Introduction to Compact Living
The next generation of home owners (or more likely renters) will be subject to compact living at one point or another…
Compact living is simply the idea that more and more of us are living in smaller spaces and frankly these spaces need to do more for us in 2020 than ever before.
Ideally the concept of compact living is having the intention of making the most of the small space you have.
You may also hear the phrase ‘tiny living’ or ‘tiny houses’ floating around however I feel that in the grand scheme of things this mainly refers to a community of people that take a big leap and move into a space 46sq.m or smaller! These tiny homes are usually only as big as 2.4m x 6.1m and have become a large movement across the US. Many tiny homes are limited to this size as they can be put on wheels/trailers and moved across the country - true travel enthusiasts!
In this post we’re not venturing quite to that extreme but will look into how popular movements such as tiny homes and minimalism are influencing how we combat modern day housing/land shortage as well as the fact it is just crazy expensive to get on the property ladder in now a days.
Now personally my experience with compact living only goes so far…
The first time I came face to face with the idea was packing for moving to university. How do you pack your entire life up? Or what should you actually take with you? You have to be very realistic when packing for uni as you definitely have limited space in the car AND in your room.
Its finding out what is essential to you and what you could replace relatively simply and cheaply if necessary.
With the average UK house size in 1970 being 83sq.m, the new avaerage for new build properties in the UK is only 68sq.m (2018, Which)! This is approximately a 20% reduction in the sized homes we are living in, or will potentially be living in, meaning compact living is becoming more and more necessary by the day.
Main things to consider moving towards Compact Living Lifestyle:
Everything can be multi-functional - Furniture choices are key.
Keep it light and airy - Don’t over-do it on lots of colours.
Integrate some soft edges in the space e.g. round table.
Make sure you have sufficient storage - As they say, out of sight out of mind…
Introduce plants into the place - bring the outside in.
A great place to see some examples of these types of projects is by visiting the Never Too Small youtube channel. Some really interesting spaces that have been created over many years and shows real people living in compact homes.
One of my personal favourites is NTS ep.28 Tiny Home Design - Loft House X2. See some images below from the video!
Loft House x2 by Architect Brad Swartz
In case you haven’t guessed within this Property & Home series I’ll look at different concepts that can potentially help us realistically get on the property ladder and live more sustainably. We’ll look into general research about ideas of sustainability such as investing in solar power as well as the different approaches towards the property industry and investments. Let’s be honest - I want to build my own house one day.. wait and see….
So if you’re in the same sort of position or want to know more about how introducing compact living and sustainable routes could save you money hit subscribe for weekly reminders of Property & Home posts!