I bet you’ll agree that buying a bigger home represents moving a class up in life.
Or is it?
As incredible as it seems, living large doesn’t necessarily mean living better. Do you know that most families in the U.S. have so much space in their homes that they can actually downsize without constricting their lifestyle?
Our homes are getting bigger and BIGGER
Today, the average size for a new single family home is almost 2,600 square feet, which surpasses even the housing bubble period – when homes for a single family averaged 2,400 square feet. This may not seem like a very big house when compared with homes built in recent years, but looking further back will give you the shock of your life.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the average home size back in 1950 was only 983 square foot! However, as the sizes of homes ballooned over the years, the size of families shrank from an average of 3.8 people in 1950 to 2.6 people today.
Looking at the above numbers, it only indicates one thing: homeowners of today are living large!
But do they have to, really?
In most people’s eyes, moving from a big home into a smaller home symbolizes a step down in the life ladder. But this is not always the case if you take a closer look. In fact, it may be the best life move you’ve ever made.
Less is more
Every time I talk to a person about downsizing their homes, they always ask me one question:
Will a small home afford me enough space to keep all my stuff?
Let this not hold you back. There are lots of ways to get rid of the stuff you don’t frequently use and make extra dollars out of it. Craigslist, eBay, and your local yard sale are a few good ideas.
Reduced maintenance
Shrinking your square footage means less space, which can be a good thing. It means you will spend less time and money on maintaining the home. Just think of spending only a few minutes clearing the gutters, weeding the garden, painting the walls, and other unpleasant chores that you would have to spend hours on if you are in a big home.
A smaller home also means that you will save on costs like insurance and property taxes that go up with the value of a home. In addition, it will lead to a reduction in the utility bills you pay every month.
Downsizing may mean that you and your family will have to watch all your popular programs around one television (instead of each having a TV in his/her own room), but this is a good thing. Gathering together in front of one TV is a great way to spend more quality time with your loved ones, which only strengthens the family bond.
