Over the last two years, the number of people that have changed their lifestyle has skyrocketed. People are working from home full-time, or at least part-time, and some have changed their career path entirely. While the idea of living in a much smaller space has been on some people's radars for a long time, is now the time to make the jump, and move into a tiny home? Moving out of the city and into the forest, or a van might be out of reach for some of us, but the idea has been popularised on social media for a while now. Is it merely a pipe dream, or an achievable reality?

The definition for a tiny home is any living space smaller than 37 square metres and could take the form of a converted vehicle, an old shipping container, a houseboat, or simply a small, permanent building. This might seem impossibly small, but take a step back and think about the amount of space you use daily. You might be surprised to see that it is possible to live in a smaller space without any difficulties. How might your lifestyle change, for better or for worse, if you lived in a house that only had the bare essentials? I would be curious to hear how things would change for you!

For me, I think there is a wealth of potential when thinking about tiny home life. A lot of the possessions we own these days are not essential, or not even useful, so downsizing could be a good exercise in clearing out the clutter of our lives. The idea of living in a van or on a boat is hugely appealing to me - I love the thought of just moving across the country on a whim and working in the heart of the city one day and in the middle of the countryside the next. The freedom, flexibility and sense of independence make me excited just as I write this!

Of course, we should not be blind to the potential pitfalls of living in a tiny home. There might be security concerns, as well as difficulties with necessities like internet and electricity. These are the comforts that living in a "normal-sized" home afford us, alongside the stability that we need when we think about family and health. They are also entirely reasonable reasons to avoid this more mobile and nomadic life - could you imagine shoehorning a family of four into a houseboat?! 

Next time you think about moving house, maybe think a little outside the box. Instead of only searching for one-bedroom apartments, could your next abode have wheels or be the tiny cabin you saw on Instagram? Do share your thoughts on this topic, I would love to hear from you!

Let's review some of the vocabulary from this column: