Furnish your interior with custom-made furniture

Whether you are in the middle of a “change of decoration” project, whether you are moving into a new home or just want to change your furniture to save space, what you want above all is to feel good at home!

Yes, but there you have it… Often we find ourselves either lost in the aisles of a specialized department store to buy a piece of furniture (or downright the entire kitchen …) that will do the job, certainly, but that we will not be able to see in painting soon or whose Finishes leave frankly to be desired and will not resist the passing of time (ouh the door that remains in the hands … yes it’s ^^ experience).

Either we try to hunt for hours a piece of furniture on leboncoin that is as close as possible to what you have in mind but not really in fact; or either we pass a small express order on Amazon and company (sacrilege!) crossing your fingers that the quality is not too bad and closing your eyes to its carbon footprint…

And if in addition you are like us and the slightest element that does not find its place horrifies you to the highest point,it is the pompom!

A book too big that can not be stored in the library vertically, a dress too long that hangs on the floor in the closet, this magnificent decorative object which, the poor, is totally invisible in this piece of furniture, door handles simply too ugly, this console too wide or on the contrary not deep enough, …

In short, we are rarely fully satisfied! Be careful, no misunderstanding, it is not us who are too demanding, we just like perfection it is different and there is no harm in it ^^

But my little finger tells me that you would be more soothed with a custom-made piece of furniture that perfectly matches your needs and your taste.

Imagine: the ideal dressing room created especially for your clothes, an ultra-functional custom kitchen that corresponds exactly to your way of storing and cooking where each pot, each pan, each element has its place even your food processor or raclette appliance, nothing is troublesome everything is optimized …

Ah the dream…

Well, good news! This fullness is possible by integrating custom-made furniture into your apartment or house! Because yes, ladies and gentlemen, as a proverb might say: “It is not the housing that must adapt to the furniture but the furnishings that must adapt to the habitat.”

And that’s good, at Bimify,it’s clearly our dada: to use our know-how to create with you the custom-made furniture of your dreams!

Go follow us, we explain in this article everything you need to know to design your custom furniture project!

YOU ARE UNIQUE, YOUR FURNITURE TOO

Furnish your interior with custom-made furniture

Before even talking about the originality and quality of a custom-made piece of furniture, its first advantage is to be able to make the entire surface of your home profitable. Every space can be optimized!

Whether you have a rather classic dwelling or an atypical dwelling such as a sloping apartment, an architect’s house, a loft, a large house or on the contrary a small studio, you can install custom-made furniture in all rooms (even the ^^ toilets) and therefore gain m² with optimized storage spaces.

You can arrange all the corners of your house: the sub-slopes, the corridor, the staircase and even add an additional room with the creation of a mezzanine for example! With this totally optimized living area,integrated into your home, your interior decoration is therefore much more harmonious and the living space freed up.

Always to make the volumes of your home as profitable as possible,do not forget that a custom-made piece of furniture is by definition functional and can therefore have several uses: a library can be transformed into an office space or act as a room divider.

Another strong point of a custom-made piece of furniture is its quality.

Forget the standards of specialized stores that have an economic model based essentially on prices and that necessarily reduce the quality and durability of their products.

A custom-made piece of furniture Made in France is in no way comparable. We are not in the same logic of economy and manufacturing.

10 reasons to buy a custom-made piece of furniture

Materials selected for their quality: solid wood, laminate or poplar plywood.
The French origin of materials from sustainably managed forests.
High-end Blumhardware.
Neat finishes brought by our team of carpenters.
A work carried out entirely by hand, without automation of manufacturing.
An increased requirement at each stage of manufacture of custom-made furniture.
A unique piece of furniture that is fully customizable.
A furniture warranty ranging from 2 to 10 years.
Advice from our experts, flexibility and great responsiveness.
A sustainable investment for the value of your home.

Just as you can certainly already do for your food, having a custom-made piece of furniture made is having a more responsible, committed and local consumption. It’s all well and good to eat local fruits and vegetables but if you buy a piece of furniture made on the other side of the world it no longer makes sense, let it be said ^^.

Another good reason to buy a custom-made piece of furniture is of course for its originality!

Stand out from the standard furniture of specialized stores that can be found in any interior, display your own style in a unique decoration,it is possible by customizing as you wish your dressing room, your bookcase, your table and even your custom kitchen!

At Bimify,we start from the blank page and we give free rein to your imagination: choice of materials, colors, dimensions, design … everything is modular! Your furniture will be a real tailor-made creation! And you will also enjoy this sweet pleasure of having a piece of furniture of noble material, quality where the veining and each knot of the wood used are unique!

DESIGN A CUSTOM-MADE PIECE OF FURNITURE, WORTHY OF A DECO MAGAZINE

Let your imagination overflow and put yourself in the shoes of the greatest furniture designers for a moment: creation has no limits!

Of course, then will come the time of the feasibility of the project, the laws of gravity and the budget but we are not there yet. To start, list and/or draw the furniture of your dreams!

To help you, we have drawn up a list of questions to design your future custom-made furniture:

Which custom-made piece of furniture do you want? What function(s) will it have?
How do you see it? What kind of decoration do you like? Do not hesitate to look for inspirations in decomagazines, on Pinterest, Houzz, Lilm or Instagram!
What elements should be stored there? Will they have to be hidden or on the contrary do you want to expose them?
What is their number, their dimensions, their weight? For example, the number of books for a library or the number of utensils for a kitchen.
Will these objects have to be easily accessible?
Will there be cables to hide in the cabinet? As for a tailor-made TV stand for example.
What brightness do you want? Will the custom-made furniture have to incorporate luminaires? If so, which ones: spots, leds, etc…?
What type of doors: sliding or hinged? Which opening system: door knobs, handles or a press opening system?
What accessory elements do you want to integrate into your custom-made furniture? For example drawers, rods, sliding trays, etc.
What shape for the legs of the furniture do you want? Their dimensions, their material?
What are the measurements of your furniture? Do not forget to take into account complaints, switches, etc …
What material(s) would you like for your custom-made furniture? What color(s)? Matte or glossy? By going through Bimify you will benefit from a very wide range of colors to create the custom-made furniture to your liking! The materials and colors are almost infinite 😉

There will also come the time foran exchange with our Bimify experts to discuss your custom-made furniture project and its feasibility; perhaps elements will have to be reviewed for the final project but always designed as close as possible to your desire.

Then you will receive its 3D design and the manufacturing process will be launched!

BUYING A TAILOR-MADE PIECE OF FURNITURE, A SUSTAINABLE INVESTMENT

As you have understood, by buying a custom-made piece of furniture it is its quality, originality, solidity and know-how that you pay.

It is to make the choice to invest so that the furniture is like no other and lasts several years. That it can be passed on to your children or that it becomes an asset for the value of your home! Tailor-made dressing room, built-in cupboards, equipped kitchen, so many arguments that are put forward on real estate ads and that attract potential buyers!

