Have you downsized?

[AnnaM]

I was hoping to hear experiences of those who have downsized their home dramatically. We just moved out of 3200 sq ft and are building a just over 1700 sq ft home and it is scary looking. The end result (mortgage free) is the only thing that is keeping me sane over the idea of living in a space so much smaller than we are used to. I realize that houses in Texas tend to be larger and that most of the US doesn't live in houses that large, but it is what I am used to so I am going through a bit of shock. So if you did a major downsize what was the hardest part, the easiest part and so on?

[Night Elf]

I don't know the size of my last house or this one. That's pitiful I know but I just don't remember. In 2005, we downsized in size, not cost, so we still have a mortgage. I like that the house is faster to clean. I can do it in one day since I don't have to clean the kids' rooms. What I don't like is that we're living on top of one another. I knew it would be small but it's gotten worse as the kids have gotten older. The bedrooms are small too. We simply don't have enough space. And to be honest, if the economy wasn't so awful, we would move. But we're stuck here. Sorry I don't sound encouraging. I just feel really stupid for moving a family of 5 into this small house.

 

I suggest making bedrooms as comfortable as possible. We each spend time in our own rooms, a lot during the day simply because we want a separate place to be.

[mytwomonkeys]

we have downsized. our previous home was 2300 sq ft. our current home is 1200 sq. ft. my dream home is under 1,000 sq. ft. i love the tiny house movement though. my husband is 6'3, so we will not go as small as i dream about... he just isn't ready for that, lol. our next house we will build from the ground up, so it will be easier to create the exact space we need. there will be no wasted space.

[Lady Florida.]

We went from 3600 sq. ft. (under air) to just over 1800 twelve years ago. I've never been sorry. We wanted to build, but couldn't find an affordable lot in an area we wanted, so we bought instead. It took us a while to find a smaller house that would still fit the furniture we didn't want to give up (our king size bed and a few things that came from dh's grandmother).

 

The only things I miss after all these years, and would have made sure we had if we built, are a decent size pantry in the kitchen and an indoor laundry room. I do miss seeing so many stars, but that's more an issue of the area we used to live in than the house size.

 

Pros - much smaller mortgage, easier to clean a smaller house, forces you to really look at your "stuff" and get rid of what is only taking up room.

[elegantlion]

We went from about 2k sf and 3 acres to 1100 sf and a city lot.

 

I love the smaller house. I don't feel like we are purposely avoiding each other. We are all private people, but I don't feel so isolated if I'm in the classroom working. Dh likes that too.

 

You live more intentionally, you don't buy stuff just to decorate or fill a space, everything has to have a purpose.

 

It's much easier to clean and we actually utilize all the space.

 

This home is a much better layout than our previous larger home. It has more character and charm and feels like a home.

 

The lot and close neighbors is probably the hardest thing. Mini blinds solve most of that. We actually use the outside space more as we have a great deck and porch.

 

Lawn mowing doesn't involve an entire day.

 

For years I wanted a large home. I dreamed about 3k of space to have this room and that room. The reality even with the 2k home, which had 4 bedrooms, was that we didn't use the space. It became a storage room and catch all.

[Melinda in VT]

I've downsized and upsized.

 

In my experience, 900 sq ft for a family of six plus a dog and a home business is too small. Much, much too small.

 

1800 sq ft for the same family is just right.

 

3000+ ft for the same family is too big. (I knew it when we bought it, but we had limited options at the time and I fell in love with the office.)

 

The key to staying happy and sane in any size house is having enough visual blank space (I love storage that keeps stuff out of sight.) and reducing your stuff to fit in your space with a little room left over.

 

Oh, the other thing. When you say "scary looking" are you talking about how the house looks while it is under construction? If so, relax. Houses always look smaller when they are framed but open to the air. Once the walls and roof go up, the house will look bigger.

[AnnaM]

The stuff transition is going to be the hardest for my DH. He is British so grew up in a small house (in comparison to the standard home in Texas) and is accustomed to it, or at least knows what it is like. Now though, he has all these large antique computers he has collected and he is insistent that he will find space for them. It isn't just a matter of me not wanting it in the house, they literally will not fit so I am not sure what he will do.

 

Wasted space was a real issue in our other house. We had a formal dining we never used because we ate at the breakfast table, a big game room and ridiculously wide hallways that served no purpose. I am going to miss my dedicated school room, but this plan is laid out well so we still have 4 bedrooms and 3 baths plus a big screened in porch which we will use OFTEN during the cooler months.

[AnnaM]

I've downsized and upsized.

 

Oh, the other thing. When you say "scary looking" are you talking about how the house looks while it is under construction? If so, relax. Houses always look smaller when they are framed but open to the air. Once the walls and roof go up, the house will look bigger.

