More and more Americans are joining the movement to purge the excess in their lives and search for ways that lead to a simpler, healthier, and more carefree lifestyle. Some contribute to the movement by simply cleaning out their shoe closet, planting a vegetable garden, or finally donating all of the furniture that has been sitting in their storage room for years. Others are taking it to the extreme and purging themselves of most of their worldly belongings, including their house, and are opting to live simply in 400-700 square foot apartments.

So why are Americans, whose houses typically average 2,200 square feet, downsizing to small apartments? Perhaps they are responding to the benefits of tiny apartment living: financial and emotional freedom, a greener lifestyle, getting to be creative with decor and storage, and having zero maintenance.

Financial freedom is the biggest reason why more and more Americans are deciding to live tiny.  Two main groups are fueling the movement: Millennials and Baby Boomers. College loan debt has put traditional homes out of reach for many Millennials and retiring Baby Boomers are looking to downsize to more affordable homes. According to an article published by “The Tiny Life,” around 50 percent of income of most Americans is dedicated to having a roof over their heads. This translates to working 15 years over the course of a lifetime just to pay for housing and, because of this fact, 76% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Living in a small apartment, with a smaller monthly rent, could give these groups the financial freedom to do the things they so desire.

A greener lifestyle is also contributing to why people are choosing to live tiny. Since the size of the apartment is so small, it accounts for less total space to heat and cool, which results in much lower utility bills. Not only does this save renters money, but it also conserves resources.  Tiny apartments are a great way to minimize your carbon footprint.

Another exciting benefit of tiny apartment living is you get to express yourself with functional decor. Now that the renters have rid themselves of all their clutter, excess junk, and large furniture, it is time to get creative with ways to enhance their small living space and make the most out of it. Websites like Pinterest are filled with fun and creative ideas to make even the smallest space not only livable but functional as well.  It is amazing to see just how much you can fit neatly in a small space!

The fact that residents of tiny apartments literally have no maintenance is also a huge draw to tiny apartment living. Not only do you have the maintenance free living that comes with every apartment community, like having a maintenance staff on site that takes care of any issue, or not having a yard to care for, but the apartment itself will be much less upkeep for the resident. Since the space is so small the resident will hardly have to spend any time up keeping or cleaning the apartment, so instead they will get to spend more time getting out in the community and doing things that they love!

Living in a tiny apartment forces you to change every aspect of how you approach life, but once tiny apartment renters are rid of all the clutter and back to basics they find that they appreciate what really matters. Whether you’re interested in downsizing your life, upsizing your enjoyment of life, reducing the clutter all around you, or simply limiting your impact on the planet, tiny apartments are a great way to make all these things and more happen.