There's no doubt that the idea of tiny home living is taking off in a big way across the country. But what's the big fascination over tiny homes really all about? There are a couple of forces driving the tiny home movement -- namely, the desire to free up the large percentage of income that goes toward housing and an intentional choice to live more simply.

The average homeowner conservatively spends a little more than a quarter of his annual, pretax income on housing. That includes mortgage, property taxes and insurance. Lots of people spend more like 35%, which is as high as many lenders will allow. If you can build a tiny home for say, $50,000 and a get a piece of property for about the same amount, you're probably going to be spending far less, and that's a powerful attraction for people wanting to put that money into things like retirement, repaying student loans, or traveling, among other things.

The motivation to life a simpler life is not only about saving money, but also about making a smaller impact on the planet and a pared down lifestyle that makes a statement about American consumerism and the societal drive for more of everything.

Even though the median house size has grown by more than 10 percent over the past decade (per U.S. census figures), there's little doubt that the tiny home concept has grown in popularity, thanks to T.V. shows such as Tiny House Builders, Tiny House Nation, and Tiny House, Big Living. Even if you're not actually considering building a tiny home, it's still interesting to see all the creative ways to use a limited amount of space and still manage to live in relative comfort.