Cottages in Nature: A Return to the Past with the Advantages of the 21st Century

A cottage surrounded by flowers and grass seems to evoke a somewhat forgotten romantic image of a pleasant and fulfilling life. Skyscrapers, urban villas, and concrete are the most common solutions today, but there are more and more people who refuse to accept such a situation. For enthusiasts of tiny homes, small houses that have everything necessary for a decent life are much more appealing than grand residential buildings. Regardless of whether they are modular or not, on wheels or with foundations, small homes are attracting more and more individuals for whom large spaces only cause headaches.

A comfortable home can indeed be created in small spaces, and with the help of modern solutions, cottages are evolving in step with technology. They are also becoming smart thanks to artificial intelligence, allowing for remote control of heating and cooling, lighting, household appliances, and security. They are designed for energy-efficient use, with solar panels enabling a free life off the energy grid in every corner of the world, regardless of whether the house is stationary or mobile. If, for example, collected rainwater and composting toilets are not an issue, there are no obstacles to enjoying the benefits of life in a tiny home.

The Tiny House Movement

All of this affects the desirability of small houses, which is why the trend that has existed for some time is by no means waning. On the contrary, there are more and more fans of tiny houses because they offer everything that ordinary houses or apartments have, but with frugality and adaptability to the environment and the owner’s requirements. Data from market research companies shows just that: Data Bridge Market Research reports that last year the value of the tiny house market worldwide reached $5.81 billion and is expected to grow to $7.64 billion by 2032, with an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent.

Technavio, on the other hand, expects the market to grow by $3.71 billion by 2029, with an annual growth rate of 4.2 percent due to affordable prices that stimulate growth, especially in developed countries. Millennials, according to Technavio, are particularly inclined towards houses made by craftsmen. If they are handy, they can even build them themselves or perhaps repurpose sheds and storage containers into tiny homes. The popularity of the tiny house movement has been influenced by economic slowdowns, high real estate and rental prices, inflation, and remote work, as well as 3D technology that allows for easy and quick home construction.

Such a Good Solution

Technavio assesses that the market for mobile homes has significantly grown in recent years due to increasing demand for affordable housing solutions without high costs. Such houses are increasingly sought after in the United States and Australia among those with limited budgets – individuals, families, and retirees. In the U.S., real estate companies and those owning parks for mobile modular homes (on wheels or other vehicles) are converting vacation and camping parks into exclusive mobile home communities for retirees. It is also believed that these homes are interesting for rental to anyone who does not opt for ownership, suitable for tourist rentals and camping, and even as a possible solution for homelessness.

About Life in Nature

The growth of the tiny house movement is certainly crucially linked to the handcrafted movement-home, which can be tailored to every taste and desire. Tiny houses are generally considered to be those that are less than 37 square meters, but also those of 46 or even 55 square meters. Average prices range from €25,000 to €68,000 depending on size and how much the owner can design and furnish the cottage themselves, but for luxury options, much more is required.

Today, living in a small space may seem unusual, but spacious houses and apartments for broader social strata are actually a modern Western invention. Native Americans had tipis, Eskimos had igloos, Mongolians had yurts, and settlers in the American wilderness had cabins… In Croatia, people lived in small stone houses with one or two rooms for families with multiple children. The modern quest for comfortable small homes dates back to 1854 when American naturalist, writer, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau published the book ‘Walden’ in which he discusses his life in nature. He belonged to the school of transcendentalism (among the first philosophical schools in the U.S.) that developed in New England in the 1830s and found spirituality in nature. Transcendentalists believed that people and nature are good, that people are corrupted by society and institutions, and that materialism distances them from God.

The Beginnings of the Movement

Thoreau sought himself at Walden Pond in the U.S. state of Massachusetts for two years, two months, and two days in a 14-square-meter cabin, and he described his experiences in a book that inspired the emergence of the tiny house living movement. The modern movement was revived in the 1970s, specifically in 1973 when Lloyd Kahn and Bob Easton published the book ‘Shelter’ in which they study ways of building small houses around the world. This was followed in 1987 by Lester Walker’s book ‘Tiny Houses, or How to Get Away From It All’, but special credit goes to Andrea Zittel, an artist who explored life in small spaces, and architect Sarah Susanka and her book ‘The Not So Big House’. Among the pioneers is Jay Shafer, who worked on his first 10-square-meter house in Iowa from 1997 to 1999, published ‘The Small House Book’ in 2009, and popularized tiny houses on wheels. Attention was drawn to tiny houses during the recession from 2007 to 2009 in the U.S., and they gained additional momentum from television series ‘Tiny House Nation’ and ‘Dream House’. Besides the U.S. and Australia, the movement has enthusiasts in Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Sweden, and South Africa.

Multiple Uses

Building a tiny house certainly requires everything found in an ordinary home, from cooling to heating, kitchen, and bathroom. Savings can be made in construction if the owner performs as much work as possible themselves. For this, one must be prepared to invest more time than for a cottage that is already built and only requires adaptation to the owner’s wishes. Tiny houses consume 80 percent less energy than, for example, the average American home, which ultimately allows for significant savings that greatly return the investment.

Land also plays an important role, as its price will also affect the final investment if it is not already owned by the tiny house buyer, as well as other necessary permits. One must not forget the transportation of the house to the land, or the necessary materials if it is to be built on-site.

In a tiny house, it is important to utilize every corner to live comfortably and carefree. Therefore, space design is extremely important to smartly use every millimeter, which is best achieved with multifunctional solutions. Regardless of the limited space, comfort and airiness must be achieved in the arrangement of cottages. To maximize usable space, foldable furniture attached to the wall can be used. For example, a table can be folded when not in use or expanded when guests arrive; drawers and compartments can be built under the bed, stairs, or in the floor, and chairs or modular seating can be reshaped according to the tenants’ needs. The goal is, in fact, to have as much furniture as possible with dual purposes, such as a sofa that converts into a bed or a dining table that easily becomes a work desk.

Undeniable Comfort

In custom construction, it is also possible to realize the most incredible ideas of the owners. The space can thus be entirely made according to the tenant’s taste, from wall finishes, unique cabinets, automated lighting to heated floors. Although it is a small space, comfort is not in question, so modern tiny houses can have standard-sized washers, refrigerators, or stoves, as well as spacious bedrooms and bathrooms.

It should be noted, however, that living in a tiny house can be a challenge for those who are used to living in larger spaces, and one must also prepare for obtaining the necessary utility connections for houses with foundations. The average lifespan of a tiny house is thirty to fifty years with proper maintenance, but durability also depends on how much, for example, the house on wheels has been in motion.