How much does a custom-made piece of furniture cost? As the price varies according to materials, hardware and accessories (drawers, doors, etc.), it is not possible to establish a fixed price.

But here are some examples of basic rates that we offer at Bimify:

Tailor-made kitchen	from 2500 €
Custom-made dining room table	from 1200 €
Tailor-made TV stand	from 700 €
Tailor-made dressing room	from 1400 € / linear meter
Custom library	from 1150 € / linear meter

Now that you know everything about the manufacture of a custom-made piece of furniture, do not hesitate to contact our team to design together your future furniture! Contact us here!

Do you want to set up a small apartment? Read our blog post How to arrange small spaces?

Setting up a tiny house in France or Belgium: what does the law say?

As you surely already know, making the choice to live in a Tiny House is now legal in France and is governed by the ALUR law (law for Access to Housing and Renovated Urbanism), adopted on February 20, 2014.

Before this law, there was a legal vacuum around alternative housing thus depriving many people wishing to invest in a tiny house for budgetary reasons or ecological convictions.

From now on, living other than in a house or apartment is allowed in France.

But if the ALUR law is a precious help to allow everyone to live in the habitat of their choice, it also allows town halls to accept or not your alternative housing according to certain criteria.

We therefore specify in this article your obligations and your rights to install a Tiny House in France and how to avoid a refusal on the part of your town hall. We also explain the different legislation for alternative habitats in our Belgian friends.

What is a light habitat?

There is a very precise definition of the government to define a light habitat: “All light habitats have in common that they are removable, mobile and synonymous with a way of life based on sobriety and autonomy.”

We could therefore group in the same basket all alternative habitats such as yurts, tiny houses, teepees, trailers, mobile homes, tree houses etc … But in reality c’est l’utilisation que vous allez en faire which will determine the steps you need to take to install it on your land.

Installation of a light habitat: what does the Law say?

Be careful, hang on! We are going to take out the legislation here. Yes it is quite leading and indigestible to read but it is that it is a question of being precise (and untouchable for the Town Hall ^^)!

To begin, here is what article R-111-46-1 of the Urban Planning Code states:

” Installations without a foundation with indoor or outdoor equipment and which can be autonomous vis-à-vis public networks are regarded as removable residences constituting the permanent habitat of their users. They are intended for residential use and occupied as their principal residence for at least eight months a year. These residences and their outdoor equipment are, at any time, easily and quickly removable.”

Clearly, if you want the installation of your Tiny House to be protected as a removable residence, then you must leave it on its trailer to be easily transportable, occupy at least 8 months / year and that we can install equipment to be self-sufficient in electricity and water. Article R-421-19 of the Urban Planning Code specifies that a Development permit will be required for “The development of built or unbuilt land to allow the installation ofat least two removable residences creating a total floor area greater than forty square metres, as defined in article R. 111-51 and constituting thepermanent habitat of their users.”

So for a total floor area of less than 40 m2, a prior declaration is sufficient ! (Article R421-23 of the Urban Planning Code). This is also the case if you install your Tiny House less than 3 months in the field, as explained in our Article How to install a Tiny House on a plot of land .

If you do not want to connect to the public network and be 100% autonomous in water and electricity, thearticle R441-6-1 of the French Town Planning Code states that “Where the application relates to the development of a plot of land with a view to the installation of demountable residences as defined in Article R. 111-51, in accordance with Article 5 of the French Code of Obligations, the applicant must include in his application a copy of the following documents L. 111-11, a certificate permettant de s’assurer du compliance with health and safety rules, the building is designed to meet the needs of its occupants, particularly in terms of fire safety and the provision of water, sanitation and electricity. These conditions shall be laid down, where appropriate, by the local urban development plan, in particular in the sectors delimited pursuant to Article L. 151-13.”

These removable residences are different from light leisure homes.

The latter are considered by Article R111-37 of the Urban Planning Code as ” removable or transportable constructions, intended for temporary or seasonal occupation for leisure use.”

They can be implemented:

1°) In residential leisure parks specially designed for this purpose;
2°) In holiday villages classified as light accommodation in application of the tourism code;
3°) In the outbuildings of family holiday homes approved in application of the Tourism Code ;
4°) In the regularly created campsites, with the exception of those created by prior declaration or created without planning permission, these sites must be declared to the town hall in accordance with the provisions of the town planning code as they stood prior to 1 October 2007, or they must be natural camping areas. In this case, the number of light recreational dwellings must remain less than either thirty-five when the land includes less than 175 sites, or 20% of the total number of sites in other cases.

Outside these locations, light leisure dwellings are subject to the common law of constructions.

The areas where to install your Tiny House

Owning land does not mean that you have the right to settle there freely. The freedom to become a homeowner is one thing, the freedom to fully enjoy it is another.

And yes, as citizens, we have rights AND duties.

But we will go back for the history and philosophy lesson, what interests us for the moment is much more pragmatic: where can I install my Tiny House in France?

On a private building plot, with the prior application or the permit to develop as seen above.

But now with the ALUR law, municipalities can also define in the PLU special zones for light habitats. In urban areas and in “pellets“: those agricultural or natural areas that are normally non-buildable.

It is therefore possible to install your Tiny House as part of a STECAL (Limited Size and Capacity Sector), which is a badge on the zoning map, included in the PLU, which specifies that light housing is accepted. In this case, it is a derogation from the non-constructibility provided for by the ALUR law.

But beware! Some areas remain prohibited from installation:

the so-called “STICK” agricultural areas as well as the protected natural areas in the PLU.
areas where isolated camping and the creation of campgrounds are prohibited.
woods, forests and parks classified by the PLU or a POS, such as wooded areas to be conserved for example.
classified forests, pursuant to Title 1 of Book IV of the Forest Code

To find your way around, the hameaux-legers.org site lists some municipalities and land available for light habitats. We also advise you to get closer to your town hall upstream to check the PLU.

Despite the supervision of the ALUR and the obligations of the owners and municipalities, it is not uncommon to read that a mayor refused the sustainable installation of a Tiny House in his municipality, taking as a pretext “landscape integration“.

As this specialized lawyer answers:

“Landscape integration meets subjective but also legal criteria despite everything. Any construction project must integrate into an existing environment and look at the environment in which we integrate.

Obviously, if I am in a place that has no natural or architectural particularity, the mayor will not be able to oppose it.

But if I’m in a city centre with a very linear architecture, like in Brittany, I can’t do just anything. It is the same if I am in a natural environment with a very strong landscape quality.

At that time, we can have a debate on landscape integration.”

But the need for a change of course is there! The housing crisis, the need to apply more sustainable, low environmental impact and more accessible construction methods is becoming an obligation. All these elements mean that, with time and future jurisprudence, light housing can only develop!

What about Tiny Houses in Belgium?

Among our Belgian neighbours and friends, legislation varies from region to region.

In Wallonia, the Tiny House is recognized as a light habitat in the same way as wooden huts, yurts and trailers, since September 2019.

