10 Reasons Why You Should Consider Small House Living
For some considering small house living, it's easy to focus on the negatives. However, when it comes to downsizing, it's often best to look at what you gain instead of what you lose. Think increased lifestyle flexibility and cost savings to name a couple.
In this article, we share the top ten reasons why you should consider small house living.
How To Decide if Small House Living Is Right for You
Downsizing, in general, is a significant life decision, and there's no right or wrong way to embrace small house living.
If you're wondering if smaller living is for you, ask yourself the following questions.
- What are your lifestyle goals?
- Are you a minimalist, or do you find minimalism appealing?
- Do you hate clutter and love simplicity?
- Do you want to live in a more environmentally-friendly home?
- Do you want to save money on living expenses?
- Are you tired of the maintenance of a large house?
- Are you looking to lower-cost home insurance?
- Are you ready to shed some of your furniture, appliances, and other belongings?
- Are you looking to simplify your life?
If answers to the above questions are a yes, you are in an excellent position to consider downsizing.
Ten Reasons Why You Should Consider Small House Living
1) More Savings
This is one of the primary reasons why you should consider moving into a small house. The giant mortgage payments of a traditional house will naturally be less with a smaller home. Of course, local real estate values still dictate costs, and in some markets, less square footage can still come at a premium. But it will always be less than big homes.
You might want to consider alternative dwellings like tiny houses on wheels.
2) Lower Taxes
You'll also save money when it comes to taxes. The taxes are usually calculated according to house size. The larger it is, the higher the tax rate. So a smaller house means a lower tax rate, and it can be a significant difference.
3) Lower Insurance
The same is true of insurance — the higher the house's value, the higher the insurance cost. However, it is possible to get insurance at a more reasonable price with a small house. This will also save you a lot of money.
4) Lower Energy Bills
Small house living means you'll need less heating and cooling to create a comfortable temperature. The major reason why energy bills are so high for many people is their large houses or those with poor energy efficiency due to old windows, etc. It is less expensive to live smaller, but it is also good for the environment to use fewer energy resources.
When you have a small house, you can install solar roofing, which takes the resource and cost savings to the next level. You may be eligible for a tax credit, depending on your location.
5) Higher Quality Materials
Because fewer materials are needed for new small homes, often means higher quality finishes and appliances are used. For instance, you may get to enjoy a real marble countertop.
Small houses are not just less expensive to buy; they're also cheaper to renovate. You can apply all your utility savings to upgrade to higher-quality items.
6) Easier Home Renovation
In addition to the lower cost of renovations, they can often be easier to accomplish due to the smaller scale of the project. On the other hand, it can be challenging to renovate a large home because you usually have to deal with huge walls, floorboards, and ceilings. But there is more flexibility when you're dealing with a small space. You can change the layout, paint the walls, and place furniture without as much difficulty.
7) More Flexibility
In general, small houses are more flexible than other types of dwellings. You can move furniture around easily and create a more creative look in your small place it's it's the lifestyle flexibility where small home living really shines. Of course, it's easier to modify and redecorate your small home than a traditional house.
8) Less Work
One of the benefits of a small house is less work to maintain your space. If you live in a large house, you'll have many rooms to clean and manage. You'll also have to take care of the yard. On top of all that, any roof or siding repairs will be much more costly.
Smaller houses require less maintenance, so you can spend more time doing what you love instead of making sure the house is in tip-top shape.
9) Aesthetically Pleasing
There's something so charming about tiny and small homes. They can be designed to maximize the use of space while emphasizing your most treasured possessions. Because, after all, if you downsize, you'll curate your belongings. Minimalism lends itself well to crafting an aesthetically pleasing space.
Ultimately living in a small house can bring pleasure to the eye giving your pride in your home. Now more than ever before, there are countless guides geared at small space interior design to help you create a dreamy sanctuary.
10) Less Waste
When you live in a small home, you don't have to worry about wasting as much energy and cheap junk that is so easily collected in larger homes. With less space, you won't be as tempted to buy this stuff because clutter can really impact your quality of life in small spaces. So you can see this as a win-win for your pocketbook and the environment.
Final Thoughts on Small House Living
Now you've got a lot of reasons to consider the idea of moving into a small house. It's time to start making a plan to make it happen. Good luck on your small space journey!
Also, check out our book The Beginner's Guide to Tiny Houses for more advice and to learn more about options to go even smaller.
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