I could just as easily write 10 Reasons Your Small House May Result in the Dissolution of Your Marriage and Dysfunction of Your Children, but what good would that do my soul? So, here for you minimalists and small-space dwellers, is my list.
- Less to clean. This one’s self-explanatory. Fewer square feet equals less sweeping. Less furniture equals less dusting. And really, who wants another toilet to scrub?
- Less to heat and cool. There’s just less air space to heat in the winter and cool in the summer.
- Family togetherness. No one is able to hide out in his or her room alone since we all share rooms. Most time is spent together.
- Learning to share and be patient is not optional, especially when you have one bathroom. Six people, one bathroom, and everyone dressed and out the door for church at the same time on Sunday fosters cooperation.
- You accumulate less stuff. When there’s nowhere to go with it, you’re more selective about what you bring in and what you hang onto.
- Parental supervision. No privacy=no illicit secrets. One television in the main room of the house means no one’s watching anything inappropriate for his or her age (including the adults). Same goes for using electronic devices and reading books.
- Smaller footprint/less negative environmental impact. Fewer trees and natural beauty mowed down for our living space.
- In most cases, a smaller house costs less. A smaller mortgage leaves you with more money to spend elsewhere doing things you enjoy during all that time you don’t have to spend cleaning.
- More time spent outdoors. When there’s only so much you can do indoors, you’re forced to move outdoors where fresh air, natural beauty, and opportunities for exercise abound.
The Beauty of Winter
- Taxes, taxes, taxes.
Do you love your small home? Why or why not? Is your big house too much or does it give you the freedom to spread your wings?
I like the square footage of our house but wish it were better designed for a family that does stuff together (smaller bedrooms, larger living space with better flow from room to room). As my older kids get bigger, it feels like they are ALWAYS in my way, physically.
We suffer from poor layout, too. And I often refer to our kids as “Children of the Doorway.” Kind of like “Children of the Corn,” only less creepy. I often have to step over and around 2-3 kids just to get from the refrigerator to the sink.
I love having a smaller home. I would not want a bigger one. Another good thing about a small house: house guests, if they are even willing to stay in the cramped conditions, do not stay long. They tend to want their own bathroom and to be able to sleep through the night without being woken by a crying child.
I can’t say I love our home at this point, but I have hope that we can get it to a point that I do. You make a good point about the house guests not overstaying their welcome! I’d like to be able to have people for a night or two though.
Now that 3 of our adult children have moved out, and 3 remain, the house has more space than we need. But psychologically it’s too small because these last 3 are really too old to be living here.
Maybe there’s another plus to my small house? Grown children will fly from the nest before outstaying their welcome.