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Tiny houses: advantages, disadvantages & alternatives in 2024

If you have never considered a different lifestyle than you currently lead, a conscious choice to move into a tiny living space instead of a larger house could seem quite odd. Following the minimalism trend, the tiny house movement has gained momentum worldwide, attracting people from all walks of life, revolutionizing the idea of small-scale living and bringing more meaning to a simplistic lifestyle. There are currently 3.8 million Instagram posts with the hashtag #tinyhouse & a whole philosophy behind this increasingly popular concept – the question is, are you willing to explore it?

The tiny house movement

The most popular reasons why people choose tiny living are environmental, financial factors and the desire to have more freedom and time (off-grid living concept). As for the first one, leading a minimalistic lifestyle could benefit the environment, as a tiny space limits the number of household items owned and resources used to the minimum. As for the latter two, the hustle mindset has led many people to live paycheck to paycheck, struggling to “maintain the image” & afford something that burdens them financially too much. Is there any other way?

What is a tiny house?

A typical family house in the UK is approximately 150 square feet (approx. 150 m²), while a tiny house usually describes a house featuring 10 - 40 m² of internal space. What is more, such a house needs to fit into a certain length, width, height & weight measurements, and its structure might need to be completely movable to match the legislative requirements. We always advise contacting your local building authorities to get the most up-to-date information on this topic and make sure that your selected building matches the requirements.

Tiny houses come in a variety of shapes, sizes and forms, yet they all have one thing in common – minimizing the residential space to the essentials only. Often tiny houses are built on a wheeled structure for better compliance with regulations. However, there are other options that have the potential to become small-scale living bases.

Top queries in Google related to tiny houses (UK)

Nowadays, people mostly rely on Google and other web search engines as their main source of information. Their search queries usually show what aspects interest them in a particular topic. Let's go through the main aspects of what intrigues people searching for the term "tiny houses" in the UK the most:

tiny homes for sale

No wonder search queries reveal the major interest in purchasing a tiny house. Whether buying a new or a used one, more and more people are exploring different housing options and want to evaluate their financial capabilities in terms of off-grid independent living.

inside tiny house

People are extremely interested in the possible interior solutions and layout plans when exploring inside tiny houses. Due to their strictly limited internal space, planning the interior plays a key role in residential comfort.

tiny home designs

The different tiny home designs seem to be important for customers searching for these tiny homes as well. Our product range is highly versatile, making them an excellent match for those interested in this search query.

prefab tiny homes

Customers are looking for prefabricated tiny home solutions. Our ready-to-assemble, easy-to-install wooden buildings are precisely what this group of customers could find attractive.

two-bedroom tiny house (also 3 bedroom tiny house,1 bedroom tiny house)

This search query surprised us a bit – a two-bedroom or 3 bedroom tiny house is quite an oxymoron! This might only mean one thing – some people are actually interested in living more sustainably, yet they are not willing to compromise for 1 bedroom tiny house just yet. People are also searching for different measurements, meaning that the residential space requirements vary vastly among our potential customers.

A change of perspective

Tiny houses may seem like a downsizing at first, but they offer numerous benefits for upgrading one’s quality of life. First, it allows you to reduce the monthly household costs (rent, mortgage & utilities) and notably increase your savings.

Second, less expensive land is required to build the house on as well as fewer resources are used to furnish the house, which notably reduces the construction costs.

And lastly, living with fewer unnecessary things can benefit you in ways never imagined before and provide you with the ease of mind that is so needed in today’s hustle-and-grind environment.

Law requirements for tiny houses in the UK

Living in a tiny home may seem idyllic; however, it’s important to consider the legal obligations and requirements for permanently living in such homes.

There are specific rules for building a tiny house in the UK.

Planning permission is NOT required if all these conditions are met:

•  You are building a single-storey outbuilding in your premises (e.g., your backyard).