The Tiny House must have at least 3 of these characteristics :

be movable
be removable
have a low weight
have a reduced volume
not be on foundation
not be connected to the impetrants (electricity, gas, water networks)
be self-built
have a limited footprint
not having a floor

Despite everything, the Walloon Code of Housing of Sustainable Housing requires a building permit to build your Tiny House but its procedure has been relaxed since you are exempt from calling on an architect. This Walloon Code only applies to places that serve as residence for users and not as tourist accommodation. Finally, you are allowed to live there if you respect the urban planning rules, otherwise you will get a provisional domiciliation.

In Brussels and Flanders, there is no legal framework for the tiny house.

You still need a planning permit and respect the Regional Planning Regulation, especially concerning the area and ceiling height of the Tiny House.

In Brussels, the Brussels Housing Code mentions “itinerant” housing (in reference to the Travellers’ home) without providing any clear details on the subject.

In any case, it is certain that in the capital, a building permit is mandatory beyond 5 m2.

While in Flanders a permit is required if the construction exceeds 6 m2. The Flemish region partially recognises “trailers and other forms of experimental housing”. A Tiny House project? Contact our team to discuss! Click here

How to install a Pool House by the pool?

Is spring coming and you immerse yourself in the ideas of landscaping your exterior? A relaxation area with garden furniture and parasol: check. A vegetable garden to grow your own tomatoes and strawberries: check also.

A swimming pool to refresh the whole family: again check. All that is missing is the Pool House stage to store the pool equipment. And why not arrange it so that it becomes a new additional living room ?

Summer kitchen, SPA with hammam / sauna or jacuzzi, Cloakroom with bathroom and toilet, etc … The pool enclosure is not obliged to confine itself to its status as a simple technical room. It can be much more than a storage place to store buoys, fries and sunbathing!

The different types of facilities for a Pool House

Your future Pool House can of course only be utilitarian and only serve as a technical room for your pool to store equipment and games. In this case, you can start on the installation of a small wooden chalet quite classic or on a much more design element such as a block with hidden storage and why not integrate an outdoor shower!

How to install a Pool House by the pool?

Your Pool House can also be a room open to the outside to create a shaded space on your land. A room that will allow you to easily shelter from the sun or drops and take a good nap (children or you ^^) near the pool.

This new space on your land can also be modular by installing, for example, louvers or accordion bay windows to open your Pool House according to your desires, the whims of the sky or to hide from your eyes …

You can also transform your pool enclosure into a summer kitchen by setting up a sink and custom-made furniture to prepare good small meals and tasty barbecues. Install tables and chairs to receive your guests in the summer under this shaded space during the day, in the evening by installing mosquito nets, and even all year round if you want to add a heater or a stove !

Is your land uneven? Don’t panic, you can turn it to your advantage by playing on the wahoo effect: a troglodyte pool house ! Use the particularity of your land to create an underground shelter, which remains cool all summer with a small effect Welcome to the Hobbits!

And why not use your Pool House as a small extra house ? A mini-house where on one side you install the technical room of your swimming pool and on the other you arrange it with all the necessary comfort to accommodate your guests and even put it in tourist rental. A good solution to make this space profitable and use it all year round!

With Bimify, you can design your pool enclosure project completely tailor-made. For example, by usingaluminium for a more contemporary spirit; with a flat or vegetated roof ; one mezzanine inside; one single or double slope roof ; a Pool House in L, square, small, large, … Everything is modular! Our constructions are tailor-made according to your desires in our workshop in Gironde. So treat yourself with a project that suits you!

Materials to use for a Pool House

As with any construction, the choice of materials for a pool enclosure is not to be neglected so that it is durable and comfortable. For the terrace around your pool, we advise you to select moisture-resistant and anti-slip materials to limit the risk of slipping!

Also pay attention to the colors! Do not forget, that exposed to the sun, the colors too light dazzle and that the too dark ones burn the little bare feet ^^

Which materials are to be preferred for your Pool House?

How to make a wooden deck not slippery around the pool?

Contrary to popular belief, wood is naturally non-slip, provided it is well maintained! So you can use it to make a beautiful wooden deck around your pool.

Be careful, however, not to neglect its maintenance: it is by leaving it too long without maintenance that microalgae will form a greasy film, which will prevent the water from being absorbed and will increase, in fact, the number of micro-algae and the terrace will thus become more and more slippery.

To maintain the wood of your terrace is very simple! 1 to 2 times a year, brush it with soapy water such as Savon de Marseille. Do not do it with a high-pressure cleaning! This would only damage your wood and accentuate its greyness.

And for more safety, you can also apply an anti-slip coating to your wood. There are also non-slip wooden decking blades.

Which non-slip materials to choose for floors, other than wood?

You can also use tiles, stone or composite for the floors of your pool house and the terrace of your pool.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of exotic wood?

The main assets of exotic wood are its strength and aesthetics. Warm and elegant, exotic wood ensures a weatherproof terrace. However, due to its density, exotic wood is more difficult to work with. It is therefore more expensive to buy. Finally, although there are labels such as PEFC or FSC guaranteeing exotic woods from sustainably managed forests, its carbon footprint, especially due to its import, is much larger than French or European wood.

Do you have a Pool House project? Bimify offers you different finishes: in kit to assemble yourself, out of water / out of air, ready to finish or turnkey. Do not hesitate to contact our team to discuss your tailor-made project by clicking here !

We also invite you to consult the article How to install a garden studio on its land to know everything about the foundations to be provided for your pool house, the administrative procedures to be carried out upstream as well as the taxes applied.

Find out more about tiny houses: list of books, reports and series to discover

Whether one is looking for information to build your own tiny house, know the stages in building a mini house on wheels, find ideas for mini house plans or simply in search of inspiration and ideas there are lots of books, documentaries and series on the subject, and new ones are coming out all the time!

BOOKS ABOUT TINY HOUSES

The Bimify team has concocted especially for you a list of books in French on tiny houses to discover. You can get them online either at Cultura , the Fnac or at Mollat , among others, in paper or ebook format; either at your neighbourhood bookstore or on the sites of independent bookstores ( placedeslibraires.fr / librairiesindependantes.com) or buy second-hand on Momox or Recyclivre :

Tiny House Vivre Autrement / Eric Valz / Casa Editions

Tiny houses conquer the world. This frugal, innovative and wonderful way of life is made available to everyone in this practical guide offering concrete advice to carry out all projects. Brimming with ideas and sources of inspiration, it allows us to share the stories of those around the world who have taken the plunge and changed their lives. Many emblematic examples allow us to know everything about this new ecological habitat, full of promise for a better world.

Tiny houses Small constructions, great freedom! / Elisabeth Nodinot, Mickaël Desloges, Bruno Thiery / Editions Rustica

Tiny houses, literally “tiny houses”, are attracting more and more French people: offering freedom and autonomy, they are the embodiment of a new way of life, deeply rooted in ecological reflection.

