Would you downsize to a small house if you knew it would likely be long-term?

[Faline]

We're looking at a 1200 sq ft house for our family of 6. We live in a large 5-bedroom house right now (rented). Even though I've decluttered and don't have a huge excess of things, this would require a more severe downsizing than ever before and would definately be a change of lifestyle.

I function best in bare, uncluttered rooms and I just don't know if that would be possible in a small house.

 

There is a 3 car garage and an unfinished basement, so that would help. But I just don't know if I want to live in such a small house for possibly the next 20 years or so. I wouldn't have a school room, and I like my school room. But it would be OURS and we've never owned a house before.

 

I haven't seen the inside of the house yet--only pics of the outside, so I don't know about the layout. We're going to look at it next week, but we may possibly make a decision that day. I know it needs some fixing up. I know we could always build on, but dh is very slow to do things like that because he just doesn't care very much about houses and could live almost anywhere. So I would expect only bare necessity changes at first.

 

I've done a search on here about downsizing and know lots of you have squished in to some very small spaces and I'm not against it really, I just don't know if I want to do it long term. I am intrigued by the simplicity of it though.:tongue_smilie: Any thoughts?

[Melinda in VT]

How old are your kids?

[Jen in PA]

I find having a small house very liberating. The trade-off for us is small house, big yard. I would not be willing to downsize the yard unless we had some very compelling reason.

[littlebug42]

Personally, I wouldn't do it. My family is smaller than yours and I think I would go crazy.

 

Also, I have come to believe that home ownership is highly overrated. We have owned our home for 10 years and all of the responsibility that comes with home ownership is overwhelming. I would much prefer to rent and someone else worry about that stuff. I also know that I have things in the house that my dh was going to fix up 10 years ago and they are still not done. We live in a half-way house because everything is only done half way.

[Melinda in VT]

And one other question--how many months out of the year is the weather pleasant?

[Faline]

We would have a large yard, but hard winters. The winter months are what I'm worried about.

 

The dc range from 13 to 6.

[justamouse]

Don't do it. Don't. I lived in a 1100 sqft house we owned with 9 people and it was a NIGHTMARE. Looking back-and we've only just moved into our new huge house-it seems as if my life was on hold because of the space constraint. Even my kids feel the same way. I know you may want to *own*, but at what cost? All of my fun stuff is out again. I am sewing, canning, freezing ( I have an awesome pantry and cellar now). My kids are LOVING the space, they are all over. I went from 2.5 acres to .6 acres with a pool and I love it. I have a huge veggie garden, a formal herb garden, gorgeous flower gardens and yard left over for the kids to play in.

 

Even with our huge yard in our smaller house it was a nightmare. Much more work for me with cleaning and I had that place pared down to nothing. Even though our new house is over 3000 sqft I clean it in no time. It actually takes me less time to clean this big house than the smaller one, though I haven't quite figured out why yet. I am leaning towards the fact that everything has a home where it should go, and therefore everything is put away.

 

So my opinion? Nope. I wouldn't go back to smaller for the world.

 

re:winters. They were the worst. I had no foyer so the kids would come in with all their outdoor clothes on and dump it all right into the livingroom. I had to store it all in bins by the door which I hated. Spring and mud? OMG. the mud. All over the house and I was mopping every day. Hated it with a passion. Now kids can come in the breezeway and hang stuff up.

Edited July 16, 2010 by justamouse
stuff,

[cin]

From what I've read you have 4 kids. I'm sort of assuming the house has 3 bedrooms. How are your kids split boy/girl wise? Would you be able to fit 3 dd/ds in one room? Or do you have 2 and 2? Is there enough space for a dining/kitchen table for you all to eat around? Do you have alot of extended family that come over frequently? Would you have room to feed them?

 

We have a 1900 sq ft house, and 4 of us. Our girls shared a room until this past week. It was NOT working out. I have one neat freak and one slob. It was constant fighting. So for us, sharing of rooms would NOT be an option.

 

A big yard is a plus, but I also have 2 couch potatoes. I have to FORCE them to go outside most days. So the yard is not used that much, unless you count mowing it :glare:.

