Tiny House
Very often, opponents of the tiny house movement claim that appearance of small structures in an established neighborhood would bring property values down and attract undesirable people (usually, assuming homeless). In reality, one of the major property value indicators is a price per square foot. In tiny houses, it is usually significantly higher than in larger buildings. Also, considering a very limited availability of financing for this type of dwellings, many tiny house owners actually have savings and demonstrate more financially responsible behavior than an average American.
But today I want to talk about another misconception regarding the tinies. Many people think that tiny houses due to often being built DIY, have low standards of living and cannot satisfy the needs of a modern, technology-obsessed person. Let me invite you into my own tiny house.
Before you step inside, you are welcomed by Kuna’s Maximus outdoor light which combines a motion sensor and an HD security camera connected to my smartphone. Plus, it has a two-way intercom, so I can talk to my visitors even when I am thousands of miles away. Or, if there are unwanted guests, my light becomes a siren. In addition, I can use my smartphone app to set a schedule to turn the lights on and off and receive notifications about people knocking on my door. Talk about peace of mind!
To your right, on the foldable deck, you will see a wi-fi connected Davy Crockett pellet grill. So, I don’t need to freeze outside to monitor the grill temperature. All I have to do is to open an app on my smartphone and program precise cooking temperatures. One can utilize the cookbook in the app or create their own cooking profiles to be used in the future or shared with friends. No more problem of the temperature fluctuation. No worries about burning your steak. You will receive an alert when the meal is ready.
Next, you will see a Schlage keyless smart lock on the entrance door. Who needs keys if I can use individual codes for each family member and create temporary codes for guests. And you don’t even need to touch the lock in order to do that! You can lock and unlock the door from anywhere in the world (as far as you have the Internet connection). Additionally, it keeps records of every time each code was used, so you can know the exact time everyone comes home or leaves. It is especially convenient for those who use tiny houses for rentals such as AirBnB.
Come on in. To your right is my tiny kitchen. It features a three-burner super-efficient induction cooktop, Z-Wave-controlled coffee maker (so I can set up a schedule and specific settings to have my favorite coffee ready when I get up). While they are not Internet-connected, I am proud of my “smart water” devices. Both of my sinks have Altered Nozzles which save 98 percent of water. And my shower feels amazing with Nebia system offering the enjoyment of spa at home while saving 70 percent compared to “normal” water flow. By employing these products, I save money on both water and electricity which is used to heat it.
Speaking of water heating, I am excited about expected December delivery of a new “smart” on-demand water heater from Heatworks. Model 3 is a Wi-Fi connected device which replaces traditional coils with a proprietary Ohmic Array Technology to heat water. Nothing gets hotter than the water itself, resulting in zero scaling and corrosion. The MODEL 3 is adjustable from 30 to 100 Amps and can heat up to 4 gallons per minute. The technology leads to faster water heating and reduction of energy costs by 40 percent.
My tiny house has a lot of fun lighting features using smart LED bulbs and color strips by Phillips. I can set the schedule, change scenes through a Hue app on my smartphone, use Geo fencing (so I would never have to step into the dark house and never need to worry about turning the lights off when leaving) or use a voice control (thanks to Google Home).
Did I mention how easy it is to use the Google Home to control your lights and locks, set reminders and timers, check out weather and traffic, ask questions, play music, and make hands-free calls? Plus, it recognizes different voices, so I am not going to receive information intended for my husband.
I use Samsung’s Smart Things Hub to setup codes for my lock, control motion and flood sensors, as well as smart plugs to connect any powered devices to the Internet. I receive alerts on my phone when the temperature rises or drops when the door is left open, when the air quality changes or when there is water on the floor.
Nest Protect smoke/carbon monoxide detector provides quite heads-up about light smoke and alarm, phone alerts and directions in case of a real problem.
Humidity detector automatically turns on my exhaust fan in the bathroom when the humidity level exceeds the pre-set number.
My mini-split for AC and heating is controlled by artificially-intelligent Ambi-Climate 2. It is capable of learning about my “comfort zone”: temperature, humidity level, and automatically setting up the climate. I can control it through a smartphone app or by voice (using Amazon’s Alexa). The creators claim that Ambi-Climate saves 30 percent on energy consumption for a mini-split.
And of course, I have a smart 4K TV which is often used as a big screen for my iPad.
The last (for now) thing to complete my Smart Home is Movez – Z-Wave control for window blinds. I am still waiting for the product to be shipped from Sweden.
Generally speaking, I am a big proponent of opportunities provided by IFTTT and Z-Wave/Zigbee technologies. But even those who don’t want to get too involved can make their homes smarter without spending a fortune or getting a Ph.D. in computer science. Of course, most of these devices rely on the Internet connection. As far as you have it, you can enjoy all the fruits of the innovation. But I also get an alert as soon as my house loses wi-fi. So, I don’t have a false sense of security when my house is “disarmed”.
Owning a tiny house provides me with much more affordable opportunities to try new things and to live in a home which feels more like a house from the future. And I hope that by inviting you into my home, I have shown that tiny houses don’t have to be a habitat for cavemen. They can include all kinds of frills of a modern life without a slavery of huge mortgage payments.
Of course, I can live without all these gizmos. It’s a matter of personal choice because I love having fun with technology. But I can equally respect those who choose simplicity. For me, tiny house is about freedom – freedom from debt, freedom from stuff inherited from previous generations, and freedom of lifestyle.