Small Houses
Small houses are a recent trend in response to the mansionization
of America. We all have three basic necessities including food,
clothing and shelter. For shelter, everyone has to look for a
place as per their requirements and there are certain limitations
associated with it.
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small house on lake |
So, these requirements can vary from shelter under a tree to
large multistory house. Somewhere between the two lies the concept
of small houses. Though the family size in general has been on
a decrease (more but smaller families), people have preferred
for years to buy big supersized homes.
This may be attributed to issue of prestige and materialism.
It is understandable that the latter ones are costly and this
disadvantage is overcome with small houses.
Spacing Out and In ...
Small houses are defined as ones which have an area of around
10 - 1000 sq. ft or so. Though small may seem dicey in terms of
the area, it does give you space for enjoyment and good living.
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The main advantages of a small house are:
1. Less initial cost
2. Since there is a reduction in size, there is less expenditure
in every aspect.
3. Being small in size does not mean that they are not built
and constructed by a designer.
4. To decrease the available space usage, technologically
advanced appliances are used.
There are various varieties of small houses available
in different parts of the world depending upon the size,
infrastructure and location:
1. Katrina cottages are something many people don't think
of. They are made on as area as small as 353 sq.ft., mainly
keeping in mind the Katrina hurricane victims.
2. Around 460 sq.ft homes for four people are available
in Tokyo.
3. Micro compact home also known as M-CH developed by British
people are just 76 sq.ft area homes. They are meant for
maximum two people and fulfill the basic needs of cooking,
hygiene maintenance and sleeping.
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Similarly other plans are also available in Manchester and elsewhere.
The above mentioned advantages and the options available have
started tempting the people to adopt small house living. In 1997,
a writer named S. Susanka published a dynamic book called "The
Not So Big House" and this evoked many people to conduct
a great social movement which was termed as the "small house
movement". This concept mainly prompted people to live in
small houses for a variety of reasons.
It is evident small houses and homes have their own advantages
as well as disadvantages. The main advantage is that small houses
are very economical for the people who stay in them and these
homes really fascinate those who want to lead a less complicated
but a very simple, economical or green life. It also attracts
those who are looking for a second home.
Downsizing Upscale ...
The biggest disadvantages are that small houses are not necessarily
in the most upscale neighborhoods. There can also be hostility
of the neighborhood because sooner or later question of building
codes can arise.
But, small houses in quality neighborhoods and locations do exist.
You can still have your home entertainment center, cell phone
and laptop and perhaps even a desktop. You can also have a well
decorated and cozy living space. With a small house you can also
give up paying high utility bills, property taxes and less time
cleaning and maintaining your abode.
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