Creating a Big Life in Small Spaces

Contributed by Shelley Miller, President, NewGround PR & Marketing

A decade ago, new homes were growing in size, people wanting to stretch out in more square footage. Big kitchens and big bathrooms were the main selling points in homes and condos. Fast forward to 2012 and a quiet home revolution is occurring – a micro revolution. All across the globe, people are saying goodbye to rambling houses and hello to micro living structures ranging from 100 to 300 square feet. Your first thought might be about what these people are giving up; but in most cases, they’ll tell you instead what they’ve gained, for themselves and for the environment.

The most obvious benefit to living in a smaller space is financial. These mini-homes start as low as ten thousand dollars and rarely cost more than seventy, meaning that many people don’t even have a monthly mortgage payment. Given their tiny size, very little acreage is required to create a true homestead in suburban communities, complete with a yard and porch. And in larger cities like New York and Hong Kong, a micro apartment provides the essential living amenities at a reasonable monthly rent. Urban small space dwellers like to say that if they need a space to entertain, they have the entire city right outside their front doors.

But there’s more to this trend than just money. Where once Americans were focused on consumption, there’s now a huge move toward conservation and reducing our carbon footprint. What has come out of that is a new focus on what we need – and what really makes us happy. As Edmund Burke said, “good order is the foundation of all good things,” but how can we achieve good order when we’re always accumulating more “stuff?” As houses grew bigger, people felt the need to pack them with more things – knick-knacks, furniture, enormous televisions. We all have a friend or family member whose garage is so packed with old boxes they have trouble fitting in a single car. Does anyone even remember what’s in those boxes?

The micro-living movement brings with it a de-cluttering of life. In such small quarters, there’s no room for three sets of dishes or six boxes of photos you’ve meant to organize for the last five years. In 200 square feet, every home item must be chosen thoughtfully. Rather than feeling deprived, micro-home owners and renters feel liberated, and less burdened by keeping endless piles organized. Instead of spending hours “working on the house,” they now have more time to interact with family and explore the outside world.  And by learning to do more with less, their carbon footprint is measurably reduced, with fewer things going into recycling plants or landfills and much less use of utilities like gas and water. Micro-living has become a new way to truly conserve without denying ourselves what we need, all while creating a greener future!