Over the past few decades,the size of the average home increased steadily in much of North and South America. But does havind a larger home lead to increased happiness? Many people would say"no,"pointing to the way large house tend to drain homeowners' time,energy, and wallets. As a result we are now seeing a trend towards decreasing house size. In fact, some people are building and living in tiny house no larger than a parking spot!
Jay Shafer is the founder of a company that builds tiny homes. The smallest home he builds is only 65 square feet(6 square meters)! This is about the size of the average prison cell. But shafar's cozy,small house have the look and feel of a true home. Shafar, whose 100-square-foot(9-square-meter)home he grew up in,feels that a bigger home would be too large for him. When asked why he chooses to live in a tiny house,he says,"Mostly just because I don't like vacuuming!" Shafar says," A lot of people who downsize discover that what they feared would be claustrophobic...is actually more nurturing and comforting.