Tiny Homes Are Charming And Have Some Big Advantages

Living in an 8-by-20 foot home might be confining to some but a Raleigh, N.C. couple welcomed it.

Eliza Bordley and Jacqueline Lawrence told the News Observer that having a full kitchen, bathroom and bedroom in less than 200 square feet of space was liberating.

"It forces you to get rid of all that stuff you don't need or don't use," Bordley said.

They were two of 60 people who attended an annual seminar about small homes at the Raleigh Holiday Inn. The seminar has been gaining popularity in recent years as the advantages of smaller homes become better known.

Bordley and Lawrence are young do-it-yourselfers who wanted to be as self-reliant as possible, but there were older empty-nesters and everyone between at the seminar, according to the News Observer.

Bill Lentz likes what comes with a tine house: tiny utility bills, no mortgage and no debt.

"If the economy takes a dive and goes down, it's easier to survive," he said.

Sarah Susanka of Raleigh is an architect who designs homes without large foyers and other spaces that aren't used in homes. If a client comes to her with a 3,000-square-foot home in mind, she urges them to build something just as liveable, but almost half the size.

She compared tiny homes to well designed sailboats.

Here are some of Design & Trends favorite tiny homes from Pinterest: