Modesty on wheels

When Adam Baker a typical representative of the middle class from the United States, grew tired of his humdrum job, as well as the prospect of paying off a 30-year mortgage, and of the whole everyday rut he found himself in, he decided to change everything. Together with his wife he sold their home (thus waving goodbye to their instalments), reduced all their possessions to what would fit inside two suitcases, and went on a long holiday with their 1-year-old child. The time they had thus given themselves was used for travelling and thinking – and wondering about what they would really like to do with their lives. The answer came thanks to the ‘Tiny House Movement’, a collective that brings together the owners of very small homes. Their big idea is not just to change your abode, but your entire philosophy of life. Its enthusiasts often quote one intriguing thought, which was probably expressed for the first time by Israeli philosopher Amos Oz. It reads: “Most of my friends work harder than they should, to make more money than they really need, to buy things they do not really need, to impress people they do not really like.” When we spend less we do not have to work so much and we can spend more time pursuing our passions – music, painting or books. To live a more modest life is to live a full life – and enthusiasts of the movement have wholeheartedly embraced this sentiment. They believe that all this can be possible with the help of a small wheeled hut.

I recently came across a photo of such a residence, with a useable area of 20 sqm and built by two Americans. The house, which cost USD 33,000 furniture included, has a fully equipped kitchen, a fire place, a toilet and a shower, as well two bedrooms in the attic, with large mattresses located under a low slanted roof. It has a warm-coloured wooden floor and white walls that contrast sharply with the modern-looking black cupboards. The whole thing looks so good that a photo feature about the house appeared on Facebook and was widely shared. Looking at it I realised that I had never seen a bedsitter or traditional apartment of a similar size (not to mention the cost) that was as impressive or functional.

What is the main asset of such a house? Let’s start with the obvious thing: the overheads – there’s no rent to pay, very little needs to be spent on cleaning and maintenance. There’s less space, so you buy less and spend less. For example, taking closer look at the wardrobe you can see that you can only keep a minimal number of items of clothing – just those that make you feel and look good. ‘Buy less, choose well’ was what Vivienne Westwood, the famous British designer, used to say. One of the websites propagating the movement recommends keeping a mere 33 items of clothing in the wardrobe – enough for one season. After three months you put away the clothes you have in the wardrobe and you take out another 33 items from a suitcase, more suitable to the changing weather conditions. A house on wheels is itself cheap of course – it costs an average of USD 23,000 compared to the price for a normal house in the region of USD 272,000 or as much as USD 481,000 if you support yourself with a 30-year mortgage.

However, developers won’t be losing any sleep. Consumerism is doing well and no Tiny House Movement or other such initiative will change that. Houses in America are getting bigger and bigger and the society has fallen in love with credit for good. As a consequence, 70 pct of Americans live from one loan instalment to another. The total debt of all US households recently exceeded the substantial sum of USD 10 tln (ten thousand billion!). Some Americans buy so many new things that they have already filled all their home storage rooms and garages and they now have to rent additional space in self-storage warehouses. In America as much as 210 mln sqm of such warehouse space has been built since the 1990s. So perhaps it should be us laughing at Americans and their outlandish ways, with their over-the-top consumerism and their even stranger anti-consumerists in houses on wheels. ν