Bangor City Council Approves Tiny Homes

Reading a headline that said America’s housing prices are facing a stunning downfall. Experts say the trend will soon spread to Maine got me thinking.

Then I read that on Monday evening Bangor City council approved a new ordinance that will allow tiny home parks to be built in the city.

Tiny homes are a new trend all over America, so why not here?

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Before doing a deep dive and learning a few facts about tiny homes, the thought was yes it will be a cheaper version of a larger home, but there are fixed costs that might not change.

If you decided that a tiny home, which is defined as not more than 400 square feet, is what you need and want unless a developer is building a neighborhood of them the cost of purchasing land will not be less.

Nobody selling you a lot to put your tiny home on is giving you a break on the cost of the parcel just because you plan only to put a tiny home on it, instead of something 3, 4 or 5 times larger. Lot value is lot value.

Nor will items in the home necessarily cost less.  A sink is a sink. A toilet is a toilet. They cost what they cost no matter

Tiny homes also must meet the same building codes including plumbing and electrical codes as any home does.

But it sure sounds like tiny homes will be all over Maine, and not just in the cities.

There is a Maine company, called Tiny Homes of Maine. The company is based in Houlton and was founded by Corinne Watson in 2016. The family-owned business has been designing and building tiny homes for customers all over Maine. And their website says they are on a mission to make the tiny home dream attainable for more individuals.

Corrine has been an advocate for tiny home living and is working with Maine officials to help transition the state to be Tiny Home Friendly.

If tiny homes are the way for more people to be homeowners, who could be anything but positive about them? Even enthusiastic. Sounds like a win-win.