If you’ve heard my story, then you know that our starter home turned into our forever home. After college, we moved to DC, got married, and started building the American dream. We had two great jobs and a large apartment but it was time to buy a house because we filled the apartment to the brim.
Over the years, I learned it’s human nature to fill all the space we have. To this day, I work very hard to not fill spaces in my home. These empty spaces allow my eyes a place to rest. But I have to be intentional and disciplined to prevent them from being filled with more stuff.
Our starter home was a single-family, 3 bedroom home. I realize this is not small, but it was smaller than most. And we were being influenced and pressured to buy even more and to push our budget. We loved the neighborhood and location and found something that would not leave us house poor. It became our forever home when we realized there was more to life than taking care of more stuff. But this only happened when we understood that a large home would never give us the life we were looking for. And that you’ll fill a home with stuff no matter how big or small. The American dream was a nightmare. And now, we look forward to an even smaller house in the future. The benefits of a smaller house are endless.
So if you’re considering a move or want to stay in your current home, but feel like it is too small, keep reading.
10 Benefits of a Smaller House
1. Less Cleaning
It’s no secret, I hate dusting. So the idea of less dusting and vacuuming is music to my ears. And when I see a home listed with 4 or 5 bathrooms, I cringe. It’s going to take forever to clean them! I still remember how easy it was to clean our two bedroom/1 bathroom apartment and I miss the simplicity.
2. Less Maintenance and Yard Work
With a smaller home there are fewer things to break, a smaller yard to mow, and fewer weeds to pull. There are also fewer rooms that need to be painted, less carpet to replace, and fewer walls to decorate.
3. Intentional Spending
When you own a smaller home, you must be careful about how many things you accumulate and what you buy. A smaller home has less storage which deters you from large purchases that won’t fit. As a professional organizer, I declutter and organize a lot of large storage rooms. Larger is definitely not better.
This is just one of many ways that a smaller home will save you money. Money that can be spent doing things you love with the people you love. Perhaps splurging to rent a large house at the beach for two weeks with family and friends.
4. Weight Lifted Physically & Mentally
Moving into a smaller home means you have to get serious about your decluttering and address the spaces you’ve been avoiding like the garage and storage room. Once you reduce, declutter, and downsize those spaces, you will never look back. There is a weight lifted because reducing our possessions is mentally freeing. You’ll save a lot of energy not worrying about all the stuff you own. Science proves that we are distracted by our belongings. We know they need to be dealt with even if they are hidden away inside a closet.
5. Less Stuff Equals More Time
The math is simple. Less stuff equals more time. If you feel like there is a never-ending-to-do-list for your home, then a smaller house and less stuff will change that immediately.
6. Fewer Electronic Devices
Electronics are expensive. A smaller house brings a significant cost savings with fewer electronics. Additionally, owning fewer devices can help reduce screen time in our distracted culture. A large home encourages numerous TVs, computers, tablets, and phones where everyone watches a shiny screen alone. But a small home naturally requires you to reduce every category. With less wall space, there is a limit to how many TVs can hang on the wall. Which in turn sets a limit for how much time you waste on a screen.
7. Cozy Home & Family Time
In our two bedroom apartment we had one main living space for eating, watching TV, reading, or working on a project. We did more things together and it encouraged us to interact. A large home means family members retreat to all corners of the house. Less time is spent together as a family.
And yes, I can hear the arguments now from all the introverts. I get it. You need alone time. Me too. But even with a small home you have the beauty of the outdoors just a few steps away. And small houses still allow you to retreat to another room to recharge your batteries.
8. Lower Mortgage and Utility Bills
Saving money is the greatest benefit of a smaller home. Not only a smaller mortgage payment but all the utility bills that come with it.
9. Location and Shorter Commute
I watch people choose a large home with more land instead of the short commute and I just don’t get it. There is a reason why real estate is all about location, location, location. Living in the DC area, I can’t imagine choosing to spend more time in my car, in traffic, every single day. Location will always be my driving factor for choosing a home. Whether it is the people nearby, the neighborhood, or the commute, all of these are more important than extra square feet.
10. Fewer Flat Surfaces
Flat surfaces are clutter magnets. A small home means fewer tables, counters, and floor space. Floors are the largest flat surface in your home and clutter prone. I recommend following this rule: Only furniture can sit on the floor. Look around at the flat surfaces in your home, are they empty or cluttered?
Conclusion
A smaller home has endless benefits. But it also means you need to set boundaries for your possessions and stick to them. And that means getting rid of stuff.
Even if you’re not currently planning to move, remember, you did not accumulate all this stuff overnight, so it will take some time to go through all of it.
Ready to get started?
If you own such a small house, how in the world do you host 75 people at your Christmas Party?
Hi Dianna – It’s such a great question. But it’s actually very easy to host. We had 90 people here last Saturday. I don’t have an excessive amount of furniture. Rooms are simply decorated without clutter. When you have less furniture and less stuff, you have the room for more people. We offer refreshments across two levels and use the patio for the drinks which spreads people out. No one feels cramped because there is room to move about the house. And it’s a very come and go kind of event.
This was a lot harder to do before we simplified our home. But now I don’t give it a second thought. I promise that less stuff is the key. Hope that makes sense!