What is a tiny home? A home is considered tiny if it ranges from anywhere below 400 sq ft or 37sqm. Tiny homes are mainly built on a mobile platform and come in all sizes, shapes and form all which enable one to live simply in a smaller efficient space.

A common saying is “We work hard to afford bigger houses than we need and we continue to work to fill our houses with more items we may not need but buy anyway”. An alternative to high cost of living is to live small

Have you ever considered living in a tiny home in Kenya? Read on for some helpful tips to guide you make an informed decision

Firstly, it’s important to self-seek and ask important questions such as why? What is the overall goal? There are those who are simply fascinated by the idea and are drawn into the lifestyle and those who are simply looking for cost saving measures to owning real estate. For the former, there are very many available options that will inform the structure and cost of building a tiny home in Kenya.

A sustainable and innovative approach towards green building has been the use of shipping containers as tiny homes. The most common sizes especially in Kenya are 20ft and 40ft and the prices of used containers range from 350,000 to Kshs, 550,000 respectively. A few important things to look out for before purchasing would be significant: rust, holes and damaged floor. Most importantly, ask questions about what the container was previously used for, to avoid exposure to dangerous corrosive chemical residues. Tiny home lovers need to come up with an in-depth list of what they must have in the space, as this will inform both the internal and external structure as well as the overall cost. Your current space will guide you to know where you spend most of your time and the items you value.

Our client wanted a quick solution to a relaxed and modern atmosphere while in the village. Within six weeks, we converted this 40ft container to a 1 bedroom house i.e. open living room and kitchen area, bathroom, toilet and bedroom.

The end product was nothing short of perfect!

Storage is everything in a very tiny space, hence designing and creating multifunctional pieces allows one to comfortably dwell in these spaces. For example, you may consider getting a table with storage drawers, slightly raised furniture for underneath storage provision, under bed storage drawers.

The cabinet designed below can be used as a wardrobe, table area for study and grooming and the additional open shelves storage areas which never seem enough yet quite essential.

We created a multifunctional countertop that can be used as a board while preparing meals in the kitchen, as a dining area and for storage as it has cabinets underneath

As we know there are both pros and cons to almost any decisions we make in life, living in a tiny home is no exception. There are significant benefits to living in this space: there’s reduced carbon footprint, it’s quick, much cheaper than building a conventional house, its mobile, and it’s private and cosy (for those who do not appreciate home visits…) Downside of these homes is it may be difficult to keep clean due to lack of space for storage of items also no indoor hosting so one has to invest in a beautiful outdoor set up for welcoming guests lastly say goodbye to shopping sprees.

The bottom line is tiny homes reflect a very simple and beautiful life which most of us would like to experience. It’s a liberating experience and also a drastic change of lifestyle which requires proper research prior to making that huge decision.