How does/will this affect me?  Am I going to lose my job when I least expect it?  Will I be ok to pay the mortgage and keep a roof over my / my family’s head?

Questions such as these put me in a thoughtful mood.  Not just about the here and now, although that is important of course.  More importantly, considering and planning how what we do now can prepare us a little for the unknowns in 5, 10, 20 (or if you’re really young) 50 years.

Naturally there is no crystal ball when it comes to the future so it’s all down to you.  Where do you think the world will be in 10 or 20 years from now?

With the earth’s resources being squandered at an alarming rate, these are important questions.  Before making large financial decisions such as the size of a mortgage for your home and where you’ll live, the type of energy resources you’ll need, ask yourself are you likely to weather another global financial storm like the one we’re currently going through?

Taking the time to make your choices with a clear head, a view to the possibilities and your realistic ability to cope with an ever-changing world can help you to make decisions that, hopefully, will not cripple you to the extent of financial strain or worse.

For the little people, like you and me, who have a job or a business and no self-replenishing fortune to fall back on, a house is one of the largest investments we’ll make in our life.

Small and tiny houses caught my attention at the beginning of the global financial crisis for this reason.  Naturally, I’m only one person of many, many people worldwide who have awoken to the excellent alternative housing option that small housing presents.

The thought behind it all is quite simple.

◊  Replacing a whopping great mortgage with a smaller one saves you money immediately.  It saves you interest and it saves you on the principal that you owe because buying/building a small house uses less building materials.

◊  A smaller domain opens up a world of smaller utility bills and alternative energy sources, solar, wind-powered, bio-diesel and such-like.

◊  The very minute you start thinking small and you ‘get’ why you are doing it, your mind turns to other ways to practice frugal living and saving your money for experiences you want to have, rather than things you thought you needed.

You see why Small Houses have caught on?  

If you’re wondering why on earth I care so much about Small Houses, then you’re going to open the floodgates there!  Got a bit of time, have you?

For a little over five years I’ve been researching every manner of Tiny and Small House, frugal living, DIY, alternative, green and eco lifestyle.  I’m not a professional researcher or even a try-hard greeny.  It’s simply a fascination of mine.  A BIG one.  Kind of a project that never ended and probably never will.

It all started … well, if you want the whole story then feel free to read about it ok.  I’d rather move right along to the interesting stuff, if it’s all the same to you.

This part of the site is, naturally, the Blog where you’ll find articles on everything Small and Tiny in the House department.  Along with everything related …

The Website .. LivingInSmallHouses.com … showcases the growing trend of Tiny and Small houses, offering related small living resources and DIY alternative home building tips and plans.  Most importantly of all, you can find resources to help minimize (or eliminate) your Mortgage by going from BIG to small.  In as many areas of your life as possible!  Mostly though, we focus on Small and Tiny Houses.

Here on the Small Blog, you’ll find:

• Articles on the many styles of Small and Tiny House plans, like …
• Eco houses like Strawbale, Adobe, Mudbrick, Cob, Green homes, Mudbrick and Recycled homes like Container Houses;
• Unusual Houses, such as,  Treehouses, Domes, Uniquely designed houses, Portable Homes like Gypsy Vardos (caravans) and Yurts;
• Simple Small Houses like Barn houses (Traditional and Gambrel), Kit and Prefab homes, Log homes, Carriage Houses;

As well as:

• Frugal Living resources: Frugal meals and recipes, the frugal household, kitchen and garden and frugalizing your gift-giving, clothes and family;
• Alternative Power Sources and how to create your own via solar, wind and biodiesel (for a start);
• DIY! Stories, Videos, Step-by-step guides to building your own small or tiny home;
• Small Image Galleries and Communities to get involved in
• and regular Small House TV Updates from Yours Truly, Owner of LivingInSmallHouses.com (they’ll start soon.  A bit of stage fright to overcome first.)

I hope you enjoy reading.  Tell me via comments if I make any spelling mistakes.  Spelling is important to me And don’t be shy – use the comments to, well, comment liberally and share your thoughts on whatever facet of the Website or Blog that takes your fancy.

Happy Small House Hunting!