The small house movement, also referred to as the tiny house movement, is a social campaign that encourages people, particularly Americans, to downsize into smaller homes. The average American home was about 2,479 square feet (230.3 square meters) in 2007, compared with 1,780 square feet (165 square meters) in 1978. Advocates of the movement promote the use of homes that are less than 1,000 square feet (92.9 square meters) to encourage people to live with less material possessions, to conserve land and energy and to reduce household spending.
More about the small house movement:
- The average European home was 820 to 990 square feet (76.2 to 92.0 square meters) in 2007, depending on the specific country.
- About 1% of all home purchases in the US in 2011 were for homes that were less than 1,000 square feet (92.9 square meters).
- It is estimated that 68% of people who own small houses don’t have outstanding mortgages, compared with 29% of all American homeowners.