This month, Consumer Reports rolled out their March 2016 edition focusing on housing – “Boost Your HOME’S VALUE by 35%” it claims on the cover. This is a great topic we know well! I love Consumer Reports and want to dive into a few things. There are many topics in this edition I’ll likely review over the coming month, and right now, the topic of Tiny Homes is what I want to discuss. They are trending nationwide and a lot of folks are considering the option of a tiny house for a getaway home or even as a permanent residence. Wikipedia calls a “tiny house” anything less than 1,000 square feet. My college apartment would qualify!  🙂

Locally in Murphy NC, the tiny house movement is not strong. We rarely see them here or people looking to purchase land to put one on. Don’t discount them though! On a recent trip to Murphy from Atlanta, we saw several folks advertising them alongside the road. We even have a vendor locally who can set one on the property for you if you would like to purchase one (email me for details if you want to purchase one and I will get you connected with him).

There’s a really neat blurb in this Consumer Reports, “The Huge Truth about Tiny Homes” that reads:

The tiny-house movement has been enjoying its media “close-up,” even getting an HGTV show, “Tiny House Hunters,” dedicated to those seeking living spaces no bigger than a school bus. But the truth is that newly built single-family houses are still getting bigger. In fact, we hit another record high for overall size in 2014 – reaching a national average of 2,657 square feet. Of the 620,000 newly constructed single-family homes in 2014, only 48,000, or about 8 percent, were smaller than 1,400 square feet. Meanwhile, about 10% were 4,000 square feet or more. “The tiny-house movement is pretty tiny,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, adding that homes smaller than 1,000 square feet made up less than 1% of U.S. sales from 2010-2015. “People might seek smaller units for affordability or environmental benefit, but they quickly realize that, in terms of comfort, it’s not a permanent solution.”

-Consumer Reports

I personally was astonished at the size difference and the national average. It all makes perfect sense, I just never thought of it in such a manner. When you’re looking for your home in Murphy NC, be proud whether you’re looking for a tiny home or if you want a much nicer, larger home. Know we are here for you to find exactly what you’re searching for. Just like the sign you’ll find in many cabins here says, “If you’re lucky enough to be in Murphy, than you’re lucky enough!”

Feel free to Contact Us and let us know what we can do for you 🙂

John Poltrock – The Poltrock Team – REMAX Mountain Properties – Murphy NC – www.MyMurphy.com – Call us Toll Free at 1-866-Murphy-NC or 1-866-687-7496 – Murphy’s #1 Real Estate Team