Maybe you have seen one of the dozens of television shows touting the benefits and blessings of tiny homes. As a military family who relocates frequently, you have either scoffed at the possibility of having too much stuff to fit into such a diminutive dwelling as you relocate every few years, or you have been highly intrigued by this lifestyle of less.
While the actual implementation of living in a tiny house may not be entirely practical or feasible, below are four secrets that small home living can offer. Some of these lifestyle benefits include lower housing costs, a smaller environmental footprint, less physical (and thereby mental and emotional) clutter, and freedom to engage in other pursuits without being super tied down by a hefty mortgage or the upkeep of a large home.
Lower Housing Costs
You may not be ready to convert a school bus into your next home or build a house out of a shipping container, but having fewer square feet in a home you choose can offer significant cost savings. Smaller homes tend to cost less on the front end and often operational costs can be less as well, including property tax totals. Smaller homes cost less to heat and maintain. In most cases, less square footage will have a smaller purchase price. If you’re considering buying a home in the near future, ask yourself whether you truly need that second or third living area, fifth bedroom, or home office? For many, less truly is more!
Smaller Environmental Footprint
It’s true that a smaller space will allow you to make an even smaller environmental footprint. Utility costs on bills like water, gas, and electricity are reduced when fewer square feet require fewer resources to maintain the home. Additionally, according to GreenAmerica.org, there tends to be a domino effect when people make a conscious decision to “live smaller” as their other consumption habits tend to follow suit. More environmentally-friendly car choices, food purchases, and clothing shopping regularly accompany this mindset.
Less Clutter
When you live in a smaller space, every square foot of your home becomes prime real estate. From furniture selection and placement to how full and organized closets and cabinets become—clutter matters. For many people, downsizing or living in small spaces tends to motivate them to take stock of what they are keeping and often inspires them to minimize or remove unwanted clutter from their homes. Often it is reported that living with less or at least prioritizing your most treasured possessions and forgetting the rest allows for less mental and emotional clutter, too!
Freedom for Other Pursuits
One of the greatest intrinsic benefits from small home living is that when there is money saved on housing and upkeep costs, more environmentally sound lifestyle choices, and less to clean and maintain, there is usually much more time and space available to invest in other pursuits. Is there a hobby or dream you’ve been putting off? Is there a passion you haven’t had the mental space to devote yourself to? Less house doesn’t have to mean less life. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Those who have adapted to smaller home living situations may be better able to save and spend on what matters most, like travel, children’s education, or other goals.