Publish at June 07 2020 Updated March 05 2026
More and more people are looking for life experiences rather than possessions. They willingly abandon the traditional vision of owning a house or apartment, dropping the kids off at school and commuting to work.
Very often, the philosophy of life that underpins these changes is minimalism.
"Minimalism [1] is a lifestyle choice in its own right that includes the elimination of all things that may be deemed unnecessary. That is, you decide for yourself to get rid of all the superfluous and keep only the essential. "
This type of lifestyle can take many forms, from taking to the road in a mobile home to traveling to faraway countries where the cost of living is lower than at home.
Like the turtle who walks around with his house all day, some couples or families are taking the plunge. Sell everything that makes up our lives in France, Belgium or Canada, and keep only the essentials. A converted van and off we go. The living quarters are reduced to a minimum, and you're free to get rid of all the shackles, constraints and material things.
It's worth noting that, while some nomads build their own mobile home, others opt for a converted van that offers a certain level of comfort, like a Unimog [2] for example. In this case, it's more the nomadic lifestyle and the freedom that comes with it that underpins the approach.
Often, these people take the opportunity to earn their living remotely. How do they do this? Either they have a portfolio of customers created during their sedentary activity, or by registering on platforms such as Malt , which enables them to find services on a regular basis.
Needs are different, and so is the budget for meeting them.
Thanks to this, more time is left over for travel and discovering the cultures and populations of the countries visited.
For children's education, more and more resources are accessible via the Internet. In the wake of the health crisis, the number of resources available has increased still further. As parents are less absorbed by their professional lives, they have more time to devote to their children and to learning. What's more, for the youngest children, experiences are often worth much more than an hour in the classroom.
The other choice is to take a plane and live in a faraway land, often in Asia. The low cost of living and real estate, and the possibility of working remotely if you have digital skills, offer a certain freedom.
Single people or couples are more likely to opt for this lifestyle. The education of children and the care they might need are not issues for this public.
Sometimes, the nomads who are ready to commit to a life far from home are also those who have already had an experience such as the Working Holiday Visa. This type of scheme allows you to work and travel for 1 to 12 months in Australia, English-speaking Canada and New Zealand[3].
Armed with this experience and the knowledge of English, they are eager to discover other countries.
People seeking to detach themselves from material possessions may also turn to voluntary simplicity, without opting for travel and discovery.
They settle in caravans or yurts. This type of housing is becoming increasingly popular. As proof, the Walloon region in Belgium has recognized light housing. [4]
People who opt for this lifestyle force themselves to reduce their possessions. The volume of their habitat restricts what they can keep.
This also encourages them to take greater advantage of nature. When it comes to parents' schooling or work, they can opt for a life considered as normal, or reduce their activities to spend more time with family and friends. The choice depends on the individual. Financial needs are reduced, leaving more freedom.
Some companies have understood the appeal of this type of accommodation. Wikkelhouse [5], for example, has developed a cardboard house that looks very pleasant to live in.
More and more people are rethinking the way they live. Housing is at the heart of these concerns, as it represents a point of attachment and a major budgetary constraint. Some are living differently, and doing very well. They are proof that for many people, "being" is definitely better than "having", and that exploring allows them to know and "have" themselves.
Sources
[1] http://www.francvert.org/minimalisme/
[2] https://www.unimog.be/loisirs/
[3] https://www.informationplanet.be/working-holiday
[4] https://www.rtbf.be/info/regions/detail_yourte-roulotte-cabane-l-habitat-leger-enfin-reconnu-en-wallonie?id=10208929
[5] https://fr.rethinking-architecture.com/maisons-modulaires-wikklehouses/
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