Because they are small, cost less to build, cost less to furnish, cost less to power, cost less to insure, and cost less to maintain, a micro mansion is within reach for most people. And you get all the luxury without the cost!
US real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling over 8,000 square feet (Source: Wikipedia). That’s pretty vague. So if I built an 8,001 square foot dwelling out of scrap materials, that dwelling could be called a mansion.
I think a better qualifier would be its degree of luxury appointments regardless of its size. I’ve been inside motorhomes that would fit this definition. Some people call these ultra-luxury motorhomes land yachts. I call them motor mansions.
Here’s my idea of a micro mansion.
Micro mansions are the same size as a small house, which is 400 to 1,000 square feet. The difference is in the premium materials used to build, furnish, and decorate them.
A micro mansion might include luxury features such as…
- Premium fixtures, sinks, toilet, and appliances.
- Marble or granite floors, countertops, and shower.
- Premium wood cabinets, closets, built-ins, and wall coverings.
- Premium insulation, double-paned windows, and top quality exterior doors.
- Central heating, cooling, and water and air purifying.
- Renewable energy system to 110% of demand.
- Built with all green and nontoxic materials. (I don’t consider this to be a luxury feature, but it cost more to use these materials. So it could be considered as a luxury purchase.)
Using these items might sound like it would cost a lot of money. There’s no doubt that it would be expensive, but you’ve got to put it in perspective. You do this by comparing the cost to doing the same things in a conventional size mansion. A micro mansion is a fraction of the size of a traditional mansion. Therefore it would take a fraction of the amount of materials to create a luxury environment.
Let’s compare the low-end of the mansion size with the low-end small house size. That would be 8,000 square feet versus 400 square feet. You could put 20 small houses inside of a “low-end” size mansion. Can you imagine what it would cost to put in 8,000 square feet of marble or granite flooring? Now imagine what it would cost to put in 400 square feet. That’s 7,600 square feet less!
There are some features you wouldn’t see in a micro mansion, of course. You wouldn’t see a bowling alley, movie theater, or indoor pool. But you might find these things on a much smaller scale outside of a micro mansion.
A micro mansion takes advantage of much lower cost exterior space to create more living areas! A micro mansion might even have a relatively large interior courtyard. That would create an ultra-private garden. A hot tub would be a must in such a garden. In addition, multiple covered and uncovered garden rooms would surround the micro mansion creating very usable and inviting outdoor living spaces. These spaces would be heavily appointed with shrubs, trees, and low voltage garden lights. For more ideas read this article I wrote entitled, “Landscaping Tips for Small Gardens.”
Are you getting the picture? Do you see how small houses can enable you to live in luxury? But just on a much smaller and smarter scale.
With a micro mansion, you get the best of both worlds. This is why so many people love what this lifestyle choice can do for them. How about you?