•  Your selected building does not feature a balcony, platform (raised more than 300 mm from the ground) or veranda. We have ensured that our wooden structures featuring veranda are not raised more than 300 mm from the ground.

•  The roof of the building is up to 4 m in height (double-pitched) or up to 3 m in height (single-pitched). The eaves must be up to 2.5 m in height.

•  The ridge height is up to 2.5 m (if the house is built within 2 m of the boundary) or 4 m (if the house is built more than 2 m from any boundary).

•  The newly built structure will be used for non-residential purposes only (e.g., lounging, storage, or remote working).

More about this topic can be found on our Planning permission page. Keep in mind that the rules and regulations might change or vary depending on the location. We advise contacting your local building authorities for the most up-to-date information on this topic.

Another great exemption that could be your window to the world of tiny homes is The Caravan Sites Act 1968. This legislation allows easier building conditions for potentially mobile tiny homes that can be easily deconstructed and removed if the need arises. However, these regulations also feature size and height restrictions, so consider clearing those out before making the final decision.

Top tiny house manufacturers in the UK

As the tiny house movement is gaining extreme momentum in the UK, no wonder there are quite a few solid alternatives of suppliers to choose from. Let's go through the top manufacturers specialising in tiny house kits, either removable or based on a wheeled platform.

TINY ECO HOMES UK

This manufacturer custom builds towable eco mobile homes for customers across the UK. They currently have three ranges of tiny houses available – the traditional range, the elegance range and the elegance grand range. The prices of these tiny mobile homes start from £48,000.

DENHOMES

This manufacturer has developed the UK’s most compact yet fully functional, turnkey prefab tiny homes, featuring only ±190 sqft (18 sqmt) of internal area, meeting the absolute smallest limits of the UK building regulations.

TINY HOUSE PRO

This manufacturer offers six towable and road-legal ranges of mobile homes on wheeled platforms. The prices of standard solutions start from £70,000. Each house features a kitchen and a bathroom and can be adapted for living entirely off-grid with solar panels, a water tank and a toilet system.

LIVE OFF GRID

This company was founded a few years ago and offers 3 types of tiny houses for living off the grid that include a fully fitted kitchen and a compact fitted bathroom. The approximate price of the standard option is £50,000-£65,000.

Major drawbacks of the tiny living idea

One of the most significant disadvantages of a strictly regulated tiny home concept is the lack of residential space. Most suppliers offer tiny houses ranging in 18-60 m² of living area. If you are a household of two, it can still work; however, permanent residency of 30 m² or less could be quite a challenge for larger families who are used to a more spacious lifestyle. Another major disadvantage of tiny homes is their price. Most suppliers offer turnkey solutions, which results in a total of £60,000 – £70,000 or even more (depending on the additional features applied) for a finished project. This can be pretty expensive, considering the reduced level of space and comfort that one is used to.

Why small traditional wooden prefabs might outrun tiny homes

At Quick-garden.co.uk, we can offer a perfect alternative for those in need of a more comfortable and budget-friendly residential solution, still fulfilling the idea of small-scale, environmentally friendly living.

Energy and environmental efficiency of wooden buildings

What makes a building energy efficient? The reduction of energy required to provide heating and hot water, as well as natural indoor temperature retention properties. The efficient thermal insulation of the building and superb quality windows and doors play a major role in the overall energy efficiency of the building. Also, wood, as a construction material, is highly valued for its natural heat retention properties, allowing to maintain a pleasant indoor temperature all year round.

The increase in the building’s energy efficiency results in a notable decrease in environmental impact, monthly household costs and increased property value.

More space

Regarding the functional features, a typical tiny home can make you compromise on your comfort quite a bit. Even if the tiny house features a loft, due to the strict legislative regulations that are applied to their structure, you can end up with quite a little headspace on the upper floor. Our prefabricated wooden buildings, featuring less than 20 m² of ground area, offer well-distributed internal space. Some particular models, such as SOPHIA or AVIGNON F, are designed to provide you with the most out of your living areas even in such a compact build.