 

Yes, I do. We have built 4 houses and I logically know this, but this one, because I know it actually is smaller seems to shrink before my eyes LOL

[Sneezyone]

We just experienced the same kind of downsize from 3500 sq. ft. to 1750 sq. ft. We've been here for six/seven weeks and I am still purging non-essential items. For us, this move is temporary so I need to keep most of the major furniture items but the tchochkys and small decorative items that used to be everywhere really had to go. I've kept bigger things, large wall art, and donated smaller 16x20 and under stuff. I also got rid of all the extra dishes and serving pieces that I used once or twice every other year. I still need to figure out how to get everything into the master (DH's clothes are in boxes shoved into the closet) but I just haven't found the right storage solution yet. The easiest parts were definitely the kids' rooms. Everything fit with room to spare. The hardest part was the living room, kitchen, master bath and closet. There's no where near as much space/storage in those areas as we're used to.

[Crimson Wife]

We downsized from 1250 sq. ft. half of a duplex to a 600 sq. ft. apartment. However, we knew it would only be temporary so we did store a bunch of stuff in my parents' garage & basement like our fine china, nice silver, Christmas tree & ornaments, sports equipment, etc. If it had been a permanent downsizing, we most likely would've rented a storage unit for that kind of stuff. Things you want to keep but don't actually use all that often.

 

The hardest part was figuring out what to do with a very active 3 y.o. during the winter months when it was too yucky to hang out at the playground in the complex. I ended up signing her up for a bunch of classes and we got family memberships to the science and children's museums.

[ThisIsTheDay]

We downsized from 2500 to 1850, not as much as you. The hardest part was adjusting to the new floor plan. We had a main floor master bed/bath, kitchen, great room and powder room on our main floor, for a total of 1100sf. My kids had two giant bedrooms/bath/sitting area upstairs, all of which was unoccupied during the day. For dh and me, it was like living in an apartment. There was no privacy, and I would go to the front porch or kid bedroom just to talk on the phone.

 

We got rid of a lot of furniture when we moved, as we "lost" a formal living room, dining room, loads of closet space, guest bedroom, etc. That was actually somewhat freeing, and the new house was definitely easier to keep clean.

 

Two years later, in part because of the floor plan, we moved. Our current house is the same 1850sf, but it's organized in a way that suits our family. Instead of my kids having giant rooms, we again have a formal living and dining room. The rearrangement of space has worked out very well. In fact, I prefer this house to the 2500sf one (although I miss my 7x9 walk in closet, and a guest bedroom).

 

Since you are building your own home, you have a lot more discretion about where you need your space and what will make you happy.

 

No mortgage! Sounds wonderful!

:party:

[Tess in the Burbs]

we just went from 2800 to 1975 and I had panic attacks about it before we moved in. Even after everything was unpacking and had a place I felt so unsettled about it all. Now, over a month later I am happy in the space. It works well for our family. If I want quiet I need to go to another room b/c the main living is all open, but we do like it. And we only gave away one large armoir but in hindsight could have used it here afterall.

 

I like being able to clean quickly. I like being able to grab things easily and not have all the stairs. I can't call the kids easier though b/c it has too many acoustic walls but I bet it helps with the noise so can't complain.

 

I could see going smaller once the kids are gone. It's been a good transition and one I am glad we did.

[Dobela]

We went from nearly 4000 to 1800 sq ft 2 years ago. I didn't purge nearly enough stuff like books and toys and linens type stuff. I am still working on that issue. My new house has never lost that cluttered look because I still have too much. I like the smaller house in some ways, but it is mostly because we went from 1 bath to 2. Yeah, the first house was built in the 50s with only one bath.

[IdahoHomeschooler]

My daughter and I are downsizing from 1700sqft to less than 400sqft :D. Right now, my big struggle is sorting thru all.the.stuff we have accumulated. I have honestly thought it would be easier to just set the bigger house on fire and walk away from it all. Needless to say, there isn't much we'll be taking to our new house. I am enjoying the challenge of working the new space to best reflect what I value the most, and finding solutions to some of the small-space challenges. It definitely gets me thinking out-of-the-box, which in turn amps up my creativity. Also, I prefer to think in terms of what we are gaining, not what we are losing. For us, and perhaps for you, is the financial security that comes with being mortgage-free.

 

One solution for your husband might be to save up and put in a free-standing office space where he can store/display his computers. This could be as simple as a used RV, like an Airstream or vintage Shasta, re-purposed for an office space. I am planning for one that will be a craft/office for me, one for an animal hospital/treatment area, and one for a homeschooling "room." I have some acreage (and animals) so this set-up works for us, but just throwing out an idea that you may not have considered.

[Lady Florida.]

 

This home is a much better layout than our previous larger home. It has more character and charm and feels like a home.

 

The lot and close neighbors is probably the hardest thing. Mini blinds solve most of that. We actually use the outside space more as we have a great deck and porch.

 

Lawn mowing doesn't involve an entire day.

 

 

 

All of the above. There was a lot of wasted space in our larger home. This one has a better layout and makes better use of the square footage. The kitchen is actually roomier in our smaller house.

 

We had 4-1/2 acres with our other house, and it was in a neighborhood of large pieces of property. The upside to living in a closer neighborhood is that it's been easier for ds to find friends. Dss grew up in the other house, and until he got older, getting together with friends was difficult.

 

And the last point - we don't need a riding mower.

[elegantlion]

 

And the last point - we don't need a riding mower.

