Living in a big house with plenty of spare bedrooms and more than one living room can sound like a dream – and sometimes, it is. There’s a certain time in your life where living large and lavish is fun, exciting, and exactly what you want.
But, there comes a point where it all ends up being too much. This doesn’t happen overnight. Gradually, though, you start thinking of buying a smaller house.
Despite all the memories in your big home and the decor you’ve worked so hard on over the years, there’s a certain appeal to downsizing.
If the thought has crossed your mind, but you’re not sure whether or not it’s time to make the change, keep reading. Below are all the signs that point to downsizing your home and the benefits available by doing so.
How to Tell If It’s Time to Downsize
People don’t just wake up one morning and decide they want to move out of their home, let alone go from a large house into a much smaller one. There are certain life changes that have to happen to make downsizing a good choice.
In fact, downsizing usually happens as a result of some combination of life changes rather than one major shift. Here are some things that may be pushing you toward making the move.
1. You Have an Empty Nest
Some empty nesters transform their child’s room the moment he/she goes off to college, while others prefer to leave the space untouched.
There are benefits to both sides. It’s nice to finally have the home office or gym you’ve always wanted, but it’s also very touching to welcome your son or daughter home for a weekend trip from college.
Still, sooner or later, your empty nest starts to feel even more empty.
It can be lonely to live in a big house with only one other person to share it with. If it’s just you living in the house, you’ll probably feel a bigger sense of emptiness. The best way to heal this is to downsize.
2. There’s Too Much to Maintain
A big house can feel empty when there aren’t that many people in it anymore, and it can also feel overwhelming. As soon as the kids go, all their household responsibilities leave with them. Now, everything is on you.
Even if you’re splitting the chores with your spouse, it can still feel like a lot for the two of you. This alone is enough to make you want to move somewhere you can actually sit back for a change instead of having an ongoing list of tasks to do.
3. You’re Paying More Than You Should
As if all the household chores aren’t enough to overwhelm you, consider the costs of keeping the house running. Big houses still consume a significant amount of energy even with fewer residents.
That’s just how it goes. Between pumping enough air throughout the house and keeping all the appliances running, the energy bill doesn’t change much. Not to mention, repairs will need to happen from time to time too.
4. You Want to Live Minimally
There’s downsizing a house, and then there’s minimal living. These are two different things, but they can go hand in hand. Downsizing basically means to move from a big house into a smaller one.
To live minimally means to reduce all the ways you fall into consumerism and to only buy/use what you really need. It’s a lifestyle of little to no clutter, which provides an open mind and a simpler way to function.
You can live minimally in a big home, but it’s more effective to do so in a small home that has just what you need and nothing else.
5. It’s Time for a Change
The final thing to consider when deciding if you need to downsize or not is if you need a change. Maybe you’re not dealing with an empty nest because of kids who are grown up, but rather because of a divorce or a death.
Such situations can weigh on the heart for years. It’s easier to let go of them, though, when you create positive, exciting changes in your life.
Maybe nothing traumatic has happened yet you feel stuck anyway. A change may be what you and your family need to get you all out of a funk and feel like yourselves again. While it’s a big change, sometimes those are the most necessary.
The Benefits of Buying a Smaller House
It’s one thing to realize when it’s time to move on from a big house, and another to celebrate the benefits of buying a smaller house.
Living in a small house doesn’t necessarily sound ideal when you’re young and about to start a family. But as you get older, you may realize it’s one of the best decisions you could ever make.
Here’s why.
1. Less Work, More Joy
Living in a big house is kind of like having another child in the family. It requires constant attention to maintain. Some days this simply means cleaning the kitchen and picking up the clutter, and other days it means investing in large repairs for the entire house like the roof or the yard.
Although living in a smaller house doesn’t eliminate the need for maintenance and upkeep, it does make these things more accessible. Not to mention, you’re able to enjoy your life more every single day.
Instead of having to clean so many rooms and work on all the things a big house requires you to do, a small house lets you sit back and enjoy yourself. It’s where you can truly feel at home and let the days pass by without being in work mode all the time.
2. Fewer Expenses
Just as there’s less work associated with a smaller house, there are also fewer costs to account for. You’ll always have certain bills to pay – like water, electricity, and Internet.
However, a smaller house means less consumption and therefore, a smaller bill at the end of the month. This creates room for you to do other things with your money that are more exciting.
Such possibilities are endless. Maybe your savings go into a vacation fund for the whole family or they become part of your retirement planning. Maybe you use them to help your children pay off their student loans or to give your spouse a special anniversary gift.
Whatever you do with the money, you’ll sure be glad you don’t have so many household expenses anymore.
3. The Pay-off of Selling Your Current Home
Here’s another financial perk that comes with downsizing: the money you make by selling your current home! Selling a large house can give you more funds than you need for the purchase of a small house.
The excess is great as an emergency fund, an interior design resource, or something to have just because. Plus, there’s a bit of an emotional release that comes with selling the old and investing in the new.
Regardless of the finances, it feels to let go. Selling your house may give you the emotional release you’ve been needing lately, and moving into a smaller one is just the cherry on top.
4. The Chance to Relocate
Keep in mind that downsizing doesn’t have to happen in your backyard. Once you sell your current house, it’s open territory. You may choose to stay in the area you’ve lived in for years, but you could also be compelled to try something new.
Relocating is pretty exciting. It gives you the opportunity to live somewhere that you’ve always dreamed of calling home or perhaps moving back to your hometown. You can choose to move closer to family or decide to see what life is like somewhere far away.
Wherever you end up, it’s pretty cool realizing you have the chance to go anywhere you please.
5. A Fresh Start
Whether you move a few blocks down the street or to the other side of the country (or the world), downsizing gives you a fresh start. It’s like the exhale of a deep breath you’ve been holding for too long.
When you move into your new, smaller home you’re able to reset so much of your life. The decor changes, the environment is different, and the way you run the house evolves too.
Everything becomes a canvas for you to determine how you want the next chapter of your life to be. Sure, certain things will stay the same. But having room to redefine yourself and upgrade some aspects of your life is incredibly exciting and a little therapeutic.
The First Step of Downsizing: Selling!
Once you make the decision to downsize, you have to get to work. Before you start thinking about buying a smaller house, you need to figure out how to get your current home off your hands.
Going the traditional real estate route can take more time than you’d like to waste. Selling to a company like us, on the other hand, gives you the fast, easy solution you need.
Click here to contact us and begin the selling process!