My home is my castle and I am so glad I was at the right time and the right place to purchase this beautiful place. My home is my sanctuary, my place to refuel, relax, be creative, live, love, invite friends, and simply just be. I opted for a smaller place because of the many advantages that work for me and my family. I would like to share my book-filled home (people say it looks like a library inside) with you if you would like to see.
Financial Freedom
Having a home with a smaller footprint means a smaller monthly payment for mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Because I have chosen to live within my means, I don’t feel the financial strain that comes with investing in a bigger or more impressive plot of real estate. Living small means I need less of literally everything (house paint, tools, cleaning products, furniture, organizing products – you name it!). Being able to comfortably pay for my home and maintain it leads to less overall stress and relationship strain, and frees up resources I can use towards BOOKS, eating out, travel, personal development, and philanthropy.
Less to Clean and Maintain
To be perfectly candid, I’m not a fan of cleaning, and there are a million things I would rather do than spend my time on household maintenance and upkeep. A smaller home enables me to spend less time cleaning, decluttering, and organizing, and more time relaxing and enjoying my home and my life. I’m fortunate that this property came with a huge garden because I love to be in nature as much as possible. I even learned to keep houseplants alive.
I Can Invest in Fewer, Better Things
Recently, I decided to redo my bathroom and realized that I could afford to pick out any shower I wanted because this single shared bathroom is the size of a small postage stamp (not even a regular stamp, People. It’s tiny). With less rooms to furnish, paint, and style, I have the luxury of splurging on high-quality products, furniture, and finishes that I absolutely love. I also love to splurge on fresh flowers, fancy candles, and other little luxuries to elevate this home, and having a small home enables me to go big and make it all feel good without breaking the bank.
It’s Better for the Planet
I’m always looking for ways to reduce my environmental footprint. A smaller home uses less energy and resources and produces far less waste than a larger home. Heating and utility bills are smaller because there’s less space to heat and cool. I also added solar panels. Cleaning products can be reduced because there’s less to clean (I use apple cider vinegar, baking soda and wooden-floor cleaner for my entire home!). A smaller home requires less furniture and decor, so small space dwellers can consume less, which also means less packaging and less waste.
Quality of Life
I am the happiest whenever I can spend time at home in peace and quiet but I also love travelling, eating out, going to meet friends, and having city adventures and day trips. Having many people over is great once in a while, too. The good news is a smaller home can be a catalyst to connect with friends and neighbours, be more creative and resourceful, and get better acquainted as well. Balance is important. Like with everything in life.
Does it bother me to live in an approximately 100 square meters house? Sure, sharing one tiny bathroom is no picnic, and occasionally I daydream about adding one more room, but I love my small home. My goal was to find a house that is small but on a big property so I can go crazy and be a garden girl. With this in mind, I don’t feel weighed down by the work or the responsibility that comes with managing and maintaining a large garden. To me, the difference between living in the city and the countryside is huge and moving out here increased our quality of life immensely. Overall, having a small, minimal home has resulted in more time, money, energy, and freedom for my family. File that under win-win.
I’m curious: Where do you stand on the great house size debate? Do you think bigger is better or opt for the less-is-more approach like me?
Below is also a good book I recommend on Tiny Houses.
