You are planning to go to your first tiny house conference. You’ve watched the tiny home television shows. You’ve followed the blogs and books that have emerged about tiny home culture. However, you still aren’t sure quite what to expect from your first tiny house conference. Here’s what you’re likely to find:
Tiny Home Tours
Almost every tiny house conference has homes that you can tour. After all, the best way to get a sense of what it’s like to live in a tiny home is to actually spend time in one. You’ll get the opportunity to wander through them. This is a great time to envision what it would be like to live in one of these small spaces. You can get a sense of where your things would go, how comfortable you might feel, and what some of the limitations might be.
Conversations with Tiny Home Owners
The tiny homes that are on display are typically brought there by the homeowners. Additionally, the builders sometimes come to the tiny house conference. In either case, you will have the opportunity to meet and talk with people who actually know what these tiny houses are all about.
Of course, the builders might have an agenda (to sell you a tiny home.) However, they can still provide a wealth of information. If you have questions about how to build or renovate a tiny home, then they are the people to ask. Similarly, owners of tiny homes can be a great resource for information about what daily life is like in one of these small houses.
Other Tiny House Conference Attendees
Like you, the other people who attend the conference may or may not own a tiny house. Like you, they definitely have an interest in this way of living. Therefore, you already have something in common. They might have questions, information, and ideas that you hadn’t thought of yet. Even if not, you have something to talk about. You might make new friends.
Lectures Rich with Information
You can get great advice from the other attendees and the tiny house owners at the conference. However, the richest information comes from the lectures and breakout sessions. After all, that’s why you’re at the conference. Each tiny house conference will have its own schedule. However, most of them have presentations that cover these basic things:
- Basics of building a tiny home
- Basics of buying a tiny home
- Design, layout, storage, and decor options
- Utilities and energy options for tiny homes
- Financing and budgets for tiny homes
- Broader eco-friendly living concepts
- Broader simple living/minimalism ideas
- Zoning regulations
These presentations are usually done by people who work in the tiny home industry. Experts in the field (including authors, real estate professionals, and business owners) provide well-researched information to answer your questions about tiny house living.
Support for your Dreams
You can get all of the information that you want about tiny homes without going to a tiny house conference. After all, there are books, articles, television shows, and plenty of other resources to find answers to your questions. However, a conference offers something that those things can’t: support. The conference is filled with people who believe in the tiny house dream.
Often, people who seek to live in tiny homes face an uphill battle with their friends and family. Despite the growing popularity of the option, many people still feel like it’s not a realistic way of life. If you live in a busy city, have a large family, or come from a place where owning a big home is a source of pride, then you might not have others who support your dream. A tiny house conference is the place to find people who will support what you believe is the next right step for your living situation.
2019 Tiny House Conferences and Festivals
Here are some of 2019 tiny house conferences and festivals you can attend:
- Tiny House Design Weekend, British Columbia, February 9-10
- Great American Tiny House Show, Tampa, Florida, February 23-24
- Georgia Tiny House Festival, March 1-3
- Great American Tiny House Show, Denver, Colorado, March 23-24
- St. Pete Tiny Home Festival, Florida, March 23-24
- Tiny House Festival Australia, March 23-24
- Great American Tiny House Show, Portland, Oregon, April 27-28
- Veterans Outreach Presents Tiny House Festival, Illinois, May 17-19
- West Coast Small Home Expo, British Columbia, June 1-2
- Outer Banks Tiny Home Festival, North Carolina, June 8-9
- People’s Tiny House Festival, Colorado Springs, August 2-4
What sounds great to you about living in a tiny home? What challenges do you struggle with?
Read More:
- Rent to Own Home Buying Pros and Cons
- How to Buy a Second Home
- Frugal Property: How to Invest with a Limited Budget
Kathryn Vercillo is a professional writer who loves to live a balanced life. She appreciates a good work-life balance. She enjoys balance in her relationships and has worked hard to learn how to balance her finances to allow for a balanced life overall. Although she’s only blonde some of the time, she’s always striving for total balance. She’s excited to share what she’s learned with you and to discover more together along the way.