The clamor for minimalism is louder than ever. People are looking into their lifestyles to see if there are excesses they should control. The idea of living only with the things you need, intentionally shedding off what is too much, intends to let people enjoy life overall. When you spend more time and money on stuff you don’t really need but want to possess, you tend to spend less on actually living it up.
Part of the drill of minimalist living is downsizing or settling down in a smaller house. A huge abode is attractive, but there will come a time in your life when you will see it as too much. As the kids grow and start to move out, you may feel like an empty nester living in a multiple-bedroom house when all you need is one room. Or you might be in your retirement age, and you realized your operational costs are too much for your mediocre budget.
Is downsizing for you? Check out some pros and cons so you can weigh in on the best decision to make.
Pros
- Make money by selling your old home and your extra stuff. Selling your home and most of the things in it, as they may not fit into your new place, will quickly turn up a reasonable sum of money. You can use that sum to start over or put it in your savings account so that you can enjoy a worry-free retirement.
- A small house is cheaper to furnish, heat, and cool. The best thing you can get from downsizing is lower costs for practically everything. You only need to pay a small sum for furnishings. Experts like those from McNallyHVAC can install a cheaper heating and cooling system for you. A smaller space requires less energy to control the temperature and keep it comfortable, which means cheaper monthly bills.
- You can choose a more desirable neighborhood. With the sum of money you got from selling your home and most of your things, you can easily afford to choose a spot in any area that you fancy. Did you always dream about living close to nature and away from the bustling city noise? That could be one of the best rewards of downsizing.
Cons
- Purging can be exhausting. Getting rid of old stuff can be tedious. Prepping those things for selling, putting them out in the market, and sending them out is time-consuming and exhausting. It can also take a toll on your emotional well-being. Imagine going through the stuff one by one, remembering their value in your life, and convincing yourself that you have to let go. That could be real torture, a major brain drain.
- You will have less space to work with. Having a smaller space is the most obvious downside of downsizing. If you decide to live in smaller quarters, make sure you are prepared to do a series of trade-offs. After all, you are embracing a minimalist lifestyle with it, so not possessing too many things should not be painful to think about.
- Moving is a big adjustment you might not be ready to take. Moving houses is a biggie, much more if it is from a large home to a small one. The adjustment could take a toll on you if you are not solved at making them. So think it out before moving out.
Before you look for a smaller dig and uproot your entire life in a floor space thousands of square feet less than what you are used to, ask yourself first if downsizing is good for you. While it seems like a brilliant idea, it may not be well suited for everyone.
