What kind of jobs do people who are living in tiny houses have? Living in a tiny house means that one is limited in space, obviously. Does that restrict people in the kind of jobs they have? One would think so, but let us dig into this a little deeper. Or maybe, living in a tiny house opens up possibilities for work that one might not have living in a traditional house.
In this article, we have differentiated between working online, as well as working out in the countryside. We have not included jobs for people living in a tiny house in or near a city, since the possibilities are endless and mimic those of people living in a traditional house. We have also added a small section for jobs when you have a mobile tiny house.
As a bonus, we have also added jobs that are difficult to have when you are living in a tiny house. This way you will have a more realistic idea about the kind of jobs that are suitable in a tiny house: if you are well informed, you will be able to make better decisions.
Working from home
Ever since the pandemic hit the globe, more and more people have gotten used to working from home. It turned out that a lot more was possible in terms of working from home than previously was thought possible. Many people enjoyed working from home and were just as effective. Of course, it depends on the kind of work that is involved; some jobs just can not be done remotely, such as being a nurse.
Below you can find the kind of jobs that are easy to do online, from your desk in your tiny home. You will need a laptop, a desk, an office chair, and a secure and stable internet connection.
If you can work from your tiny house, that will save you the costs of having to rent a studio or office. You will not have to travel to your work and will save up time and money. And you are of course cutting down costs by living in a tiny house, instead of a traditional house.
One thing to keep in mind though is that if you are working from your tiny house, it is best to have the tiny house all to yourself. You will not be able to focus or make calls when there are others around. Maybe a partner could be in and out of the house while you are working, but you may get distracted too much by the sounds he or she is making.
If you have children, then it is best to have working hours while they are in school. If you are homeschooling or have very young kids, then working from home might not be the best option.
In a traditional house, there is often a spare room that can be used as an office to work in. In that case, other members of your household can be present simultaneously in your house whilst you are working. But in a tiny house, such a situation can be quite maddening and can create stress for all household members. So think about your situation: how can you make it work, is your situation suitable for working remotely?
1 Writer, photographer
These are ideal professions when you are living in a tiny house. All you need is a laptop, and a camera, that’s it.
2 Trader
If you are a trader, be it in crypto, stocks, or on the Forex market, then you will be fine working from your tiny house. You might want to arrange for a desk as large as possible, for you to have multiple screens. But you could do the job with just your laptop.
You will need a couch to cry on when you have had severe losses, and a few meters of space to do a little dance when your coin or stock is hitting all-time highs.
3 Online business owner
You can practically do everything from your tiny house if you have an online business: make calls, email clients, work on social media and be in touch with employees. It depends on the kind of business that you own really.
If you must visit clients or suppliers, you could do this occasionally, even if it means traveling quite far. That still would probably be less than spending a lot of time at an office. If you need to receive customers, you could rent an office unit for a day for example, which is cheaper than having to rent an office full time.
4 Accountant, controller
If you are working in finances, you can come a long way working from home. You can work those sheets and digits from your laptop at your tiny home, and calculate how much money you are saving by having low costs of living whilst enjoying your tiny house.
If there are meetings, these can be online, just as with the other online jobs. These days no one will be surprised if you ask for an online meeting; it has become the norm. Communication within a company is largely online these days. Platforms such as Teams, Zoom, Slack, Whatsapp, Google Meet, email services of course, and many more, are all here to make online jobs easy.
5 Internet sales
If you are into internet sales, for example selling products on Amazon or doing dropshipping, you could do this from your tiny house easily.
Placing orders, contact with customers and clients – it can all be done from your tiny house.
6 Online coach, therapist, or psychologist
These days, a lot is going on online, in the field of therapy and coaching. Where it was previously unthinkable to consult with your psychologist online, this has today become the norm. Of course, many people are still attending sessions physically, but the trend of doing this online is still growing.
People simply have discovered the advantages of having therapy online: it saves on travel time and costs, and it is easy to fit into a daily schedule.
If you are a coach or therapist, you can build up a fine business online. You can give consultations all week long, from your tiny house. You can give the consultation via a video call or just a call.
