SEATTLE - Jay Shafer has spent the past decade living in tiny homes, so he knows a thing or two about living in tight spaces.

Video: Man shares joy of 96-square-foot home

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"I was fed up with taking care of more space than I had to," he said.

He built a 96-square-foot house two years ago.

"There is the freedom of not having to vacuum or do much maintenance and having everything at arm's reach is great," he said.

Now Shafer is sharing his knowledge with like-minded people up and down the West Coast.

"What's too small? What's too big? It's very subjective," he said.

Shafer is in town for a two-day seminar, teaching people how to design and construct their own tiny homes that range from 70 square feet up to nearly 1,000.

He'll also build them for customers for about $40,000.

On Sunday, his students were encouraged to walk through his house, which he drove up the interstate from California, before they began the task of designing their own tiny home.

"I think the idea of it is wonderful. Because I don't think we need that much space. I don't need that much space," said Basha Brownstein of Seattle.

"Everything is just really simple. It's just clean, it's open," said Ethel Sohl of Vashon Island.

"All of the pieces of information that I've gathered over the years, they actually start to make sense in a context, especially seeing his house and actually seeing how he has edited his life down to such a tiny, tiny space," said Brian Gant.

Shafer says living in a tiny home is good both for the environment and for his finances. Utility bills are miniscule, and rent and mortgage woes are a thing of the past.

He can list only one disadvantage.

"I've always tried to come up with a disadvantage. I guess I can't have a large party," he said.