Pros and Cons of A Small Living Space
There are many reasons why someone would want to live in a small place. Obviously most people instantly think of living in a more grand home with room to grow but living in a smaller home, condo, apartment or townhouse definitely has its advantages.
Pros Of Living In A Small Place
- Smaller homes are easier to maintain.
- Limited space causes you only to purchase what you need.
- Less upkeep gives you more free time.
- You learn to work well as a family and spend quality time together.
- Since smaller homes use less energy you will likely have a smaller water, Reliant Energy and gas bill.
- If you choose to move there are less items to move and clean
There are obviously a lot of pros to living in a smaller space. The savings that you can accumulate due to utilizing less electricity, gas and water is substantial and can be moved directly into a vacation account. Speaking of vacations, the more you save the more vacations you can take. Your smaller home will require less upkeep than a larger home and you will have a lot more free time. Larger houses can take hours to clean and then once the inside is clean, you have to move to landscape. Smaller homes often only take an hour or two to clean which gives you more time to enjoy your family and days out and about. When you have a smaller home, you realize you don’t have as much room for clutter or storage so you also tend to buy fewer impulse purchases. You will typically only purchase things that actually mean something to you since your space is limited to display your items. While there are a lot of pros to living in a small space, there are definitely a few cons that should be discussed.
Cons Of Living In A Small Space
- Small space living is not for everyone.
- If your family is large, you may run out of room for your necessities if your space is too small.
- An over crowded small space can instantly feel cluttered.
Small spaces are great for smaller families but there does come a point where a larger space will become necessary. This does not mean you need to go from 1,000 square feet all the way to 3,000 square feet. This simply means you may have outgrown your current space and require a bit more. If you have to pay for storage elsewhere or people are bumping into each other because the home is too small, you may want to consider one that has an extra couple rooms to accommodate your ever-growing family. When you outgrow your house, essentials can begin to feel like clutter. When your house becomes stressful and is no longer a place that you are comfortable in; it may be time to look for a larger space.
How To Know If You Are Ready To Expand
You will know when it is time to expand and purchase a bigger home. A family of 3 may fit comfortably in a 2-bedroom apartment or condo and a family of 4 may fit well in a small 3-bedroom ranch home but as soon as that family expands it may be time to look at a bigger home. Family expansion does not include adding children to the family. In some cases, elderly relatives must come and live with you or you may want to add a pet or two to your home. Each person should have enough room for their belongings, a comfortable place to sleep and there should be enough room to navigate the space easily. If your home begins to feel more claustrophobic and you are struggling with even finding a place to sit and relax, it is definitely time to find a different place to live.
Moving is not always the easiest decision. We often attach sentimental feelings towards our first homes. Understanding when the time is right to move on to a bigger space will bring forth the opportunity to create new lasting memories for the entire family.
