Tiny homes are all the rage. Real estate is getting expensive, and younger people are more worried about paying off student loans than saving up for a house. Tiny homes offer a way to live somewhere on the cheap, pare down your life to the essentials, and not necessarily skimp on some of the nicer things in life.
And if you don't want to buy one, they're great to rent for the weekend. Tiny homes are a popular category on Airbnb, and there's even a company worth millions of dollars dedicated to renting out tiny cottages.
On roofs, wheels, and in backyard, here are 29 of the most beautiful small homes in the world.
Melissa Stanger contributed to an earlier version of this story.
KODA Walking Concrete can be taken apart and easily rebuilt in a new location.
Size: 250 sq. ft
Location: Tallinn, Estonia
The KODA Walking Concrete made the World Architecture Festival's shortlist of the best "Small Projects" in 2016. It's completely mobile, and can be unassembled and reassembled if it needs to move to a new location. The company that developed it, Kodasema, designed the two-tiered home so that it can be assembled in as little as four hours.
The simple design allows it to function as whatever space is needed, be it a beach house, mountain hut, café, or office.
This 196-square-foot home cost its architect less than $12,000 to build.
Size: 196 sq. ft.
Location: Boise, Idaho
Boise architect Macy Miller decided to downgrade from a full-size home to a tiny one, which she designed and built herself. She lives there with her partner and dog.
The home, which sits on top of a flatbed trailer, cost about $11,500 all in. The most expensive component is the composting toilet — about $2,000 — which uses barely any water.
A young American filmmaker converted an old van into a mobile studio so he could travel the country.
Size: 2003 Chevrolet Express, L x 79″ W x 82″
Location: United States
Zach Both, a 23-year-old filmmaker, lives and works out of a converted van. It took Both six months to transform the vehicle into a fully functional home and studio, complete with a bed, kitchen, and desk.
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