 

With a full basement, you could use it as a playroom/classroom. Depending on the size, you could divide it in half, and possibly use the 3rd garage (or the whole thing, as in our case!) as storage. (seriously, I haven't seen a car in our garage for 10 years, at least!!!)

 

Just some random thoughts, and they are very random, since I haven't had ANY caffeine yet today!

[zookeeperof3]

With a 3 car garage and an unfinished basement, it sounds like a good move to me. A friend of mine turned her garage into a school room, you could do that with one of the bays, or finish the basement. As long as the basement has a concrete floor ( or other surface not dirt), you could "finish" it yourself by adding carpet w/ padding attached, inexpensive wall paneling ( we painted ours) etc very cheaply. Or if your garage is tall enough, you could add a bonus room above it for a school room or extra bedroom.

 

We are currently looking for a home like you are describing, downsizing from a 2600 sq ft w/ another 1200 sq ft finished basement, to a 1200-1600 sq ft home. We have 3 kids. If you can get a home in decent condition for the right price, it could be a great thing for your family.

 

Go look at the house, keep your mind open to the possibilities. After owning a home, I would never go back to renting again because in your own home, you can do what you want to it.

Blessings,

Kim

[Melinda in VT]

We would have a large yard, but hard winters. The winter months are what I'm worried about.

 

The dc range from 13 to 6.

 

I would be hesitant. My four kids range in age from 14 to 4. We spent six years living in approx 950 sq ft and it was tight. Those of us who need peace and quiet were not able to get it. We didn't invite people over because one extra person just felt like too much.

 

We added on and now have about 1800 sq ft. Ahh. Life is so good.

 

That said, I could be persuaded if yard, location, etc. look good. If the basement is dry, it could be great for storage. Is the garage attached? Heated? Would it be possible to turn one of the bays into a play room for the kids?

 

If you are planning to have any more kids, I wouldn't do it.

[PB&J's Mom]

My best friend lives in a slightly larger house (1600 sq.foot) with her 4 kids ranging in ages from 8-1 and she IS GOING CRAZY! She was saying yesterday that the olders have no place to play without the littles on top of them. The bedrooms are too small to have a good train track or play anything that requires much space. She had to school her oldest in a bedroom along with the baby to keep him out of a game in the living room. She is completely frustrated.

 

Hope this helps!

[kokotg]

Would there be money to finish the basement at some point in the relatively near future? How much space would that add? With a garage and a basement, it sounds like there are a good many possibilities for more livable space. Even an unfinished basement could make a good indoor play space in bad weather. I would definitely consider it, at any rate, if moving to a smaller space is the only way to you can buy.

[TechWife]

I wouldn't do it. Small spaces are stressful to me. Small cluttered spaces are even more stressful.

[ereks mom]

...are paying somebody else for the opportunity to live in their house. You pay until you die--all that money, and nothing to show for it, even if you rent for 100 years. But if you own your home, you are making an investment; you have something to show for it years later, and you do eventually pay off the mortgage, so payments don't go on forever. Yes, you have to do the repairs and such yourself, or pay for it to be done, but that's still better, IMO, than having to wait for the landlord to take care of it when something goes wrong.

 

I think I would move into a smaller house IF there are enough bedrooms that you aren't cramming all of your dc into only one bedroom. Sharing is fine, as long as they aren't all on top of each other. And that basement would be a GREAT area for a school room, a play room, or more bedrooms & bathrooms. If it's a full basement, it would double your usable square footage. You could also consider closing in at least part of the garage. It would make a wonderful family project, and your dc would learn a lot about carpentry, plumbing, etc. When we enclosed our porch and made a sunroom out of it, dh & ER (then 13yo) did almost all the work themselves--a great experience for both. It just depends on how motivated your dh would be. Is he pushing for moving to the smaller house? Maybe you could tell him you'll only agree to it IF he will make sure that work gets done within a certain time frame.

