TINY HOMES & COTTAGES

DEFINITION OF A TINY HOME 

• A tiny home is a small dwelling, typically under 400 square feet. The homes are often built on trailers so they can be moved easily, and many people choose to live in them full-time as a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional houses. But in Malaysia, majority of the tiny homes are permanent stationary structure. Traditionally, they measure approximately 8′ x 16′ in size, promoting simple living for the sake of freedom from debt. Smaller home = bigger life. The typical tiny house contains a living area, a sleeping loft, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Many are built to be off-the-grid and self-contained, generating their own water and electricity. While many people build their own, there are pre-fabricated options for sale.
• Tiny houses also traditionally include features that may not be common for a traditional home, because the tiny house design goal is to merge comfortability with the smaller size of the house. Tiny homes are often designed with sleeping lofts, egress windows, smaller doors, stairs and ladders, hidden storage, and other elements that make it easier to feel at home in a tiny house.

  It’s common for tiny homes to have one bedroom with a loft, or maybe two bedrooms. However, there are some designs that allow for three bedrooms or four bedrooms. A new trend among larger families has been combining tiny homes on the same property.

  The traditional definition of a tiny house isn’t the only way to live the tiny life. As tiny homes have become more and more popular, people have found a plethora of alternative ways to live that match the tiny life philosophy.

• Tiny homes can really range anywhere from 60 square feet to 600 square feet, but anything less than 60 square feet really starts to become unlivable for the average person. This starts to feel more like a shed, or even an accessory dwelling unit.

  You also have to be careful with minimum sizes because different jurisdictions have different laws around how small living dwellings can actually be. 

So,Which Type Of Housing Is Right For You?

As with any type of dwelling, the one that’s best for you will depend on your unique circumstances.

One of the drawbacks to tiny living is the need to downsize and functionalize every inch of space — you may not want to dispose of a lifetime of memories, so tiny living may not be right for you.

Although you may like the idea of cottage living, you’re not thrilled with the prospect of overseeing new construction in your backyard.

Briefly, some of the pros and cons are:

Tiny Living

• Least costly
• Least amount of new construction time
• Easy to rent to students or young couple
• May require significant downsizing of personal possessions if you live there
• May start to feel cramped
• No more yard sale outings, possessions must be kept to a minimum

Cottage Living

• May take longer to generate income if you rent the cottage
• New construction issues of noise, mess, financing, and finding a reliable contractor
• Additional mortgage payment
• Reluctance to have someone else living in “your house” if you rent the main dwelling
• You’ll have to move to the cottage if you’re living there

Tiny Home and Cottage Catalouge