Traditional housing is a harder market to get into these days with a shrinking market and rising costs. Naturally, people are trying to find other housing options where they can own their homes, even if it’s not the typical vision people have for such a thing. Here are a few of the rising trends for alternative housing options and why younger people are trying out these unique home options instead of trying to buy more commonplace homes.
Tiny Homes
As the name suggests, tiny homes are houses that focus on compartmentalizing and offer a much smaller, but still livable space. Because there’s not as much floor space, these houses are more affordable to buy or even build from scratch if you own a plot of land.
Many tiny houses focus on vertical space and the small area also reduces utility bills on things like heating and air conditioning. Tiny home communities are a growing trend where entire neighborhoods will incorporate these smaller domiciles.
Container Homes
Container homes are like tiny houses, but instead of a unique framework, people build them out of new or repurposed shipping containers. The metal frame offers a stable and secure structure, and it’s easy to put multiple containers together to create the layout that you want.
However, a common issue with shipping container houses is many local laws and ordinances view them more as personal property instead of real estate. Homeowners may find it difficult to establish a shipping container home as a residential address in certain regions, so it may be a good idea to research your local laws before you start building.
Van Living
Converting large vans into livable spaces is one of the big rising trends for alternative housing options. The “VanLife” hashtag on social media is full of helpful tips and guides for how you can convert a van into a house and offers helpful tips for adjusting to the new lifestyle.
Vans are typically a better option for one or two people and aren’t ideal for families, but those who enjoy the open road may want to consider this unique approach to modern living.
Houseboats
You may have better luck out on the water if you can’t find affordable housing options on land. Houseboats are becoming more popular with younger people. While a boat is typically more expensive than some of the other options on the list, leasing a houseboat and paying a dock rental is still noticeably more cost-effective than investing in the traditional housing market.
While traditional houses may seem out of reach for many, modern society is adapting and proving there’s no one right way to create a home. People are taking life by the horns and exploring new and exciting ways to live, from tiny structures to converted vehicles.
