It is this context that makes the tiny house movement so intriguing. Typical tiny houses are between 100-400sq foot (whilst the average USA house is 2500 SqFt). What is amazing about these tiny houses is how they manage to compact all the necessities into a small space without the cramped feeling.
Though not everyone will want to take downsizing the this extreme, there is a lot that can be learned from living in a smaller home. As a college student I spend the last two years living in a very small space (a small single room + communal kitchen) and now C and I have a very small 1 bed flat. It made my living space simple and minimalistic as there was not space for clutter.
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Here are some of the benefits of living in a smaller house:
- You learn to discern between needs and wants. Due to the lack of space for furniture you learn to furnish primarily with essentials. By having mostly essentials your house will look clean and uncluttered and I find having an uncluttered home is a real de-stressed. When I moved into the flat I realised how much of the things I had amounted at my parents house I had not used at all whilst being at college. It made me reflect on how much I had been hoarding over the years.
- Bills are much cheaper. The less space you have to heat, the fewer appliances you have, the fewer numbers of bathrooms the less your household consumption will be and consequently you bills will be much less.
-More ecofreindly. This goes along with bills being cheaper with less use of utilities your houses carbon footprint will be much less. In addition, it is easier to use green methods to heath your home. Plus a small garden means less spent on watering it.
- Entertaining is funner (in my opinion). You make not have enough space to sit 10 people round a table for a meal but that doesn't mean you cannot entertain and have fun. We love having raclette and poker nights with our friends. We put the raclette grill on the table and we sit on the floor to eat and play cards.
-Easier to decorate. Upkeep and decoration of a smaller house is inherently easier and less expensive. There are fewer rooms to think about co-orindating the wall colour to the cushions.
- You spend a lot less time cleaning. Less rooms and sq ft means less rooms to clean, plus fewer pieces of furniture and less clutter means you can spend more of your time doing what you want.
- Less debt. A smaller house means smaller monthly mortgage payments, freeing up money in your monthly budget. A smaller mortgage means there is less risk so the is less stress and worry about money in your life.
- Housing mobility. A less expensive house means more people will be able to afford to purchase your home, compared to a more expensive home which will become more niche in the market. This means you can get more value for money when you sell and may be able to move easier.
- Change your mentality You start to think differently about your possessions. Stop over purchasing, pick smaller appliances, look for items with dual purpose and things that can easily be store. Bigger is not better when it comes to a small home. You become less tempted to accumulate items.
Have you ever considered downsizing?