7 Benefits to Living in a Smaller Home
Growing up, most of us thought that a big house equaled success and good fortune, so we worked hard just to be able to buy our “dream house.” While the size of a home depends on the taste and preferences of the home owners, many people would be just as comfortable (and probably happier) living in a smaller home.
We left our big McMansion behind in Texas last year to move to small-town Oklahoma and downsize into a much smaller house. We’ve found there are many benefits to living in a smaller home. Today, I want to share a few of those with you.
Easier to Clean
A smaller home means less space to clean. You can drastically cut the time it takes to clean your home when you downsize your lifestyle. You can have fewer toilets to clean, fewer rooms to pick up, and fewer mirrors with fingerprints to wipe. Vacuuming can take half as much time! You can use that saved time to focus on more important items on your to-do list and spend more time with your family.
Easier to Maintain
Big, fancy homes may seem like a dream, but they can be very costly when it comes to maintaining them. A smaller home has less square footage, fewer light bulbs to change, and fewer appliances to service. When we downsized, we went from two HVAC units to service to only one. Smaller homes can mean less worry and fewer things that can break.
A Smaller House Encourages Intentional Living
Living in a small house can encourage you to become more intentional with your choices, from what you bring into your home to what you take out. Less space means less place to stockpile and hoard, so you’ll be more likely to buy things you and your family will use and avoid purchasing unnecessary items. You’ll also need to decide if you can really fit all four of those TVs, or maybe you only have room for two.
A Smaller House Builds Better Relationships
Living in a small house means you’ll be seeing your family more often — there are fewer rooms for everyone to spread out and hide! This means you must learn to work around and accommodate each other. Having this physical closeness helps in diffusing issues even before they occur.
It Enhances Simplicity
A smaller home encourages you to live a simple life. A smaller house is easier to redecorate and renovate. Smaller accommodations mean you’ll need to be more intentional about your decor, your furniture, and your stuff. A smaller house also requires fewer resources to build and maintain, making it a simpler, more environmentally friendly choice.
It Takes Less Time to Declutter
A small house simply cannot hold all the clutter a large house can, so decluttering can be much faster. Removing unwanted items allows you to create more space in your house. That smaller square footage will force you to decide what you really need and what you can live without.
Lower Utility Costs
The utility costs, taxes, land rates, insurance, cooling systems, and electricity can be so much lower in a small home, especially if you’re willing to make a few eco-friendly changes. A smaller home also means a smaller mortgage payment.
While it may seem prestigious and like you’ve “made it” to own a big home, being a small-home owner may be the choice that makes you happier and makes it easier to live a simpler, more sustainable lifestyle.
