Insider’s reporter went to a tiny home village in Austin, Texas, to see what it’s like to live in one.Joey Hadden/Insider
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In Austin’s Village Farm Tiny Home Community, people live side-by-side in 399-square-foot houses.
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Residents share grills, gathering spaces, and can volunteer to work on the farm.
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If I were to ever live in a tiny home, after visiting the village, I’d want to live like this.
Previously on Insider, I spent two nights in a 250-square-foot tiny home and thought I could see myself living in one.
The author and the tiny home she stayed in.Joey Hadden/Insider
So on a recent trip to Austin, I visited Village Farms, a tiny home community that’s somewhat of an RV resort and a working farm.
A sign welcoming people into the community.Joey Hadden/Insider
I found Village Farms to be a tight-knit community, and the larger shared amenities made me feel like if I were to live in a tiny home myself, this would be the way to do it.
The author poses in front of the tiny homes.Joey Hadden/Insider
The 30-acre village includes about 70 tiny homes and an expanding 2-acre farm, Rebecca Powers, a representative for Village Farm Tiny Home Community, told Insider.
Tiny homes in the village from a distance.Joey Hadden/Insider
Powers said that there are some families living in the community, but it’s mostly couples, single millennials, and retirees.
Tiny home front porches in the village.Joey Hadden/Insider
Powers has a home in the community herself where she lived with her family of four for two years, she said. Living tiny helped her save up for their 10-acre homestead.
Powers and her dog in front of their tiny house.Joey Hadden/Insider
“I wouldn’t even say it was a sacrifice,” Powers told Insider. “We really enjoyed our time living in the tiny home. It has all the amenities you would expect in a full-size home. It’s just a little smaller.”
Powers sits on her porch with her dog.Joey Hadden/Insider
In the village, there are several different home layouts, Powers said, but they’re all the same size — 399 square feet.
A tiny home model with a loft space.Joey Hadden/Insider
Some homes have a bigger kitchen or bedroom while others have a bigger living space or bathroom, Powers explained.
A tiny home model with a narrow kitchen.Joey Hadden/Insider
Some floor plans come with a loft, which is great for families, but typically inconvenient for older or taller people, she added.
A tiny home model with stairs leading up to a loft.Joey Hadden/Insider
“We wouldn’t have been able to live in our tiny home for two years without that upstairs space, so the children have a place to sleep,” Powers said of her own experience.
A loft inside a model tiny home.Joey Hadden/Insider
While touring the homes, I noticed space-saving hacks like stacked washers and dryers and sliding barn doors.
A washer and dryer (L) and a sliding barn door (R) in a model tiny home.Joey Hadden/Insider
Even the village’s office was a tiny home, and I got to meet some residents when I stopped by there.
The community office building.Joey Hadden/Insider
Jacqualyn Blizzard-Caron and her family are leaving the village after two years, and told Insider that they’ll miss the neighbors most.
Jacqualyn Blizzard-Caron and her family.Joey Hadden/Insider
Blizzard-Caron said they hang out with the other tiny home dwellers at outdoor gatherings and events.
A recent pumpkin carving event in the village.Village Farm
“We’ve never been this close to our neighbors in any of the places that we’ve lived, Blizzard-Caron told Insider. “I don’t think we expected that they would be the saddest thing to give up.”
The neighbors gather at a fire pit in the village.Village Farm
Throughout the village, there are community hubs with amenities like grills, fire pits, pools, and hammocks.
A communal space with a fire pit and a grill.Joey Hadden/Insider
These types of outdoor amenities are decided on based on resident needs, Powers said.
Raised flower beds are part of the communal amenities.Joey Hadden/Insider
Powers said that by 2025, they hope to have 170 homes and about 300 residences at Village Farms.
The exterior of a tiny home in the village.Joey Hadden/Insider
Green Gate Farms, an organic farm, also operates on the property with a greenhouse and row crops, according to Powers.
The barn, (R) and greenhouse (L) at Green Gate Farms.Joey Hadden/Insider
On the farm, there are three sections of row crops that can feed up to 55 families, Powers said.
Rows of crops on the property.Joey Hadden/Insider
Community members can get involved and learn about farming by joining the gardening club, which is free for the whole neighborhood, Powers said.
More crops on the property.Joey Hadden/Insider
“It’s a fun way to get projects done, learn in the process, and get the community together,” Powers said, adding that about 30 people come to meetings on a regular basis.
People gather for a gardening club event.Joey Hadden/Insider
Also on the farm is the Bergstrom Barn, which is used for events, workshops, and community gatherings.
The exterior of the barn.Joey Hadden/Insider
Inside the barn, the first floor is home to chalkboards full of gardening club information and event supplies.
The first floor of the barn.Joey Hadden/Insider
Upstairs, there’s a large, sunlit space that has been used for weddings, club meetings, and other events. I thought it was the most beautiful part of the property.
The upstairs venue in the barn.Joey Hadden/Insider
I noticed dried flowers around the room, which Powers said were for a wreath-making class the community hosted.
Dried-out flowers hang in the barn.Joey Hadden/Insider
Across from the barn was a family farmhouse that is used as a communal space for events and gatherings, like a clubhouse, Powers said.
The exterior of the community farmhouse.Joey Hadden/Insider
I assumed living in a tiny home would mean I couldn’t host gatherings, but communal spaces like the clubhouse and fire pits make that possible.
Inside the community farmhouse.Joey Hadden/Insider
Powers said that Village Farms wants to build a community reminiscent of a traditional village with a shop and restaurant, which are both in the works.
A sign about the upcoming store and bistro openings.Joey Hadden/Insider
The strong sense of community made the idea of tiny living appealing to me, and by the end of my tour, I thought I could see myself living in a village like this.
The author snaps a selfie on her way out.Joey Hadden/Insider
If only they had one in New York City.
A view of the NYC skyline from the top of One Vanderbilt.Joey Hadden/Insider
Read the original article on Insider
