Tiny house movement in California, some have a techie twist

Throughout history we have rocked the tiny house. Think of igloos, yurts, tents, huts. It is only in more recent times that status, materialism and the desire for/availability of more space has driven our perception of what size A home should be to a much larger size. 
In 1998 an architect named Sarah Susanska wrote a book called The Not So Big House, which promoted living in smaller, more efficient spaces. 

In 2002, an architect named Jay Shaffer founded the Small house Society and Tumbleweed Tiny Home company, which was the first company busting out affordable, high quality tiny houses available for purchase by the general public. Timing is everything, here comes the great, very scary 2007-2009 recession. All of the sudden people are really in need of affordable housing options. Shaffers tiny house company really took off. The media was digging on the movement, in 2013 a documentary called TINY a story about living small, became a popular watch. Reality TV shows like HGTVs Tiny House Hunter, and Tiny House Nation were prominent pop culture discussions. They were on trend, and this moved tiny house culture from being fringe, to much more mainstream.

The tiny house movement signified a stand against consumerism, living simply, without the pressures of massive bills and so much keeping up with the jonses. There is an environmental angle, leaving a smaller footprint, utilizing resources wisely, and sustainable practices. 

There is also an over-arching concept of freedom resulting from simple living, lots of people have built them off grid. They are often moveable structures, that could be taken from place to place. They require less heating and cooling, use fewer materials for construction and generate less waste. People opt for compost toilets, solar panels and rainwater collection systems. For tiny house owners, not relying on PG&E or a water company is a really big deal, breaking the chains that bind us, both metaphorically and financially, is very attractive. 
Building a tiny house typically costs between 20,000 and 80,000 dollars with very low monthly expenses, averaged at 125 dollars. That’s a small fraction of a lot of our electric bills alone, geez. 

In 2025 in the Bay Area, we have a booming tech industry. Silicon Valley is popping. People move here to work in the industry and need a place to live. Housing prices in the Silicon Valley area are no joke, and even if they could afford it, a lot of tech industry workers don’t want to take on that big mortgage. That’s not unreasonable, right? 

So now we see a new modern iteration of the movement, the tech bro tiny house. Yeah buddy, it’s a smart home on steroids, but really really small. So now, the minimalist aspect remains uncluttered, but it’s got some high-income flair to it. The space is still a mere 409 square feet, but it has a smart lock, it has heated and cooled eco friendly flooring, it has automatic Curtains integrated into its all-in-one control system accessed through your smart phone. 

These tiny homes can also address one of our state’s biggest barriers to entry these days, insurance, specifically fire and disaster related. These new designs are built to withstand 8.0 earthquakes. They can be 3D printed, and ready to be on a crane being moved to your spot nearly immediately. They can be built from largely fire resistant materials and plumed for water/sewer connections as well as prewired for hvac. Your entire home might only need a 150-amp power source to run everything all at once, doable. 

Although these techie tiny homes are a far cry from some of the original, cut the ties that bind roots, you can see how this living option makes a ton of sense given the challenges Silicon Valley tech industry workers face for housing. Even broader, 3D printed, efficiently built, low-cost, fire-resistant home options for residents of California across the board are a very appealing option for the future! As the state juggles low inventory and a full-on home insurance crisis, alternative designs are a huge asset. Post covid, the country as a whole saw an upswing in the homesteader’s movement. Young families, freaked out by the idea of overreaching governmental control, and the idea of not being able to provide for dependents if the food system was disrupted bought acres and chickens and tried to disconnect. This is another current societal trend that has revamped tiny house popularity. 

The cost of living is very high, fluctuation and instability of costs are very scary on a regular basis for a lot of Californians. Owning your tiny home, knowing you’ve got those under wraps, that’s a feeling a lot of us only dream of. Maybe it’s something to consider more seriously, look on Instagram, check out tiny home builder websites, for both high tech smart homes, down to the very basics, tiny homes are having a moment!