Dedicated bathroom areas

Another solid benefit of choosing a prefabricated wooden building is a dedicated bathroom space in all our insulated models. Compared to a no-flush toilet that is most often used in typical mobile tiny houses on a wheeled platform, this is a huge benefit, improving one’s residential experience and ensuring comfort.

Bespoke wooden buildings on a wheeled platform

In addition to all the benefits that prefabricated wooden buildings provide, we can offer our customers an individual project of one of our buildings on a raised, wheeled platform to comply with the legal requirements of tiny houses and enjoy an easier legislative procedure. If you have a vision in mind or found a model that intrigued you among our assortment, do let us know, and we will calculate the offer cost for you.

The alternatives of tiny houses offered by Quick-garden.co.uk

If you are open to exploring the tiny living idea and would like to see which wooden buildings could become superb tiny houses, we’ve curated a list of suggestions for your living space:

Wooden garden house 20 m² like tiny home

20 m² prefabricated buildings are pretty much the closest it gets to tiny homes without compromising on comfort too much. Featuring a minimalistic layout, they provide just the right amount of space and have functionally separated living and resting zones. SOPHIA and SARA sport a more contemporary design due to their large floor-to-ceiling windows and vertical exterior cladding, while AVIGNON strikes a traditional wooden cabin look. All these wooden houses have a loft area, bringing your residential experience to new heights.

Small wooden houses 30 - 40 m²

A minimal & simplistic lifestyle can also be enjoyed in a bit more spacious setting. Households with more than 2 residents could comfortably settle in our 30-40 m² wooden houses and make it their precious tiny home. HYMER is a classical gem, fitting 2 bedrooms inside, allowing all the residents to have their private space. The covered terrace is a nice bonus – having space outside extends the internal area and creates the feeling of more space. AGATA is another stylish house featuring a terrace and a functional loft area on the second floor. NICOLE makes the concept of tiny living a truly intriguing one with its 20 m² living room, offering a lovely space for all the family to cosily spend time together.

Wooden houses 50 - 60 m² for more space

For those who wish to explore tiny living, yet in their own terms and conditions, our 50 - 60 m² prefabricated wooden houses can offer a charming base to reside in. Classical style admirers appreciate our product MEGAN with its delightful veranda. The ones who love contemporary residential spaces name ADALINE and SELENE as true charmers in our assortment. ADALINE strikes a beautiful contemporary look with large windows and doors, features two dedicated bedrooms and a high ceiling – what's more to wish for in your new tiny-style home?

Log houses 70 - 100 m² for a comfortable and spacious residence

Need even more space to comfortably reside in & enjoy your small-scale living experience? We have larger wooden house models that will not make you compromise on your comfort at all, yet will be a great alternative to conventional housing. Let us introduce VALERI, featuring a 40 m² living room and two spacious bedrooms, DORIS, with its layout conveniently distributed among two floors, or wooden beauties AGNES and NICOLE, which do not seize to impress with their eye-catching aesthetics.

If you are interested in more spacious living yet still value the sustainability wooden houses provide, ROBERTA or ZOE could be superb choices. These models feature a more spacious construction and inviting contemporary look. We invite you to explore and find just the right option for you!

Wrap-up

The reasons behind the tiny house movement seem clear: leading a more independent & mindful life, having more freedom, less stress and enjoying financial ease, which comes from the more simplistic approach to life. When it comes to legal requirements, a tiny house can be quite restrictive in terms of space and all the hassle involved with its legislation. Prefabricated wooden buildings can provide you with the ideal solution for small-scale living without compromising your residential comfort.

We are here to help you create a space that instantly feels like home. If you have any questions regarding our wooden buildings or want to explore the option of creating a bespoke solution, do let us know – we will do everything that's on our side to make your dream of tiny living a reality. Call us 02070994301 or write us a message.

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