It is true that is it partly about class and stereotypes, but the Tiny House people have thought about this much more than you seem to think (I'm currently designing one). Here are some counterpoints.
Beyond class, the other major reason for Tiny Houses appearance is acceptance in local communities. If they look nice, people and the law tend to leave them alone. Also it is nice to be nice for appearances sake.
Because they don't move that much they often get wide permits and skirt the trailer or put it onto a pad such that it appears to be a small house rather than a something on a trailer.
I should say also this perception that Tiny Houses are, well, Tiny, is not quite accurate.
Some of them are very small, 200 sq ft. Many of the new builds for living full time are easily 500 sq ft if you include the loft space.
In America that may be still very small but in many countries such as mine, that is actually larger than many townhouses most people live in.
As for later discovering that they need more space, that is not something that scares Tiny House people. They already built a small house, constructing other modules to do other things doesn't scare them much.
It is difficult to overstate how much less expensive they are than the traditional housing route. 50% of the cost of building in the West is paperwork. That is half off the most expensive item most people buy in their lives.
The main hiccup is about Land. This is solved in different ways, I intend to buy mine.
Most Tiny Housers spend money on quality materials. I've worked in construction before and know that most 'modern' builds won't last much longer than a 30 year mortgage due to cutting corners, substandard materials and an overall lack of attention to detail. I fully expect my TH to last at least 50 years, probably longer, be constructed from state of the art materials, and still be 1/4 of the cost of the average house in my area (excluding land).
Of course not everybody can go this route but it beats being homeless or paying a mortgage for decades. Besides, as a geek it is fun to find out how things work, it is an education.
Beyond class, the other major reason for Tiny Houses appearance is acceptance in local communities. If they look nice, people and the law tend to leave them alone. Also it is nice to be nice for appearances sake.
Because they don't move that much they often get wide permits and skirt the trailer or put it onto a pad such that it appears to be a small house rather than a something on a trailer.
http://imgur.com/a/Dv8xE
I should say also this perception that Tiny Houses are, well, Tiny, is not quite accurate.
Some of them are very small, 200 sq ft. Many of the new builds for living full time are easily 500 sq ft if you include the loft space.
In America that may be still very small but in many countries such as mine, that is actually larger than many townhouses most people live in.
As for later discovering that they need more space, that is not something that scares Tiny House people. They already built a small house, constructing other modules to do other things doesn't scare them much.
It is difficult to overstate how much less expensive they are than the traditional housing route. 50% of the cost of building in the West is paperwork. That is half off the most expensive item most people buy in their lives.
The main hiccup is about Land. This is solved in different ways, I intend to buy mine.
Most Tiny Housers spend money on quality materials. I've worked in construction before and know that most 'modern' builds won't last much longer than a 30 year mortgage due to cutting corners, substandard materials and an overall lack of attention to detail. I fully expect my TH to last at least 50 years, probably longer, be constructed from state of the art materials, and still be 1/4 of the cost of the average house in my area (excluding land).
Of course not everybody can go this route but it beats being homeless or paying a mortgage for decades. Besides, as a geek it is fun to find out how things work, it is an education.