Nomadism and minimalism are the key words of this rolling habitat that has adapted to offer maximum comfort in a small space.

This book opens the doors of the mini-houses designed by the first French tiny house construction company.

Take advantage of the planning advice and discover room by room the design methods as well as all the essential information to know before starting: budget, legislation, energy, land, travel, insurance…

Do not hesitate… tiny houses, a philosophy of life to adopt without delay!

My life in tiny house / Eve Marcorelles / Editions Rustica

A couple, two children, a tiny… all year round!

From the dream project to the construction, from the discoveries of the installation to the new daily habits, from the great joys to the small disappointments…

Here are anecdotes, practical tips and tricks, given in friendship by our family of pioneers tiny housers: design, budget, legislation, energy, land, travel, insurance, development and decoration, well-being and daily life, ecology, minimalism …

Through this book, discover the innovative life experience of this freedom-loving family.

Tiny house Le nid qui voyage / Célia Robert, Bruno Thiery, Yvan Saint-Jours / Editions YpyPyp

A first part composed of twelve tiny houses detailed in photographs with many legends and stories of the inhabitants, and a second consisting of a technical notebook presenting in detail the realization of a tiny house.

Tiny house Small spaces, big dreams / Brent Heavener / Editions La Martinière

Presentation in images of tiny houses that testify to a desire to simplify both architecture and lifestyle.

Small eco-houses / Evergreen Collective / Trilingual edition

Increased environmental awareness, recent technical discoveries, as well as a return to traditional construction methods, such as orientation according to the sun, are leading many project owners to build small ecological houses.

This type of housing is the first step towards a more sustainable and responsible architectural policy.

Moreover, it is not only a question of using more natural building materials, of reducing energy consumption in an exemplary way and of avoiding polluting substances.

It is above all a question of creating small oases generating a higher quality of life, for the benefit of its inhabitants.

A host of examples show the architectural charm of ecological houses, whether they are made of stone, wood or cob.

The wide range of environmentally friendly materials allows architects to consider individual solutions for each project.

This book illustrates, thanks to the small ecological houses selected here, what is achievable in the field of sustainable construction.

It proposes concrete architectural alternatives. Long considered architectural curiosities, environmentally friendly ecological houses set the standards for tomorrow’s construction.

Published on 09.02.22 Imagine ma Tiny House/ Fanny Moritz / Edition Nautllus Médias

Former model in Hong Kong who became a figure of the “Zero Waste” movement.

Fanny Moritz went to the end of her approach by building a tiny-house.

Here she details what you need to know before embarking on such a project. The history of these minimalist houses, but above all, step by step, the questions that must be asked, the choices that arise, the arguments in favor of this or that option, etc …

A guide that is both informative and very practical to allow you to embark, in turn, on a Tiny-house construction project when you do not know much, or nothing, at the beginning…

Published on 22.03.22 My wild nights: the tiny house phenomenon / Sylvie Pérenne / Edition Bookelis

Sylvie has everything plated. The comfort of a conventional life, his big house in the forest, his guy, everything except his job!

And she went to live in a van, alone, then equipped only with a hammock, in the Alsatian forests and mountains.

She tells us, with authenticity, this double life between her osteopathic practice during the day and her wild adventures at night. Until the discovery of the habitat of his dreams: a Tiny House …

Quickly, she sees in this tiny house her paradise.

We then embark with her in the construction of this unusual dream and yet within everyone’s reach, that of living in 12m2.

This exploration is not without questioning our lifestyles, our way of consuming, of cluttering ourselves with the useless and our link to nature.

REPORTS & YOUTUBE CHANNELS ON TINY HOUSES

Want more? Many reports and YouTube videos have been made on the tiny houses!

You will find them very easily by typing “tiny house report” in your search engine. We have listed some of them to discover in this article:

Report Brut Média “Sophie chose to live in a tiny house”

Sylvie has chosen to live in a “tiny house”, a very small house of less than 20m². And it really suits him. She tells.

Brut Média report “ Tiny house: Brut visited Sylvie’s little house”

Last summer, Sylvie presented us her new “tiny house”, a house of less than 20m².

Today, she lives there, and she does not regret anything. Brut found her at home. Visit.

Tiny House Livingston YouTube channel “Living in TINY HOUSE: we take stock 1 year later!”

In this video we look back on our first year of life in our autonomous and nomadic Tiny house. Not to mention technical, here it is the comfort of life that interests us. Life as a couple, the advantages, the disadvantages and some surprises are on the menu of this episode.

Report Department of Côtes d’Armor

“Ty village: tiny houses in Saint-Brieuc”

Ty village is a student village of ‘tiny houses’, located on the Armor campus in Saint-Brieuc.

Meet Aurélie, project manager and discover life in these small optimized houses.

AND EVEN A SERIES ON NETFLIX!

And yes! There is also a Netflix series dedicated to tiny houses !

2 seasons of Tiny House Nation are currently available with each 7 episodes of about 40 minutes.

John Weisbarth and Zack Giffin travel the United States to help families adopt a new lifestyle in custom-made miniature homes.

Well, of course, it’s American style and sometimes in excess… (to their credit, they do not have the same weight and size regulations regarding Tiny Houses as in Europe …) but this series can give you good inspirations for the development of your future mini home !

Do not hesitate to consult our Blog articles to learn more about tiny houses!

Do you have any questions? Would you like to receive a quote corresponding to your tiny house project? Visit our tinyhouse-bimify.fr website or contact@bimify.fr!

LIVE IN A TINY HOUSE WITH YOUR FAMILY

Yes, living with one or more children in a Tiny House is possible! Some of them already do, so why not you?

To achieve this without constraints, you simply have to think about this project in detail in order to plan a daily life without constraints in a minimized space for all the members of your tribe (animals included 😉 ).

In this article, we give you our tips for achieving your life goal without ignoring comfort, practicality and intimacy in your future Tiny House.

A BIG PROJECT IN A SMALL HOUSE

It is certain, to be able to be owner of its housing at lower cost and without indebtedness on tens of years is one of the big advantages of the Tiny House which pushes more and more people to make this choice of housing. Especially since the health and economic crisis will only increase interest in this type of alternative housing.

But living in a Tiny House is not only an economic choice. It is also a new way of conceiving one’s life and one’s goals. We limit our housing, our impact on the environment and we turn more towards others and nature.

Less expense, less superfluous, less waste of time (cleaning in a Tiny becomes limit a small part of fun …) for more family activities, outdoor games and shared moments.

Not to mention the escapades and new discoveries, even tour of Europe (and beyond!) for the most curious, that allows you this nomadic life.

In short, a simpler, freer life. Show the world to your children. This is a great project to be realized.

COMFORT IN THIS LITTLE HAVEN OF PEACE

Of course, a Tiny House means a small space. But that doesn’t mean you’ll feel cramped. On the contrary, be imaginative and design your little house by bringing the outside in! Place several points of light: up, down, small, large, windows will open up the space!

