Even if you’ve lived most of your life in a regular-sized house, it’s possible to build a tiny home and survive on a homestead.

However, before you grab your bags and try tiny house living, you need to understand one thing. Like prepping and homesteading, living in a tiny home requires research and preparation. (h/t to MDCreekmore.com.)

What is tiny house living?

Tiny houses refer to homes that are only about 100 to 400 square feet, which is a drastic reduction compared to a traditional family home that often measures around 2,000 square feet or more. These smaller and simpler homes usually have the basic necessities like a bathroom, a kitchen with appliances, a living space, and a sleeping space.

Depending on the homeowner, these spaces can be either as bare or as modern as you want them to be. Tiny house living involves utilizing every inch and getting multiple uses from every item in the house. For example, kitchen tables can also be used as desks.

You can even keep self-defense weapons stored behind your headboard while you hide food supplies or gear in sturdy “bucket springs” instead of propping up a mattress on a box-spring.

Additionally, tiny houses are mobile so they can easily be transported with a pickup truck or an SUV.

Living in a tiny house on a homestead

A tiny house is ideal especially if you own land without a house on it. It’s easier to build your (tiny) dream home without having to take out a loan. It’ll be faster to build than a larger house, and if you have to, you can build it on your own even without heavy equipment.

Tiny house living is suitable for preppers because it’s simple, like the homestead lifestyle. You will only use what you need in a tiny house, and aside from minimizing the waste you produce, it also encourages you to spend more time outdoors.

Aside from being cheaper to build, choosing a tiny home also means that you can purchase less land to put it on for when you need to use it.

If you’re worried about money, the cost of constructing a tiny house may vary. The tiny houses featured on reality TV cost about $100,000 for a 300-square foot move-in ready home. However, your own tiny house doesn’t have to break the bank. (Related: Off-the-grid couple creates a life without bills, builds home for $30,000.)

Budget aside, consider these factors as you build your tiny house.

• Do you know where to get the building materials you need? Or are you going to buy everything?
• What kind of building materials do you need?
• Can you build the whole thing by yourself? Or will you need to hire labor?
• Will the house be on-grid or off-grid?

The trick to keeping costs down is being handy and resourceful.

Another thing to consider is if your whole family can fit in a tiny house. If you have kids, you may need to plan and make some compromises to make it work. Let the children know that to keep clutter to a minimum, toys must be limited. If you need a time out from the kids, let them play outside and breathe some fresh air.

A tiny house is also worth considering if you want to live off-grid and have some freedom. Since the area is small, you can easily set up solar panels. Use a composting toilet and on-board water storage to keep things sanitary.

But what about bugging out? Even if you have bugout bags, you’ll still need a safe bugout location. Unlike a tent, which can blow away in strong winds, a tiny house is more practical. It may be smaller than a regular house but it’s inexpensive and it can still offer all of the basic necessities to help you survive after SHTF.

Whether you’re a homesteader looking for a smaller place to settle in or a prepper looking for bugout alternatives, a tiny house is a good option that offers freedom and a simple but satisfying life.

Visit Homesteading.news for more homesteading tips.

Sources include:

MDCreekmore.com

SurvivalDispatch.com