Living Small, Thinking Big!

By Amie Ahn  Sept 24, 2025

A small cabin on wheels sits by a lush green meadow. A beam of radiant sunlight pierces through the window, illuminating the cozy space inside and revealing the dainty fairy lights that line the walls. This picture-perfect image feeds the tiny-home dreams of many, but numerous trade-offs of living in a tiny home often go by unacknowledged.

The Tiny House movement traces back to concerns about overconsumption and environmental harm in the 1990s. The idea of a minimalistic living in favor of financial security began to gain traction in the early 2000s, due to economic factors such as the American subprime mortgage crisis in 2008 as well as growing environmental consciousness. Following their initial growth in popularity, tiny homes continue to be relevant today because of their flexible mobility and sustainability.

“The affordability and independence associated with tiny homes may seem appealing, especially to young audiences. While it’s hard for families to settle in a tiny home, it could be a good option for people living alone,” Senior Banipal Tatarov said.

The initial cost of a tiny home is more affordable than a traditional home—a tiny home is usually between $30K to $100K and can even sometimes be bought on Amazon, while traditional homes typically cost more than $300K and involve mortgage payments over a span of years, per Taratz. The living expenses are inherently lower, as less money is spent on services such as water, heating and electricity due to their smaller size. Property taxes and insurance also raise the year-over-year costs of a traditional home in comparison to tiny homes. 

However, there are additional costs involved in the ownership of a tiny home that prospective buyers may neglect. Owners of tiny homes risk the need to relocate due to legal complications and zoning regulations. Additionally, tiny homes are known for depreciating in value, which can make them an unappealing investment in comparison to traditional homes, which typically rise in value over time.

Cost is not the only factor that should be considered. Although living in a tiny home achieves the minimalist lifestyle that some desire, for many this can mean surrendering comfort and stability. Still, while it may cause trouble for some owners to manage their space effectively, others with a more minimalist mindset may use it as an opportunity to discard unneeded possessions.

“A minimalist lifestyle can be beneficial, but only if the individual truly enjoys it. They should not adopt the lifestyle simply for the aesthetic or to conform to a trend. While tiny homes are not necessarily a realistic solution to housing affordability, they can help bring simplicity to people’s lives,” Junior Hrishita Diwan said.

Furthermore, Tiny-home builders often struggle to meet the specific building requirements of different cities and towns, and as a result securing a permit can be difficult. However, soaring housing prices have given the Tiny Home movement newfound momentum, according to Saulo Gomez, a tiny home builder who founded the manufacturing company Western Tiny Homes. As a result, more cities are willing to approve construction, using tiny homes as a method to combat homelessness. In 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state would spend roughly $30 million to build 1,200 tiny homes throughout the state. 

Tiny homes have gained extra publicity in recent years not only due to a growing desire to live sustainably, but also due to an increase in tiny home content online. Individual creators on Instagram and Youtube channels such as “Living Big in a Tiny House” publish content to promote the tiny home lifestyle to viewers. These creators also encourage sustainability and minimalism through their tiny home content.

Tiny home builders like Gomez also view social media as a major platform for marketing, especially for younger audiences. Lauren Fresquez of Vegas Tiny Homes, a tiny home provider platform, hopes that reaching potential buyers through tiny home content on social media will help beat stereotypes.

“We use social media to appeal to audiences of all ages. Through sharing visuals, we aim to remove negative stigma regarding tiny homes—this image of trailer parks and campers. We want to show these people that tiny homes can be luxurious and fun to design. Your ordinary bedroom could have a walk-in closet added. You could add a kitchen and turn it into a bedroom with a kitchen,” Fresquez said. 

Whether they are viewed as a minimalist alternative to traditional homes, or as a cheaper choice, it is clear that tiny homes have their unique benefits. As housing prices continue to rise, the growing tiny home market offers an affordable counterbalance for people who seek stability. With the ever-changing housing market and economy, tiny homes may either find their place on plots of land, or in the broken hearts of tiny home enthusiasts.

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About the Contributor

Amie Anh

Community News and Feature World Editor

Amie Ahn is a junior at Leland High School and a page editor for The Charger Account. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, binging kdramas, and dancing.