Would You Pay to ‘Test-Drive’ a Tiny House?

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A growing number of businesses now cater to people who are curious about so-called tiny houses.

One such company, called Getaway, offers customers the chance to spend the night in its custom-designed, eco-friendly 160-square-foot houses on wheels, which are located in secluded woodsy areas within a two-hour drive of Boston, according to its website.

Getaway is also the first project of the Millennial Housing Lab, which was founded by Harvard business, law and design students.

Jon Staff, the founder and chief executive of Getaway, tells the Associated Press:

“It’s a way to test-drive tiny house living. We operate them a little bit like hotel rooms in the woods.”

The definition of a tiny house varies, but some consider the definition to include homes with less than 400 square feet, according to the AP.

Tiny-house living “also means a simpler life, being friendlier to the environment, financial security, self-sufficiency and lots of adventure,” as Getaway’s website puts it. The average cost to build a tiny house is $23,000, and 68 percent of people who live in one have no mortgage, according to Getaway.

Staff, who is also a graduate student in business, tells the AP he became interested in the tiny-house movement after spending time living on a boat and in an Airstream trailer:

“Small spaces force you out into the world, and I think that’s a good thing.”

Another company that offers the curious a taste of tiny-house living is Caravan, a Portland hotel with six tiny houses ranging from 84 to 170 square feet, the AP reports. Dozens of tiny houses that are rented out by their owners are also available through vacation rental websites.

Getaway charges $99 per night and Caravan charges $145, according to the AP.

Would you book a tiny house for a vacation or to “test-drive” one? Let us know what you think below or on our Facebook page.

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