7 Website builder
There are plenty of people looking for someone to build a website for them. The online trend is still growing, and that means that more and more people are looking for someone to build them a website.
If you are not a website builder yet, it is not that difficult to become one. Of course, there is WordPress, and then there are quite a few other accessible website building companies out there, such as Weebly. With a little time as an investment, you could make a business out of this.
You can start by making your website, to promote yourself. You can tell friends and family about it, and start working and building up a network of customers. Word of mouth works very well in making a start with your business.
Jobs out in the countryside
If you have a tiny house and you live in the countryside, you can of course work remotely. If you prefer otherwise, below we have listed a few good options for you to consider.
Most people living in the countryside love nature and are used to being a bit more self-reliant than city dwellers, generally speaking. In the countryside, people still work with their hands, on the land, on farms, and in the woods. It is also needed; a lot more menial jobs are on offer than in the city.
7 Hunting / fishing / hiking / foraging guide
These days there is a revival of survival skills, such as hunting and foraging. If hunting and fishing is your thing, why not set yourself up as a guide? If you know the area well, and you know how to hunt and fish (sorry vegans), you can share this knowledge with others.
Or foraging, for wild edibles and mushrooms. The interest in these nearly lost skills is growing rapidly and can be a great way for you to earn money.
A lot of people love to go hiking and may need a little help. As a guide, you will know which trails are the most beautiful. You will know how to get back, and you can point out interesting spots, plants, trees, and animals.
Being a guide is also very well suited for groups; if you have ways to advertise yourself, you can build up a nice income from this.
8 Gardener, tree trimmer
In the countryside, people tend to have large gardens or farms. Someone will have to maintain it all. Gardening and tree trimming will be in demand.
You can just offer yourself to do the job, or you can work for a company. You may have to invest in doing a course and become a certified tree trimmer or gardener, but it will generally not take many hours to do so.
You can learn a lot from doing this work if you are interested in learning about plant life, and designing gardens. You will learn about working with the seasons, plants, trees, and animals.
9 Electrician, builder, plumber
These days there are a lot of jobs to be found in construction, for example as a builder or electrician. The energy transition is in full swing, and there is a big shortage of people who can do the job, such as people who can install solar panels.
You will probably not have to look very far to get a job; you may be hired the next day, regardless of experience or certification.
Of course, you can find such a job in the city too; it is just that in the countryside the supply of jobs may be less, but the demand is also lower. That means that if the demand is great, as is the case with these jobs, you will not have much competition and your chance of being hired will be even greater.
Living in a mobile tiny house
If you are the proud owner of a mobile tiny house, then you are very flexible when it comes to jobs. You can work from home, work out in the countryside, and even travel to a nice job that you wish to take on.
A mobile tiny house is not very convenient for long-term jobs if you like to travel around – unless you plan to travel and stay for a while at the places where you are hired.
Jobs that are not ideal when living in a tiny house
Since space is limited in a tiny house, jobs that take up a lot of space can be a challenge. If you are a woodworker or carpenter, for example, this could be problematic, since you will not have a garage or other space to work in and store your tools.
If you are an artist working with, say, stone or big canvases, this can also be a problem. You will need a studio to sculpt in or paint. Also, you need to store your materials and be able to work them.
Musicians with small instruments can practice in the tiny house; however, if you are a pianist, drummer, or cello player, things will become challenging. And bear in mind that, if you are a couple and your partner is working from home, this may pose a problem.
On the other hand, if your tiny house is placed within a community where you can access communal spaces, you could tackle the problem of not having enough space. Having a communal space opens up a lot of possibilities.
Final thoughts
All in all, we can conclude that online jobs on the one hand, and menial jobs on the other hand if you are living in the countryside, are the most accessible jobs when you are living in a tiny house.
It also depends on the number of people in your household (it can be kind of hard to have an online job in a tiny house with four kids for example).
If you succeed in having a nice job that is fulfilling to you whilst living in your tiny house, then you will make the most of your tiny life.
We hope that you have enjoyed this article – stay tuned for more.