Edited July 16, 2010 by ereks mom

[Wheres Toto]

Don't do it. Don't. I lived in a 1100 sqft house we owned with 9 people and it was a NIGHTMARE. Looking back-and we've only just moved into our new huge house-it seems as if my life was on hold because of the space constraint. Even my kids feel the same way. /.

 

I agree with this. We live in 750 square feet with five people. We have just started the process of building a larger (1800 square foot house). We've had a nice size fenced in yard; we are in a quiet neighborhood on a dead end street and it still is awful. We can spend a lot of time outside probably 8-9 months of the year. There are so many things we can't do and we're always saying "in the new house we can finally....". If my kids were older I think homeschooling would be extremely frustrating in our current situation.

 

We don't have a basement or attic and our garage is detached and prone to rodents so we also have serious storage issues which contributes to our problems. It is only possible to downsize so much and still have the quality of life you want.

[Faline]

-it seems as if my life was on hold because of the space constraint.

 

All of my fun stuff is out again. I am sewing, canning, freezing ( I have an awesome pantry and cellar now).

 

I had that place pared down to nothing. .

 

This is what I'm afraid of. I like do many things (sewing, knitting/crocheting, crafting, canning, lots of cooking/baking from scratch, etc) and I'm afraid there just wouldn't be room for any extras like that. In order to live in an uncluttered environment I would have to have the place pared down to nothing.

 

I would definately have a garden and do canning though. We don't like eating out of the store.

 

I REALLY would like to relocate though, and this house is tied in with dh's job (complicated situation) and it's almost the only thing we could easily afford. It is actually a pretty good deal for the money and dh likes it a lot (from seeing pics online). We've been living debt free and don't want to go deeply into debt ever again if we can help it. So our options are severly limited.

 

The dc are 2boys 2girls, so bedrooms wouldn't be a problem. They get along well and are actually sharing rooms now even though we have 2 extra bedrooms.

 

I've been praying to move for a long time now, and leaving it up to dh, and he is just now considering it (a miracle in itself!). But what an answer to prayer!!?!

 

The basement is dirt floor.

 

Like I said, we could always add on in some way, but if we move there I have to go with the assumption that adding on wouldn't come easily. Or at least until the house is paid for.

[i.love.lucy]

My best friend lives in a slightly larger house (1600 sq.foot) with her 4 kids ranging in ages from 8-1 and she IS GOING CRAZY! She was saying yesterday that the olders have no place to play without the littles on top of them. The bedrooms are too small to have a good train track or play anything that requires much space. She had to school her oldest in a bedroom along with the baby to keep him out of a game in the living room. She is completely frustrated.

 

Hope this helps!

I have 1900 sq ft and only 2 kids and I feel this way sometimes! It's all about the layout. My house is a 2 story with a central staircase. All the bedrooms are up at the top of the stairs so every.single.sound. travels up that staircase. It's very hard to find a quiet spot for schoolwork or just peace and quiet. And the bedrooms are s.m.a.l.l. In fact, I have wondered if there was a mistake in the MLS in sq ft, but I realize its all in how you lay it out. We are supposed to have a small group get together here on Tuesday with 10 adults and 11 kids. I have no idea what we will do.

 

That said, the basement and garage space could make things more manageable. A lot of the time living in smaller sq ft is not as much about the floor space as it is the storage. And with these two options you will have lots of space for storage. You will just have to keep on top of rotating out seasonal clothes, and probably put toys on a rotation too.

 

Our old house was 2600 sq ft but smaller yard and busier street. I would take this smaller house with its huge yard, great kid neighbors, and cul-de-sac over that big house any day. I just miss the storage space.

[Gooblink]

I'd be hesitant with the long winters. We're in just under 2000 sq ft now, down from 4000 sq ft a few years ago. I love the smaller size and will trade even more indoor sq footage for outdoor living space. We live in TX, so the weather is nice year round. I grew up in the Upper Peninsula, MI (talk about long winters!) in 1200 sq ft but with a small family. :tongue_smilie:

 

Of course, someone suggested fixing up your basement. That would be a great project and, as mentioned, double your living space.

 

Best wishes!

[Faline]

 

Dh thinks a small house would be cozy. I'm not so sure. I am all for simplicity and in some ways I would welcome the adventure, but I just don't know.

