Living in a small house has its wonders. If you think your home is too large for you and your family, this might be the right time to consider moving to a smaller home.
We have grown with the concept of living large and that bigger is better. When it comes to our homes, we always had the impression that the home of our dreams should be large and spacious with lots of rooms.
In reality, living in a home that is bigger than what you actually need just invites clutter.
You will want to fill it with things and appliances and put more decorations because you do not want any room to look bare.
Here, you do not only accumulate physical clutter but you get mental clutter as well because later, you will realize that maintaining a huge home can be exhausting.
So when you go home, you do not immediately feel relaxed because you are thinking of all the cleaning and the organizing that you will have to do.
It is no wonder why a lot of people have been downsizing to smaller homes. In fact, tiny apartments and container homes are a hit in the residential market!
There’s a lot of things you probably don’t need.
You see, if you have a small family, you do not really need to get a huge house. You don’t need that extra guest room when you barely have people sleeping over.
A large living room or dining room to entertain guests is also not needed when you do not have a lot of guests regularly.
You do not need a huge lawn or garden if you do not have the time or passion to maintain it.
There are actually lots of reasons to downgrade your home. It could be because you want to save more money, or your adult kids have their own families now and have moved out of the house, or you’re planning to move to a different area.
If you are thinking about downsizing and start living in a small house but are having doubts, here are 15 benefits that will convince you to make the move!
1. Easy maintenance
If you dread doing general cleaning in your home every now and then, you will love this benefit!
A house takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to maintain.
Think of the amount of time you spend cleaning and tidying up your home. Now think of all the things that you could have done within that time frame.
Downsizing and living in a small house means you need less time, effort, and energy to clean up. This leaves you with more free time to do the things that you love!
2. Fewer possessions
Because you are moving into a smaller home, this will give you the chance to declutter and get rid of the things you no longer use.
Having fewer possessions may seem like a disadvantage but it actually causes you to have less mental fatigue and issues. This is actually why a lot of people are now practicing minimalism.
Remember, just because you have a few possessions does not mean you are poor. The items you keep can be as expensive as you need to as long as it is functional and adds value to your daily life.
3. Less shopping sprees
Admit it – the more space you have, the more you have the urge to fill it.
With a smaller home, you will have just enough space for you not to want to spend more money on it. When you are out shopping, you are prevented from buying things you do not really need because you know that you do not have space for them.
This also causes you to be wiser when shopping, making you go for multi-function appliances and tools for space purposes.
Therefore, your money can go to other matters that should have higher priorities like your bills, insurance, tuition for your kids, a home garden, and the likes.
4. Lower mortgage
There is a huge difference between what you pay for a large property and a small one. This includes the upfront deposit and the monthly fees.
With a lower mortgage, you can be able to relax when it comes to your finances. This opens up more cash for other things like traveling or an online class to learn something new.
Also, if your mortgage is easier on the pocket, you have less stress every month when it is time to pay the bills.
5. Save energy
Generally, the bigger the house, the bigger the energy costs.
All the heating in the shower, the appliances that need to be plugged in, the lighting indoors and outdoors – it can add up to a huge power bill.
When you move to a smaller home, you can experience a decrease in your usual power consumption. Again, the lack of space will force you to purchase multi-purpose appliances and tools.
With less power consumption, this means you get extra cash than usual every month!
6. More free time
As mentioned earlier, downsizing to a small home lets you have less to maintain, and less to do. This gives you more time to spare.
You can spend more time with your family, try out new recipes, take up a new hobby, grow your own organic food, or even think of starting a small business!
7. Brings your family closer
Imagine being a family of 3 and living in a house that has more than 5 rooms. Everyone can just go about doing their own business without interacting with each other!
People living in large houses barely spend time together even if they stay at home all day because they all can have their own space to retreat to.
Living in a home with just the right space enables the entire household to communicate more, spend time together, and work together compared to living in a home that has more rooms than what you really need.
8. Less stress
Because you have less to maintain, you will have more time to enjoy your home and do the things that you really want to do.
This leads to less stress inside your home because your chores are greatly reduced. Again, you’ll have more time to spend with family and more time to just sit and relax.
9. Improve your health
When you do fewer maintenance efforts and cleaning in your home, you are less exposed to dust and dirt. This means you get fewer allergic reactions.
The fact that you are also doing fewer chores at home means that you do not get physically stressed out. Your home truly becomes the place where you can relax and take a break!
10. Less debts
Downsizing your home also means that you are toning down your lifestyle – especially if you decide to go minimalist.
This discourages you from overspending when you shop and overcharging your credit cards.
Having a smaller home makes it easier for you to stick to a budget. This can actually help improve your credit score in the long run.
11. Travel with ease
People who have big houses barely get to leave town as much as they want to.
Bigger homes are more prone to breaking in than smaller homes. Aside from being prone to burglary, you also have to consider the maintenance.
It can be stressful to go around the house the day you leave making sure everything is in good condition and that all windows and doors are locked properly.
And then, when you do leave, you sometimes still worry about your home. When you should be enjoying being out of town, you’re actually thinking about your home – is everything in there okay?
If you downsize your home, you will feel less stressed because you have less things and assets to worry about.
12. Make friends with your neighbors
Large houses have huge lots that discourage interactions with the neighbors.
Downsizing to a smaller home allows you to interact more with them.
It helps to be friends with your neighbors so that they can look out for your house when you are out. Your kids may also be able to make friends easily in neighborhoods with a smaller home.
13. Environment-friendly
Smaller homes are more environment-friendly because you use less power and use fewer materials. This reduces your environmental footprint.
Most small homes are situated in a neighborhood where a lot of shops are just a few minutes away. This means you do not have to use your car every time you need to buy something.
You can ride a bicycle, or just walk it out!
14. Easier to decorate
Think about moving to your smaller home as a clean slate. You can do all the organization systems you have always envied by installing more shelves or getting more organizational products before you move in.
Designing also become a lot easier. Small space means less to decorate.
You can even organize in a way that your organizing will look like a decor in itself!
15. A new chapter
Restarting is actually relaxing since it makes you feel like you’re rejuvenating yourself.
Moving to a new home is an opportunity to restart your life and the way you live.
This is a good chance to start a new system on how you handle things – like from now on, you should start adapting healthier habits.
My husband and I moved in to a new home two months ago. And yes, I can tell you from experience that it did feel like we’re starting a whole new chapter of our lives.
It felt really good.
It’s all interconnected.
You see, all these benefits that I’ve listed here are connected to each other. They are all effects of moving and living in a small house.
The bottom line? These affect how you think and feel. It definitely feels a lot more positive living in a small house – which makes me say that it can make you happier.
Less things to maintain, less debts, few things to worry about, more savings, more time to do the things you love and be with family – add these up and tell me, wouldn’t you be any happier?
It’s a personal decision.
Downsizing your home and living simply is a personal decision that you need to commit to. It’s a definitely great choice but before you move, you must first weigh in the factors, especially if you have a family doing the move with you.
But with these benefits above, we are sure that you will be able to downsize with confidence.
Remember, the size of your house does not have to indicate your financial status.
Downsizing and living in a small house that is just the right size for you and your household will definitely make you feel more contented in your life… and thus, happier!
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