5 Reasons Why Now is the Time to Make Changes to the Type of House You’re Living In
Is downsizing into a smaller home, like a tiny house, right for you right now?
Now more than ever, we have all had the time to take a look at our lives and see what things really matter the most to us. Many of us are looking to simplify our lives, and downsizing to a more practical home is a great way to start.
Whether you're looking to sell a house fast in Tacoma or downsize into a container house outside of Seattle, making a big living transition in the United States has never been more opportunistic. If you're interested in saving money, reducing your footprint, and having lower maintenance and a less cluttered home, downsizing to a tiny home or a mobile RV might be the answer you've been looking for.
"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living." -Gail Sheehy
1) Save Money
It's no secret that the housing market is in rough shape right now, and the prices of homes in the United States have skyrocketed. With home prices so high, it is a great time to sell, but unfortunately, it is an incredibly tough time for those trying to buy.
Selling your current home and purchasing a tiny home is a great way to save money. Home-related costs such as insurance, interest payments, and property taxes all increase with the size of your home. On the flip side, a tiny home guarantees that you will have fewer utilities, a smaller mortgage, and less debt.
2) Lessen Your Carbon Footprint
You can greatly reduce your greenhouse gas output by simply reducing the size of your home. Tiny homes require less energy due to fewer utilities, meaning less energy spent on heating and cooling and less water required for watering lawns. There are also many options for solar and other renewable energy sources for tiny homes.
Additionally, if you're looking to build a tiny home from scratch, fewer resources are required, so there is more possibility for using recycled materials.
3) Less Home Maintenance
A smaller home means a smaller space to clean and potentially less of a yard to tend to. This means less moping, sweeping, vacuuming, and mowing. Freeing up your time from endless chores means more time can be spent enjoying your hobbies and bonding with your family.
4) Less Clutter
Enjoy a more minimalist lifestyle by getting rid of some unnecessary items in your home. Downsizing will require that you prioritize which items mean the most to you and which items you can sell or donate.
The KonMari method by Marie Kondo is a great starting point if you're not sure where to begin with, downsizing and decluttering. Getting rid of the majority of your items may seem like quite a feat, but a cluttered home often equates to a cluttered mind. Plus, you're guaranteed to feel so much more accomplished after you're able to let items go and only keep the ones that really matter.
5) Become More Mobile
While many tiny homeowners take a permanent residence with their home, with a portable tiny home you have the ability to go anywhere you'd like, and at almost any time — no packing necessary.
Becoming more mobile means that you can spend more time traveling and exploring new places. There are 140 state parks and 3 national parks in Washington alone, and across the United States, there is an endless number of breathtaking outdoor adventures and beautiful cities to explore.
Remember, a road-tripping tiny house is lighter and smaller than most (for THOWs, a 20-foot bumper pull or 24-foot gooseneck or under). Larger mobile tiny homes can be relocated to try out a new city but are not meant to zipping from place to place on the regular.
Conclusion
If you've got a “less is more” mentality and looking to simplify your life, now may be the time to officially start your downsizing journey. The freedom and flexibility that come along with downsizing to a tiny home make it a more desirable choice than ever.