But don’t forget to install blackout curtains so that the whole family can enjoy a good night’s sleep without being bothered by daylight in the early morning or during the little ones’ nap… You will therefore need thick curtains that are wider than the windows so that the light does not pass over the sides.

Don’t forget good thermal insulation and heating points, even if a small space such as a Tiny House needs little heating…

Think also of a good ventilation to avoid humidity. Between the showers of the whole family and the wet laundry to dry inside in winter, it is essential to have a good VMC and windows to renew the air well.

Another important point of comfort to think about… the toilet !

We can never repeat it enough: the dry toilets do not smell! It’s all about hygiene and organization.

For a family with children, it will be necessary just to organize to not forget to empty the bucket regularly.

But if this is really uncomfortable for you, you should know that there are different types of toilets you can install in a Tiny House. We have published an article about this that you can read here.

Finally, in your little house on wheels you can enjoy the comfort of the appliances as much as in a traditional house. Stoves, ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and even dryers: there are different sizes depending on the dimensions of your Tiny. You can also equip yourself with 2-in-1 models such as a washing machine-dryer to save space.

Therefore, design the plan of your Tiny House according to the space to devote to this type of equipment according to your desire for comfort. The large Tiny House models for families are perfectly adapted to these needs and are fully modular like our TinyCosy.

THINK ABOUT PRACTICALITY BEFORE YOU LIVE THERE

Before you even walk through your little Tiny’s door, you’ll have to think about how practical it is for a family life every day.

Imagine, design, optimize the layout of each space with solutions and storage furniture to the right size, modular, removable that allow you to keep a fluid and unobstructed movement in the Tiny House.

For this, use all the surfaces above ground: height under ceiling, staircase, corners, etc… These arrangements will be used in terms of practicality.

We are not going to put in height or under the seat of the living room the things useful in everyday life, but rather the out-of-season business, the papers, the raclette machine, etc.

While it’s more convenient to have everyday business at your fingertips quickly without having to go back and forth in the Tiny.

Clothes, for example. It’s better to provide storage space directly in the bathroom, even if it means enlarging this room and limiting the size of the bedroom, which will only accommodate a bed for the parents and extra toy boxes for the children.

For the shoes also foresee a dedicated cupboard not to clutter the floor.

The same goes for coats and bags, which can be hung on pegs near the entrance.

Don’t forget the little details that will make all the difference:

The location of the water heater: it is better to have it close to both the kitchen and the bathroom to avoid running the cold water for too long. By installing your bathroom near the kitchen in the Tiny House, you will avoid wasting water and save time!
The floor covering: as we said before, the time spent on cleaning is considerably reduced when you move into a Tiny House. However, with the family coming and going from outside and a smaller floor area, it can get dirty faster. so it’s best to choose a covering that’s easy to clean.
Access to the first floor for children: safer and more practical than a ladder for the youngest, use a staircase (which can be retractable) to access their room if it is high.
The space to dry the clothes: don’t forget to foresee a space to dry them inside in winter or on rainy days that won’t disturb the circulation in the Tiny.

To go further in the design of small spaces, you can read our article here about all the techniques and tips for saving space.

YOUNG AND OLD, ALL NEED PRIVACY

Just because you’re going to live in a Tiny House as a family doesn’t mean you have to give up your privacy. This life project aims at the development of everyone: without intimacy it would no longer make sense! Children, teens and parents need to give themselves moments. And in a Tiny House it’s also possible!

With themodular layout of this little house on wheels, you can play with the layout and decoration to create privacy for everyone.

Install physical and visual separations with partitions, doors, curtains, furniture, screens, etc.

And why not think about several Tiny Houses? Whether it is to dedicate a living room like the living room or to arrange a teenager’s room. This little Tiny House can also be used as your children’s first home when they start working 🙂

You want to discuss your Tiny House project with professionals? Contact the BIMIFY team 🙂

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How to install a Tiny House on a plot of land?

So in this article we list all our tips on where and how to install your little house on wheels without having any problems.

This is it, it’s decided… You want to install a Tiny House!

Congratulations! We can only salute this excellent choice (especially if it is a Tiny House from Bimify )!

It is certain that this small nomadic cocoon will be the starting point of a new life, whether you use it as a dwelling, as a mobile business or even as a seasonal rental…

Yes, but here’s the thing. The wind of newfound freedom often makes us forget that it is also necessary, even mandatory, to know how to keep your feet on the ground so that your dream does not turn into a nightmare.

So in this article we list all our tips on where and how to install your little house on wheels without having any problems. Just to have a clear idea before starting your magnificent Tiny House construction project!

INSTALL A TINY HOUSE ON A PLOT OF LAND LESS THAN 3 MONTHS

You just want to settle on a private land for a few weeks, maximum 3 months? You are free to do it without authorization but only on the condition that your mobile habitat (it concerns Tiny Houses but also caravans and campers) keeps permanently the technical possibility to move in an autonomous and immediate way.

It is therefore imperative to always keep all means of mobility in place: wheels, tow bar, signs, etc…

This notion of mobility is essential! Do not develop the land around your Tiny House (with a terrace for example) if you stay less than three months.

All outdoor installations must also be immediately removable or relocatable.

Check also the regulations of the land where you want to install your Tiny House. Some are strictly forbidden, such as urban development zones (AU zones), natural and forestry zones and certain agricultural zones.

So remember to check these “red zones” with your local council beforehand.

MY TINY HOUSE ON A PLOT OF LAND FOR MORE THAN 3 MONTHS

To settle your Tiny House on a private land beyond 3 months, you must make a preliminary declaration of works to your town hall to obtain a planning permission, if the surface of your nomadic habitat is lower than 20 m². Beyond that, a building permit will be required.

Also be careful with the choice of land! Indeed, it must meet the same criteria as for a traditional construction: it must be located in a buildable area and allow a connection to the public sewerage, water and electricity networks.

If you do not wish to connect your Tiny House to the public network, in the case for example of using dry toilets or a mobile septic tank, then you will have to carry out an environmental impact study.

As far as your little house on wheels is concerned, which will be “sedentary”, it must however remain permanently dismountable and transportable. So, just as with a facility that is less than 3 months old, make sure you keep all your mobility devices in place and set up outdoor facilities that are fully movable.

TAXES FOR A TINY HOUSE

The Tiny House is part of the alternative habitats regulated by the ALUR law.

Precisely defined as a “mobile home”, it is not subject to local taxes or the housing tax.

But if you use it as your main residence, you will still have to pay an annual tax of €150 (€100 if the property is more than 10 years old and unless exempted, of course).

This at the difference between a light leisure home it is a mobile home, chalet or tree house, and is subject to property tax (if it stands on a concrete base and is not intended to be moved) and council tax.

RENT OR BUY A PLOT OF LAND TO INSTALL MY TINY HOUSE

Again, whether you rent or buy your land depends on how long you want to live there, what you want to do and your budget too!