 

I should add that the garage is unattached but has electric.

 

Thanks for all your comments--they are helpful! Keep 'em coming!

[lailasmum]

I can understand the urge to own a house.

 

Would it be possible to use some of your yard space to add something like a single room log cabin/garden house, properly insulated and with simple heating and electricity so you could use it as a school room/play room all year round.. Or maybe add a conservatory to the main house- I know they go up fast as my neighbour has a huge one that went up very fast and friends have one they use as a school room and dining room.

[Amira]

Yes, I would do it with the unfinished basement and the huge garage. You'd have a lot of flexibility with those spaces, and more financial flexibility with a smaller mortgage. And a big yard would be great. So many possibilities!

[rwjx2khsmj]

This is what I'm afraid of. I like do many things (sewing, knitting/crocheting, crafting, canning, lots of cooking/baking from scratch, etc) and I'm afraid there just wouldn't be room for any extras like that. In order to live in an uncluttered environment I would have to have the place pared down to nothing.

 

I would definately have a garden and do canning though. We don't like eating out of the store.

 

I REALLY would like to relocate though, and this house is tied in with dh's job (complicated situation) and it's almost the only thing we could easily afford. It is actually a pretty good deal for the money and dh likes it a lot (from seeing pics online). We've been living debt free and don't want to go deeply into debt ever again if we can help it. So our options are severly limited.

 

The dc are 2boys 2girls, so bedrooms wouldn't be a problem. They get along well and are actually sharing rooms now even though we have 2 extra bedrooms.

 

I've been praying to move for a long time now, and leaving it up to dh, and he is just now considering it (a miracle in itself!). But what an answer to prayer!!?!

 

The basement is dirt floor.

 

Like I said, we could always add on in some way, but if we move there I have to go with the assumption that adding on wouldn't come easily. Or at least until the house is paid for.

 

After you see the house, think about how the actual living space is different from what you have now. Is the family/living/eating/being together area much smaller or about the same? What about the utility areas (laundry,storage,pantry,etc.)? For me, that's what makes the difference between being able to enjoy a larger vs. smaller place. We've moved a lot and the number of bedrooms is negotiable.

 

What about bathrooms? Are there 2 FULL baths in the house? That's a minimum for us and with 4 children, I'd think for you too.

 

We moved from a smaller house to a larger one and larger to smaller but the extra space in the larger houses is usually mostly bedrooms. The space we actually use to live in is relatively the same. At one point, we thought it was important for each child to have their own room. For us, it's not. They like being together. What we have now are four storage rooms for beds and clothes and one room where they sleep. It's ridiculous.

[Sherry in OH]

A small, well-designed house can be more functional than a poorly designed larger home. I would look at the house. How much built-in storage is there? Is there enough closet space in ALL bedrooms (ie, would bureaus/dressers be necessary)? Enough bathroom space? Is there ample natural lighting?

 

A dirt floor in the basement means it is probably an older home. Does the basement have windows? An exterior door? Is there enough headroom in the basement to make pouring a concrete floor doable? You may need an expert opinion on this. If you can convert at least part of the basement into living space and could do it before winter, I would consider the house.

 

Is there an attic?

[PollyOR]

No. Not me. Our house seemed spacious when we moved in. The bigger the kids grow the smaller the house seems. Even though one of my children is now grown and no longer lives with us, it feels tight.

 

Also, there are some down sides to home ownership. You don't really own the house. The way I see it you are renting it from the mortgage company. You will pay $100,000+ in interest unless you are extremely frugal and pay down the principle ahead of time. Plus, you will be paying property taxes every year and insurance. If your DH's job situation changes, how easy will it be to sell the house? I see many families which are split up right now because they can't sell their home. If you are renting, you can easily move if you need to.

[mrs.m]

We are living part-time in a two bedroom apartment in another city due to DH's job. It's fine for the short term, but after 2 weeks, I'm ready to go home. We just don't have space and the kids can't be appropriately seperated if necessary. I don't think I could do it long term unless I absolutely had to for financial reasons.