Living Large In A Small House

Could you live in a 983 square foot house? Easy, right? After all, that was the average size of a home in 1950. (By 2007, the average was over 2,000 square feet!) What about 750, 600, or even fewer than 100 square feet? That might be a bit more challenging for most of us, but the "small house" movement is gaining steam, driven by the desire to live a more simple life and use fewer resources.

The house pictured at left, by Tumbleweed Houses, measures 130 square feet and includes a kitchen, living room and sleeping loft. In Salem Oregon, Ideabox is building a "micro neighborhood" of five mini homes averaging 600 - 750 square feet (read more). Architect Sarah Susanka has written a number of books on the "Not So Big" theme, and blogs, forums and "how-to" sites are popping up with advice for buying, building, and living small.

So what do you think? Is a small house or cozy condo in your future?