As much as they can, people across the country are looking to save money. Whether at the grocery store, the gas pump, or a restaurant, people are looking to stretch their dollars as far as they can. Some folks across the state, including in Leelanau County, have decided to enlarge their wallets by downsizing their living spaces and moving into tiny homes.
According to Innovative Tiny Houses owner Aaron Weaver, a tiny home is defined as a movable home.
“That is the true definition of a tiny home,” Weaver said.
However, the terms ‘tiny homes’ or ‘tiny houses’ are often used colloquially to describe a smaller residence.
Tiny homes and smaller homes are even making their way into the Short-Term Rental (STR) space, as there are currently 28 listed in Leelanau County on the Airbnb Official Site.
Some may like the idea of living in a tiny home for a short stay, but others see it as a long-term living solution. Local couple Rolf and Mari von Walhausen of Centerville Township began their own tiny home journey in 2012 when they purchased one.
“What we have is sort of a small house in that sense because it's permanent,” Rolf explained.
The couples’ house was brought to the property on wheels, but it rests on a foundation.
“Before that, we lived in one of those three-bedroom, two bath, two-car garage ranch houses,” Rolf said.
Rolf and Mari loved their previous home, but after the 2008 housing market crash, it began to feel like a burden.
“That really got us thinking about becoming debt-free and took us on this path,” Rolf said.
The couple also began questioning if they really needed as much space as they had, saying their home was too big for just the two of them.
The couple decided to try living smaller, moving their belongings into a 400-square-foot room in the back of their home.
“We found that this was really doable,” Rolf said.
The test runs for tiny living didn’t stop there; Rolf and Mari pushed themselves further, living in a tent in their yard for an entire summer.
During their new living experiments, the couple also began decluttering their home, preparing to commit to the tiny living lifestyle.
Rolf recognized that there are items that are important to hang on to, but they don’t necessarily need to live in the home.
“That’s sort of the secret to living in a small house; you do need to acknowledge the fact that you have stuff in your life that’s important, but you don't need it in your walk-in closet or your basement,” Rolf said.
“You could put it in a pole barn or a shed, or somewhere else.”
After their trial runs and realizing they could potentially live debt-free, Rolf and Mari decided moving out of their ranch house and into a tiny house was the best idea.
The couple bought land in Centerville Township before purchasing their very own tiny home.
The structure was pre-made and brought to the property, where the couple began living in their new 240-squarefoot home after years of living in a 2000-square-foot house. Rolf said he and Mari didn’t make the decision because it was trendy or an interesting thing to do, but because it was a means to an end to get them out of debt.
“Us getting out of debt was the main driver,” Rolf said.
Co-owner of Northwood Tiny Homes, Adam Earle, echoed Rolf, saying the interest in tiny home living tends to stem from a desire to save money on cost-ofliving expenses.
“I think it’s a cost thing, I think it’s an environmental consideration, (and) I think all of those are valid reasons,” Earle said.
He added that there is certainly public interest in moving into a smaller or even a tiny home.
“I get multiple people a day reaching out in some capacity,” he said.
Like Earle, Weaver said, “There’s a lot of movement in the market.”
While there is demand, potential buyers face hurdles depending on where they live. Rolf explained that each municipality has its own zoning laws and regulations regarding the size of dwelling, with some prohibiting smaller or tiny homes.
At the time, Centerville Township required a minimum of 800 square feet for dwellings, meaning Rolf and Mari’s house was not large enough to meet the township’s standards. The couple applied for a variance, but it was not accepted.
However, Rolf and Mari were not giving up and pushed to have the zoning ordinance amended.
“We went through that process, and our planning commission agreed unanimously, and they recommended to the board that it be changed. So, we actually enacted a change to our zoning (laws),” Rolf said.
Now, Centerville has no dwelling size restrictions, allowing Rolf and Mari to live in their new home permanently.
Over 13 years later, Rolf said he and Mari still live in their tiny home and that they are living there happily so.
Rolf said there are some inconveniences, such as storing books, clothes, his piano, and other items in a separate location rather than having access to all their personal belongings in their home.
However, Rolf says it’s a good trade; in addition to being debt-free, the couple can spend more time doing what they enjoy.
Because their living expenses decreased, Rolf and Mari can spend less time working and more time volunteering, being with friends, getting outside, and doing what they love. Rolf said their way of life forces them to get outside more, something the couple enjoys.
Weaver echoed Rolf and Mari, saying the lifestyle makes people want to get outside more.
“The tiny home life or small home life is for the people that want to spend more time outside and less time inside,” Weaver said.
“It gives them the opportunity to sometimes be forced to go out and do more outdoor activities.”
Rolf and Mari advocate for their way of life and encourage others to pursue a tiny home lifestyle.
Still, they encourage those to do extensive research before making any commitments.
“Look at the payoffs between maybe being able to work a little less to live a little smaller,” Rolf said.
