It seems to be a thing in recent years to live smaller and simplify your lifestyle by downsizing your home. This doesn’t necessarily mean everybody is moving into a tiny house, but more and more people do seem to be reducing the size of their dwellings, and there can be a number of reasons for that.
In this post we’ll be taking a look at some of those key reasons for downsizing, what advantages there are to downsizing, as well as some of the more common and popular options for living smaller.
Why Are So Many People Downsizing? What Are the Reasons? The Advantages?
The number one reason seems to be money, as the cost and upkeep of maintaining a large home is just getting more and more expensive. Monthly mortgages are high, sometimes unmanageable and often downright scary.
Reducing the size on one’s mortgage is definitely a huge relief and a major motivator to find a more cost-effective way of living.
While on the subject of finances, larger homes simply cost more in other ways as well.
For starters, more electricity tends to get consumed as there are more rooms running lights and appliances, there are often at least several TVs, more going on in the kitchen, more bathrooms, big hot water systems and the list goes on. The same could be said for water consumption. Likely it is higher as well.
And what about general maintenance, indoors and outdoors?
There are bigger yards to look after, more lawns to mow and gardens to tend to. The outside of the house also needs TLC from time to time. Even things like regular window washing are time consuming, as well as an added expense if you get in professionals to do it.
Internally there are walls and floor coverings to look after, appliances, fittings, lighting and a whole host of stuff to maintain.
Families living in large homes with big yards can end up spending all their free time looking after the house and cleaning, which very much detracts from their quality of life.
So we’ve pointed out some key reasons why large homes can put you at a disadvantage, and this pretty much answers the question about why people are downsizing and what some major advantages are.
Downsizing puts more money in your pocket and also frees up your valuable time in the process. Those two things alone are a big deal when it comes to actually living life rather than just existing, being a slave to the mortgage as well as all the constant cleaning and maintenance.
What Is Minimalistic Living?
“Minimalistic” is rather a broad term that can encompass many things, but when it comes to home downsizing, it’s often referring to not only living smaller, but doing without so many possessions and clutter.
When you cut down the size of your home, you also have to cut down on what you own, so those who downsize tend to focus on owning the things they really need, rather than a whole bunch of stuff they think they might want.
It’s all about prioritising and learning what’s really important, and this doesn’t just pertain to worldly possessions, but to lifestyle as well.
When people downsize and are somewhat forced to simplify their lifestyles, priorities in how you spend your time also shift, and usually in a positive way.
If your mindset is no longer focused on acquiring inanimate objects, and your time isn’t consumed by looking after a large house, suddenly you’re in a position to really be focused on those things in life that are more important, and often a lot more fun and fulfilling.
Minimalistic living is about keeping things simple, taking time to smell the roses and doing more of what you like to do, while saving money in the process.
Sustainable Living Is Another Factor
Sustainable living tends to refer to being more self-sufficient, or harnessing the power of nature and considering the environment more and more in our daily lives.
Many people who downsize – especially those who move into tiny homes – often have a desire to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
This could include things like:
- Solar power
- Growing your own vegetables
- Using composting toilets
- Recycling water for other purposes
- Buying food in bulk to reduce package waste
- Living on much smaller lots of land
- Collecting rainwater
- And more…
Many have a nagging urge to reduce their environmental footprint, and downsized and sustainable living is one very good option to achieve that outcome.
Some Of The Options For Living Smaller
The tiny house movement is like at the extreme end of downsizing. In order to downsize your home, simplify your life, reduce your living costs and have some more time freedom, you don’t necessarily have to go as small as a tiny home.
For some people downsizing might be as simple as selling up the big house and moving into a apartment or a much smaller house, but something that still services their needs.
Shipping containers are being used more and more to build houses of all sizes, and they are a fantastic options for tiny homes.
A shipping container dwelling is the perfect solution for living smaller. What’s great about building a home from shipping containers is much of the hard work has already been done. Cargo containers are made from solid, sturdy and secure steel. The framework is already in place. It’s just a matter of designing a tiny home based on a shipping container and having it professionally modified to your specs and requirements.
A 20 foot shipping container could be converted into a mobile tiny house, while a 40 foot container is a great size for a small home sitting permanently on land.
These days shipping containers are being refashioned for all manner of uses, and housing is one of the biggest. You could even combine several shipping containers and make a larger home.
For anyone wanting to live smaller and save money in the process, repurposed shipping containers for housing is an option well worth serious consideration.