It’s a term that was previously reserved for older buyers, but it would be fair to say that downsizing has suddenly become much more mainstream. There are obvious market reasons behind this. We all know that there is a major housing stock issue in the country, leading to homes that are naturally smaller. However, even if you do have the luxury of land, big houses perhaps aren’t what they were initially built up to be. With 2022 bringing a whole host of fresh concerns for the world, here are some of the reasons why bigger isn’t always better.
The heating-factor
We live in the UK and it gets cold. That’s the blunt message. If we then turn to the news headlines, we know the energy crisis that is blighting the world. The experts believe that the energy price cap is set to rise again towards the end of the year, leading to significantly higher heating costs than we’ve ever been used to. Ultimately, smaller homes demand much less energy to heat. While you might have the finance now to plough into your property, think about the long-term and the higher running costs that tend to proportionally run with the size.
We’re in the age of decluttering
The Marie Kondo method has taken the world by storm and it would be fair to say that it has had a significant impact on the way we think about our personal belongings. In a smaller home, you’re naturally forced to be more selective with your belongings. Do you really need that coffee table or those three vases? It’s something that not only saves you money, but it also declutters your life and allows you to focus on the important things. Granted, it’s a tough journey to get going. However, take things slowly and start to eliminate those items that you haven’t used in the past six months (or even longer, if you’re feeling particularly sentimental). You don’t have to sell or donate them either, consider something like storage units to temporarily “trial” your decluttered space!
Smaller homes are easier to clean… and you’ll actually enjoy doing it
We’re all time-poor. We work long hours, we commute, and we have a million things going on in our personal lives. The last thing we want to do is come home to a huge house that’s in dire need of a clean. In a smaller house, you can realistically achieve a deep clean in a couple of hours. It’s much less daunting and you won’t feel like you’re constantly fighting a losing battle.
Plus, it’s actually quite therapeutic. Once you get into a cleaning rhythm, you might start to enjoy it (we know, we must be crazy). In other words, not having to dedicate entire weekends to the big clean can be hugely motivational.
The ‘Forever Home’ doesn’t exist
The ‘Forever Home’ is a myth. It’s a nice idea, but the reality is that our lives are ever-changing. For example, you might buy a four-bedroom house with the intention of starting a family. However, what happens if you then have twins? Or what if your job relocates you to a different part of the country?
In a smaller home, you have the added benefit of flexibility. You can easily move if your circumstances change and you’re not tied down by a huge mortgage. And again, if we look at the current climate, huge mortgages really are huge.
If you have any thoughts on why we should build a smaller home we’d love you to share them.
*Collaborative post
Debz Louise is a plus-size blogger based in Yorkshire. Behind many nationwide campaigns such as #WeaAreTheThey & winner of Best Blogger at the UK Plus Size Awards, she talkas about life as a plus-size 40-something woman in South Yorkshire.
Leave a Reply