Renting land can be the solution if you want to put your Tiny House for a few days or weeks to discover a new place, to do a temporary job like an agricultural season or just to have the pleasure of this freedom without any place of attachment.

Or maybe you are more interested in investing in order to be able to install your micro-house on your own land and thus be the full owner of the place. If you decide to take your Tiny House on the road, you don’t have to rent out your land yourself!

As everyone knows, the price of a plot of land (for sale or rent) varies according to the region, the location, its surface area… There is something for everyone!

Of course, the majority of the advertisements are on the essential sites such as leboncoin.fr, seloger.com or paruvendu but do not hesitate to share your research with your entourage and on the social networks. You never know… There may be a friend who has a friend who knows someone who can offer you a plot of land at a good price or even free! Yes, it exists! Of course it’s rare… but it’s possible 🙂

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TO INSTALL A TINY HOUSE

Don’t have a private lot to put your tiny house on? Don’t panic, there are several other solutions to put it down in complete freedom, for the short or long term, and even take advantage of it to create social links. And that… the Tiny Houser likes it 🙂

Let’s start with the camping solution. Many are open all year round and offer special rates in low season and long term. A good alternative if you are looking for a safe place with water and electricity.

So, installing your Tiny House in a traditional campsite, okay… and why not in a farm campsite?

You will be in direct contact with farmers who set up camping areas on some of their plots of land to accommodate nomadic dwellers. Ideal to set up your own little house on wheels and enjoy good fresh products just a stone’s throw from your home.

Why not also take advantage of the opportunity to help out on the farm?

Offering your help in exchange for free land is also what ecovolunteering can allow you to do, whether it is with a farmer, for an environmental association or a scientific mission.

Otherwise you also have the option of lending your garden to a private individual! On the site pretersonjardin. com you can find ads of individuals who share their land in exchange for the maintenance of their vegetable garden or other services. A great initiative that allows renters, such as the elderly for example, to be reassured, less isolated and to forge new links.

Many “give and take” solutions that correspond perfectly to the spirit of Tiny Housers!

You want to discuss your project with professionals? Contact the BIMIFY team

OUR LATEST ARTICLES :

WHY INVEST IN A TINY HOUSE AS A SECOND HOME?

More and more people are looking for a home away from the city and its named pollution and concrete acolytes in order to reconnect with nature for a weekend or a holiday.

It is also a growing demand from city dwellers who, faced with the health crisis, wish to telework in the countryside. If you’re going to be confined, you might as well be in a quiet house with an outside!

But if this idea tempts many of us, some cannot (or do not want) to invest in a traditional house for a question of budget or a desire for a more atypical property.

Fortunately, other solutions ofalternative housing Fortunately, there are other solutions to offer you a second home on a smaller budget that is just as comfortable and rejuvenating.

And this is the case of the Tiny House ! Its solid construction, insulated, ecological, tailor-made and cheaper than a classic house, makes it the ideal place for a holiday home , whether for you or to offer it for rent to tourists! We will try to convince you to invest in a tiny house! 🙂

GUARANTEED DISCONNECTION

WHY INVEST IN A TINY HOUSE AS A SECOND HOME?

Synonymous with minimalism, the Tiny House is the way to alternate easily between city life and disconnected life.

On the one hand: your week of hustle and bustle, work, planning, screens, reports, noisy streets, transportation, etc.

On the other hand: your weekend of calm, time for yourself, a return to the essential, a reconnection with nature. A total break from the noise.

In your small house on wheels, accompanied by the bare necessities (here no room for the superfluous), it is time to recharge and enjoy the landscapes, nature, animals, that surround your Tiny House.

Designed to be nomadic, you can also put your mini-home wherever you want!

On holiday, you are curious, looking for new discoveries and new places to explore? You’re not the type to always go to the same place?

Perfect! Hitch up your Tiny House and take it with you wherever you want: mountains, countryside, beach, city, … It will follow you according to your desires!

THE COMFORT OF A HOME

Tailor-made to your wishes, the Tiny House allows you to enjoy your weekends and holidays all year round!

In fact, its thermal capacity is closer to that of a traditional house than another nomadic dwelling such as a caravan or mobile home.

This small house on wheels has excellent insulation, heating, air conditioning if you like, thick carpentry, quality finishes and a custom-made interior layout to optimize the living space.

All the comfort of a standard home, but at a lower cost and with less environmental impact!

In terms of health, the comfort of having one’s own holiday home is not negligible: no shared spaces and proximity to other holidaymakers, so less health risk.

A CONTROLLED BUDGET

Even when you own a second home, with a Tiny House you don’t blow up your housing budget thanks to its cheaper purchase price than a traditional home and the low expense of expenses in charge and maintenance.

Savings that will allow you to go out more and increase your holiday budget! And yes, no more calculation of the weekly rate of the seasonal rentals, with your own secondary house you leave as much time as you want: it is at home now!

Another advantage is that you can enjoy this freedom very quickly. Once the trailer is received, the construction of a Tiny House with Bimify lasts less than 3 months: you will be able to enjoy your new cosy little nest very quickly!

INVESTING IN A TINY HOUSE IS SYNONYMOUS WITH PROFITABILITY

Just take a look at the seasonal rental platforms such as Airbnb, Abritel, Booking or Tripadvisor to see the extent to which the supply of and demand for atypical accommodation is increasing rapidly.

More and more tourists are looking for new, original and more eco-responsible holiday experiences: getting away from it all without having to travel far or take a plane.

Escape, but otherwise. The unusual, the respect for nature, a new experience. A demand reinforced by the health crisis.

This is what the Tiny House is all about! With all the modern comforts, this mini-home will allow your customers to come and recharge their batteries without having to do without their need for comfort on holiday: heating, air conditioning, household appliances, bedding, sanitary facilities, etc. And for you, it means you can rent all year round if you want to!

Thanks to its lower investment cost, its low maintenance and charges, you will quickly make your Tiny House profitable by proposing “unusual night”, “bucolic stay” or “nature holidays”. Depending on the region, the overnight stay varies from 70€ to 150€. A full time rental could increase your income by 20 000€/year!

The Tiny House enables private individuals and professionals, such as campsites and cottages, to quickly add to their range of seasonal rentals, while at the same time giving meaning to an eco-responsible approach to tourism.

Do not hesitate to read our article How to install a Tiny House on a plot of land.

Want to discuss your project with professionals? Contact the BIMIFY team 🙂

HOW TO CARRY OUT A PHYTO-PURIFICATION?

Easy to maintain and more economical than a septic tank, phytodepuration is an autonomous and ecological individual wastewater treatment solution.

Particularly suitable for rural areas not connected to the sewer, this treatment process is simple to install, inexpensive and even has the advantage of being aesthetic.

Ideal for a land intended for a Tiny House, self-built or not 🙂

In this article, we explain how phytoepuration works and how to make one yourself.

WHAT IS PHYTODEPURATION?

It is a natural process by plants to filter and clean up wastewater.

