Tiny houses on wheels (Tiny House) have everything needed for living in a very small space
Experts cite the following reasons for the crisis in the real estate market: a large influx of foreign labor and active internal migration of young Germans, as well as the consequences of short-sighted policies in the construction of affordable housing. As Deutsche Welle notes, the shortage of affordable housing is forcing more and more families to leave large cities and move to suburbs.
Students are also having a hard time because the number of students at German universities is constantly growing. This in turn also leads to increased demand for housing and higher prices in the real estate market. Therefore, it is not surprising that everyone is interested in finding alternative housing models.
Tiny House – this is what tiny houses on wheels are called, which have everything needed for living in a very small space, used rationally and economically. This trend came to Europe from America.
For some, such houses have already become or are becoming a quite interesting, acceptable, and affordable alternative to city apartments. Recently, reports and features about such housing have been appearing fairly regularly in German media. Construction companies specializing in the manufacture of such houses are constantly expanding their range. Demand was fueled by the trading concern Tchibo. In 2018, in cooperation with a construction company, it released three models on the market at prices ranging from 40,000 to 60,000 euros.
The city administrations of German cities and the authorities of rural communities approve new projects and give this housing model a chance to take root. Thus, in Dortmund, it was decided to convert an abandoned sports field into a whole Tiny Village. By 2022, it is planned to install the first Tiny Houses in an eco-village within the city limits of Hanover. In North Rhine-Westphalia, this idea also found fertile ground. Thus, in Warendorf, it was decided to create an entire settlement of such houses.
Of course, this trend cannot yet be called mass. However, representatives of Generation Y have recognized the potential of this idea. Thus, in the Bavarian community of Mellmeisel, a whole village consisting of miniature houses has already appeared. The organizers of the project are 25-year-old spouses Stefanie Beck and Philipp Sanders.
The young couple has already invested about half a million euros in creating this village on the site of a former campsite, of which 25,000 euros went to their own Tiny House with an area of about 20 square meters. Now there are already 24 residential houses here, and about a dozen more will be added in the near future.
Three of them are rented to tourists, the rest have permanent residents. Next year, they plan to set up a common vegetable garden, plant an orchard, and keep chickens. For families with children, special modules have been provided – separate children's room extensions that can be transferred to other residents when the children grow up.
The banks that the couple approached for a loan were skeptical about the idea. Local authorities needed some time to sort out legal and bureaucratic issues before issuing the necessary permits. However, now the village has attracted attention. People have started coming to see it by the busload, so they had to put up a sign that the territory is still private property.
The project organizers, according to them, are receiving inquiries from municipal politicians from all over Germany.