8 Benefits of Living in a Small Home

We have been in the process of trying to prioritize our life and figuring out what we really want in life (aka: get out of debt). One thing that we are discovering (it has taken almost 3 years) is that we love living in our tiny little house. We have always loved the charm of an older home and thought we could handle the smaller space that comes along with it. The first two years of living in this home, I would think if I only had about 200 more square feet for a bathroom in our master and a larger kitchen. I was listening to the motto “bigger the better”. But at the end of this last year, I have discovered that I am loving the smaller home and that I do not need the extra space…

Over the past couple of years, the term “tiny house” has become a really big thing. People are downsizing from the typical American home to live in a house between 100-400 square feet. I love the idea but I am not ready to downsize that much with a family of 5, even though there are people who do! But the idea is still floating around in our heads…

But I wanted to share 8 benefits that I have found in living in a smaller home:

1. Less Time Cleaning –

Fewer rooms/bathrooms means less time spent cleaning, which means more time to do other things. It takes me less than 1 hour to clean my whole house! But please keep in mind that we are really only living in about 850 sqft of our home which includes kitchen, bathroom, 2 bedrooms, and living room. SO when we finish the basement I plan on about an hour more to clean the whole house!

2. More Energy Efficient –

Smaller homes are “often” more energy-efficient because they have less space to heat and cool, which means lower utility bills. Now I say “often” because that still depends on your heating and cooling system plus how well your home is insulated. For example our furnace is old and needs to be replaced, so it is not very efficient but just think of heating a larger home with that same furnace. The bill would probably double. But at the same time your windows, doors, and insulation can play a big roll in this also…

3. Less Expensive –

Bottom line is that smaller homes cost less to purchase than a larger one is the same area. Plus it will have less expenses (insurance, taxes, etc…) this making it more affordable.

4. Encourages Family Bonding –

When someone has a smaller home there is less room to do your own thing all the time. This will result in more interaction between family members. Helping your family to become closer together – BONDING. Yes there will probably be fighting but that will happen no matter what!

5. Less Stuff –

Let’s face it, moving into a smaller home forces you to down size on your stuff. But one of the beauties of downsizing is that you are less tempted to buy more stuff because you do not have room for it. A smaller home will help you only bring in the necessities which in the long run saves you money! You may think a smaller space will feel cramped but it really just depends on the amount of stuff you have, that is what creates that feeling.

6. More Unique –

Now this does not apply to all larger homes but for the most part, smaller homes are normally not a “cookie-cutter” home.

7. Wider Market for Resell –

When you think about the population of the world, most people cannot afford a larger home. So a smaller home is more affordable to a larger percentage of the population, which will make it easier to sell!

8. More Money –

Financially, buying or renting a smaller home saves you more money. The money saved then can be spent any way you want, instead of having to spend it on the mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc…. Now you can use the money for that vacation you have always wanted to go on, updating your kitchen, paying off debt, really anything you want!!!

There are many reasons why people buy a larger home:

– they “outgrow” their smaller one
– they received a raise at work (can afford more)
– they hope to impress others
– they think a large home is the home of their dreams

But guess what? A home can become a dream home no matter the size.

I am not saying you should never have a larger home because buying a home is a very personal decision and many factors apply into buying a home. I just wanted to share the benefits we have been seeing in having a smaller home. So please PLEASE think about what you REALLY  want in life and maybe, just maybe, that larger home will hinder you getting to your DREAM GOAL!!!

What are your thought on living in a smaller home?