Totally ecological and odourless, phytodepuration consists of purifying wastewater thanks to the bacteria present in the roots of purifying plants (bamboos, reeds, cattails and sedges are the most commonly used).

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Nature takes care of everything. It is the bacteria in the roots of plants that will purify the water.

These bacteria are called aerobic, which means that they need oxygen and do not give off bad odours. They will thus transform organic matter into mineral matter, which can then be assimilated by plants.

In exchange, aquatic plants will provide the oxygen needed for bacteria through their roots.

These plants adapt to all types of soil and to different times of the year. They can withstand both wet periods, i.e. when the house is occupied, and dry periods, when the house is empty.

Another advantage of this wastewater treatment system is that there is no smell.

Why? Because, unlike a septic tank which follows the same principle as fermentation in a confined environment without oxygen and where the incomplete decomposition generates gases and sludge, the phyto-treatment is based on the same principle as composting. Thus, in contact with the air, the degradation is complete and produces organic matter (humus and water vapor).

It should be noted, however, that at the beginning of the installation of the system by planted filters, the sand will not be invaded by the reeds and may give off slight odors. But these will disappear as soon as the reeds have spread over the entire surface of the filter!

Another question mark concerning the functioning of a plant nursery: frost in winter. Here again, no fear! The plants installed are naturally present in the water bodies and therefore frost resistant. In addition, the constant supply of water to the plant purification system limits the formation of frost. Finally, if there is frost, it will only be on the surface because underneath the bacteria will continue to work, to create energy and therefore heat.

THE 3 STEPS OF A PHYTODEPURATION

1. Pre-treatment

In the basin, pebbles and reed roots will leave macro-particles on the surface of the water. The other elements will be turned into compost.

2. Processing of chemical compounds

The purification plants installed in the basin will suck out nitrates, phosphates and metals. During this^2nd stage, the pollutants, which are mainly household, will be broken down.

3. Biological water treatment

Composts stored at plant roots will be “eaten” by bacteria and will be transformed into mineral materials that plants will feed on.

MAINTENANCE OF A PHYTODEPURATION

Except for “gardening” maintenance such as mowing, weeding, and cutting the reeds once or twice a year, there is nothing to do!

Simply plan every 10 to 15 years to remove the surface layer of compost from the rake, which can be used as a fertilizer for the rest of the garden.

This low maintenance requirement is one of the reasons why the planted filter water treatment system is more economical than a septic tank.

	SEPTIC TANK Family of 4 to 5 people	PHYTODEPURATION Family of 4 to 5 people
Installation fee:	About 6000 euros	About 4500 euros
Interview:	Paying, maximum every 4 years by a professional	Free, gardening once or twice a year.
Installation time:	Maximum 20 years if well maintained	About 25 years

Think also to inquire about the eco-loan at zero rate and the other aids which you could have by installing a phyto-purification. Information on Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition .

INSTALLING YOUR OWN WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM

The installation of a planted filter sanitation system can of course be done by a professional, but the public services also allow you to install it yourself, following these guidelines:

“The commune (or, in some cases, the commune or agglomeration community) examines its design by studying the file provided by the owner, supplemented by a site visit, if necessary. It also verifies its execution on the basis of the preliminary examination of the design of the installation and during a site visit carried out before backfilling. This examination is carried out by the Public Service for Non-Collective Sanitation (SPANC).

Non-compliant installations must be brought into compliance within 4 years in the event of a health hazard or proven environmental risk. This period is reduced to 1 year in case of sale of the building or house.

The owner must regularly maintain his installation (maintenance, emptying).

The SPANC checks the proper functioning and maintenance of the installation at most every 10 years.” Consult here the regulations on wastewater treatment.

In installation area, plan about 24m2 of plant-clearing ponds for a family of 4/5 people. This natural sanitation system will be built according to the principles of vertical and horizontal filtering:

Vertical filtering by plants :

The wastewater will be conveyed to the first basin where only reeds are planted. Indeed, these plants have the specificity to produce a lot of oxygen and thus allow the development of a maximum of bacteria.

Moreover, the movement of these light plants will prevent the waste transformed into soil from clogging the gravel filter.
Then, in the last basin, other plants are used for a more precise filtration.

Horizontal filtering through the arrangement of the basins:

At the beginning of the conveyance system, the wastewater is filtered through a grate that will allow to recover the biggest waste.

In each basin, increasingly fine gravel and sand are placed to filter the water horizontally. In addition, a drain is also installed to evacuate water.

The^first pool is located higher than the second so that the water drains naturally. Thus, your ground must have a difference in level of more than 1 meter for the installation of the phyto-purification. If this is not the case, it will be necessary to install a lift pump to transport the water from one pool to another.

For more technical details on the installation of a phytodepuration system, we advise you to consult the magazine La Maison Écologique N°115 .

Want to know more about our Tiny Houses? Contact the BIMIFY team 🙂.

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HOW TO ARRANGE SMALL SPACES?

Whether it’s to cope with soaring property prices per square metre, to invest in a rental property or to take a minimalist approach, more and more of us are turning to small living spaces. But how can you optimize them and save space?

In this article, we give you some interior design techniques and tips. Follow our tips to make your home both functional and cosy. You will no longer feel cramped!

THE BASIC TECHNIQUES TO GAIN M².

Whether you want to set up a 20 m² studio, a Tiny House, a small rental apartment or just a narrow room in your home, you need to free up the floor as much as possible to gain space. This way, you avoid the feeling of permanent clutter.

To do this, you will have to optimise your interior layout by using all the other available surfaces to make your home more fluid. Door frames, attic corners, staircases, ceiling heights, … Use all these unused spaces!

Install storage furniture as well. For example, a headboard for its decorative aspect but which will also serve as shelves to store books, jewelry, alarm clock, etc.. Choose furniture that is well sized and proportionate to the room: in a hallway, a shallow storage unit is preferable.

In a small space even more than elsewhere, it is important to adopt a systematic sorting and tidying reflexto avoid being invaded by objects. And for the more rigorous (or maniacal 😉 ), you can push the mission even further by taking inspiration from the millimetre folding techniques of Marie Kondo To optimize the space of your dressing room! Finally, another technique to gain m², if you can, is to resort to bigger works such as the abatement of a wall or the creation of a mezzanine.

USE THE SPACE UNDER THE STAIRS

Often neglected, it is however a lost space which can save you a lot of space! The ideal place to create a storage area, relaxation, dressing room or bicycle garage and why not also by partitioning it to install your toilet!

ORGANIZE A SMALL OFFICE AREA

Period of confinement aside (article written in March 2020), telecommuting is becoming more and more popular. But reconciling personal space with a professional office is sometimes difficult.

However, your homeworking space should not be neglected, as it should be sufficiently welcoming to facilitate your daily work. It should become a source of motivation to enjoy working there, even if you don’t have a colleague or manager to boost you.

But in a small dwelling, it’s hard to know where to install your workspace with all the necessary storage.

