Tiny House cons: Jenna testifies after seven years in a Tiny House

Jenna Spesard has been living and travelling in a 15m2 Tiny House in Washington state in the US since 2013. She testifies about her way of life in many newspaper articles. She loves simplicity and she is honest at the same time: no lifestyle is perfect. So there are also disadvantages to living permanently in a Tiny House... We list the most talked about tiny house disadvantages for you.

1. Guests cannot stay ‘in the house’ overnight.

Do you have a beautiful nature spot? If so, you can host many guests, preferably when the weather is good... If the weather is not so good, you are more limited. To spend the night comfortably near your tiny house, your guests should set up a tent or bring a mobile home.
Dinner with friends is also best done in the summer period... Then your nature spot has extra cachet.

2. Travelling with your Tiny House can be expensive 

Do you plan to explore a new location every month. Then you should bear in mind that moving a Tiny House does cost something. Petrol consumption and possible (moving) insurance comes at a cost.

3. Simple living is not always easy 

“Living a minimal lifestyle means keeping yourself well organised.” Tells Jenna in one of her interviews. “You can spend less time washing dishes. You have to think about grocery shopping in a timely manner if you like to cook. Your fridge and storage space for food is generally a bit smaller, but actually that also depends on how you organise your own Tiny House.” 

4. Fewer appliances may occasionally give less comfort

Not everything is possible in your Tiny House because you want the space to live. So you usually skip the dryer, the dishwasher some kitchen appliances... That means you get more creative. Depending on your preferences and habits, that can take away some comfort. 

5.A tiny house can get dirty quickly

Jenna experienced it from time to time. It has rained heavily and the place you are staying is quite fashionable... Then your Tiny House gets dirty quickly. You can avoid it, of course, but you still have to pay attention to it all the time. Since your house is not that big, cleaning naturally also takes less time....

6. Limited storage space

Whichever way you turn it: living a simple life means letting go. Your extensive wardrobe is at least halved. You limit yourself to the books you actually read and your number of cutlery and glasses are also more functionally purchased. You may find this a disadvantage at times, even though it also has its advantages. 

7. Your home is popular

Everywhere you go with your tiny house, people look with interest. Many of them knock or ring the doorbell and want to take a look. “That can be fun in the beginning, but it can get annoying after a while,” testifies Jenna. “So you have to learn to refuse people at some point.”

Tiny House disadvantages never outweigh advantages

Despite the drawbacks, Spesard and many other Tiny housers say they cannot imagine any other lifestyle.

“No lifestyle is perfect. The Tiny house disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Living in a tiny house is not for everyone. Those who do it see their lives change in many positive ways. I have experienced the same. I want to keep my Tiny house forever.” Concludes Jenna Spesard.

View here Jenna's blog.

Are you a resident of a tiny house yourself and do you experience any other advantages or disadvantages? We would love to hear your experience.

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