we’re dealing with more manageable quantities of material we can predict our needs better. We waste less material as a result. These little bits of savings can add up and help offset the cost per square foot, which tends to be higher in a smaller building.
It makes sense that a lot of people who are drawn to the tiny house phenomenon are attracted to it because they see it as a component of a more manageable life. People are finding out that living in a smaller space, with fewer things, and without the strain of a burdensome mortgage and high utility bills, can result in a life with more meaning and freedom. People who live small are discovering that real prosperity lies in living within one’s means, and that in the search for that prosperity size really does matter.