Use an unused corner between a window and a cupboard for example, or even under a window. Install a simple board cut to the desired length and width for your custom desk or why not simply an old door or a faded shutter found in a flea market!

Design your office to make you feel comfortable and think about increasing the number of storage solutions (shelves, shelves, jumble board) to remove as much clutter as possible and facilitate circulation in the room.

SET UP A SMALL LIVING ROOM

In a small home, think of your layout in terms of organization and efficient circulation. For example, there is no need to buy a coffee table if you already have a bar/table area to enjoy your meals. Choose small, easily movable, multi-functional pieces of furniture such as a wooden chest, a stool or a piece of sofa. Your living room furniture should be able to adapt to the surface of your room and allow you to store it intelligently. So choose a convertible sofa or a sofa with a storage box to use it according to your needs! In terms of decoration, highlight your living room with a beautiful carpet to make this living room certainly airy but cosy and welcoming.

DESIGN A SMALL BATHROOM

The aim in designing a small bathroom is to make it as pleasant as possible despite its small surface area. Install space-saving furniture with built-in storage and a shower to maximize space.

To highlight this cocooning corner, favour well-placed touches of colour, trendy tiles and space-saving decorative accessories. You can also give your bathroom some style by repainting your bathtub or by choosing original faucets.

TO EQUIP A SMALL KITCHEN

This is the place where you can optimize everything to save as much space as possible! By using furniture dedicated to storage and appliances adapted to the size of your kitchenette.

Install storage cupboards in height to store your utensils and appliances of course but also to store other objects such as administrative papers, medicines, DIY tools, etc…

You can use modular furniture such as a trolley on wheels or a folding dining area to organise your kitchen to suit your needs.

There are also many appliances specially designed for small spaces: from the mini-tea maker to the mini dishwasher, you can count on them to optimize your kitchen area.

Finally, you will have understood, in the kitchen as in the other rooms, adopt the reflex of decluttering by freeing up as much space on the worktop and thus make the space more airy and functional immediately.

Want to know more about our Tiny Houses? Contact the BIMIFY team 🙂

HOW TO BECOME A MINIMALIST?

More than just a fashion trend, minimalism is a real long-term personal approach that has more and more followers.

From the desire to consume less and better to the acquisition of minimalist reflexes on a daily basis is a long road specific to everyone.

With this article, we explain what it’s like to be minimalist and the keys to achieving it yourself without any frustration.

MINIMALISM, A STATE OF MIND

A real issue for the future of our planet, the deconsumerism is the very definition of the minimalist lifestyle: get rid of the superfluous to consume less and better. Minimalism is thus based on the return to what is essential.

Be careful, it is not a question of not buying anything and not having any material attachment. No. But it’s more about getting to know what makes us happy and what we really need.

To better understand, minimalism is the opposite of overconsumption and this permanent search to earn more to spend more. By being minimalist, it is not the price of the object that will matter but the real impact it will have on you and the environment.

It is thus a way of life that responds as much to ecological and social problems as to personal research.

The financial gain to start with. Yes, the minimalist saves money! By consuming less but focusing on quality, a minimalist will above all not spend impulsively.

Saving time is also important. Inevitably by favouring small spaces (like a Tiny House ☺️) and by separating from superfluous objects, the minimalist will logically spend less time tidying, cleaning, buying or even searching… Advantages that will thus develop his personal well-being. By occupying your free time with activities that are important to you: reading, travelling, sports, culture, etc. Unlike over-consumption, which is mainly a way of compensating for unhappiness such as stress, boredom or fatigue, not making compulsive purchases will also allow you to confront your emotions.

MINIMALIST… BUT WITHOUT CONSTRAINTS!

As you can see, becoming minimalist is to decide to have a healthier relationship with yourself and what surrounds you. And you will only be able to accomplish this in the long term if you are truly aware of the issues and have the personal will to invest.

This state of mind will influence all your purchases: shopping, clothing, housing… As a minimalist, your watchword will be “GIVE MEANING”.

But complying with it requires work on your habits. The important thing is your will! Then, this work will be done step by step and always without any frustration: the goal is your personal well-being.

What if you first decluttered your home?

But there’s no way we’re going to throw it away! Sort out what can still be reused and give to relatives or associations. If necessary, go through the repair box (yourself or through a specialized association). Finally, for what really can’t be reused, take it to the garbage dump or other recycling space.

Once you have cleared your clutter, you will see more clearly and will be able to put in place new consumption habits by following the 5Rs rule:

Refuse: what you don’t need
Reduce: what you need
Reuse: everything you consume
Recycle: what you cannot refuse, reduce or reuse
Return: to the earth by composting

This change in consumption must be done gradually and in a personal way!

Indeed, we do not have the same needs of comfort if we are single and nomadic or with a family and sedentary …

Above all, remember that minimalism is a way of consuming responsibly, ecologically and without constraints. We make do with what we have but we lack nothing.

IN PRACTICE: HOW TO (DE)CONSUME IN A MINIMALIST WAY?

We have seen previously that decluttering is a first step in a minimalist approach.
Always with the aim of living this change without any frustration or pressure, start with a thankless task that we often hate to do: Sort your administrative papers!
Not an exciting activity, but you have no attachment to it, so it’s not hard to part with it 🙂
Be sure to check the mandatory retention periods for each type of document on the internet beforehand, and then throw out all the ones you can.

Once this task is done, tackle a piece of life. Again, go easy. Choose a room that is not very emotional. For example, the bathroom and all the samples of hotels and perfumeries kept in your drawers!

For more sentimental items such as photos and books, it’s perfectly normal to have trouble parting with them.
Then start by sorting through your books. Keep the more emotional ones and give the others to friends, associations or drop them in a book shed. You will find it a real pleasure to share it with others!

If, however, you are reluctant to part with an item, ask yourself, “If I were to leave the house in two hours, would I take it with me?”
And if, despite everything, you prefer to keep it “just in case, it could still be useful”, know that very often this object will end up being thrown away. know that very often this object will end up being thrown away…

As far as food is concerned, focus on what is strictly necessary.
By pleasing yourself of course, the main thing being your well-being. But do your shopping without the unnecessary!
Make a list beforehand and avoid over-packaged products on the shelves.
For example, no more grated cheese or desserts in individual jars!
We eat better, we find pleasure in cooking good raw products and we avoid processed products.
The fridge will be less full, you will visit your local shops more often, limit waste and reduce your waste!

One last piece of advice. Before buying, use this method called BISOU:

B as in Need: What is the need for this purchase?
I for Immediate: if you have an immediate urge, beware! It’s a sign of compulsive buying.
S is for Similar: do I already have a similar object in my home? Can anyone lend it to me?
O for Origin: where does this object come from? Who made it? Under what social conditions? In which country?
U for Utility: do I really need it? What will I use this object for in my daily life?

Want to know more about our Tiny Houses? Contact the BIMIFY team 🙂

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