 

Oh, goodness yes. We sold ours. Dh still kind of regrets it, but it takes 45 minutes on a good day to mow our yard now. I really think he wanted it because around here, small country town, people sometimes ride their lawmowers to the convenience store down the street. I don't think they're all just putting gas in the mower either.

[AnnaM]

We have actually moved onto a bigger piece of land. We had less than an acre and now have 5, but we got it SUPER cheap. I mean beyond words cheap. We also moved to an area with a substantially lower property taxes.

[LibraryLover]

We did.

 

I love my new home, and the area in which we live.

 

I MISS my square footage! I miss it DEARLY.

 

We are not pack rats, either.

 

We traded indoor sq feet for land, and beautiful natural surroundings.

 

Also. Our last home was a fabulous party house. The flow was awesome.

 

This house is very sweet, and we can have amazing outdoor parties.

 

I would not go back to the old home, but I would be lying if I didn't say I wish I had the extra 1200 sq feet back. It's nice to spread out. Our current home was built in the era when folks had only 3 outfits: city, church, work clothes.

 

We've had to do a lot!

Edited September 2, 2012 by LibraryLover

[BlueTaelon]

I was hoping to hear experiences of those who have downsized their home dramatically. We just moved out of 3200 sq ft and are building a just over 1700 sq ft home and it is scary looking. The end result (mortgage free) is the only thing that is keeping me sane over the idea of living in a space so much smaller than we are used to. I realize that houses in Texas tend to be larger and that most of the US doesn't live in houses that large, but it is what I am used to so I am going through a bit of shock. So if you did a major downsize what was the hardest part, the easiest part and so on?

 

 

wow, I can't imagine living in a 3200 sq ft home, of course I can't imagine a 1700 sq ft home either since I've never lived in a place that big either, I think 800 sq ft is the biggest I have ever lived in. That said we are very comfy at 800 sq ft. Were doing a major downsize right now since were moving over 1000 miles and only have a 14' truck to fit everything and the washer/dryer/fridge/freezer/mattresses take up a lot of it. We have given up virtually all personal belongings, the kids got to keep a medium sized box of personal stuff, the only thing personal I have is a box of books. The rest is stuff we NEED like clothes for this winter/heavy blankets/cooking stuff. Unless you have a serious attachment to an item the rule of if you haven't used/worn it in 6 months get rid of it is a good one, the only thing that escaped was xmas stuff which was pared down to 1 small moving box.

[kroe1]

I have lived in all sizes. Therefore, i have picked up some pointers along the way.

 

1. Buy multifunctional furniture.

2. If it has not been used in a year, throw it out. Take a picture first of sentimental things.

3. Buy only shelves with doors.

4. Buy tall beds that sit off the floor.

5. Clear plastic boxes to store all toys and other loose items or sets.

6. Big windows with no drapes for small homes.

7. Excellent landscaping with outdoor seating, screened in porch or cage.

8. Bright colored walls and fabrics.

9. Drive a big car.

10. Sell the furniture with the house.

:)

[Tarreymere]

We've downsized. It's been a good experience. It was difficult for me at first to get rid of things. I kept thinking that 'oh, I might need that' and not want to part with something, like kitchen things. Like extra serving bowls and pots and pans I normally didn't use, even odd appliances like an ice crusher I think I used one summer years ago but never got rid of. I had a lot of little decorative items that had to go. It was difficult to be as ruthless as I needed to be, and at first when we moved in we still had too much 'stuff'. Over the first year I was finally able to part with most of that and it has made all the difference. If it doesn't have a place, then it doesn't belong. Think of the first year as a 'learning year' to figure out your new space and get used to it.

 

I like being able to clean quickly. I like being able to do laundry without using stairs. Our space is well laid out, although I do think our bedroom is too large. We don't feel the need to be in different rooms from the other people in our family so it hasn't been difficult to share the main living areas as our main 'hangout'. The kids share bedrooms and it hasn't been an issue. We've never had large bedrooms with lots of furniture for the kids so they are content to have a bed to lie on and a couple of shelves. They don't expect to have to spend a great deal of time in there, nor do we expect them to. They just sleep and dress there, we are all comfortable doing our quiet reading or studying in the living room. This may not work for everyone, especially if you allow the tv or the wii to be turned on a lot. Noise will make your space seem a lot smaller. We are really serious about limiting movies and wii games on the tv so most of the day is quiet time. It makes for a planned family wii time or a planned family movie time, which is more of a treat and a lot more fun than just playing games or watching movies whenever anyone wants to. We do have earphones for the laptops if someone wants to watch a video or play a game with sound on one.

 

We buy less. You have to really think about whether you really need something. The kids have fewer clothes and toys. We have fewer clothes and 'toys'. Whether this works depends on whether it makes you feel deprived or not. I feel a certain comfort from simplifying and knowing that I have what I need, but not everyone feels like that. I think it helps to have some little luxuries in your new space that you didn't allow yourself before. I enjoy nice soap and bubble bath, and then I don't mind having only a few tops to choose from when I get dressed, for example.

 

Make sure your furniture 'fits' your space. When we moved in, we did get new furniture but it was still too big for the space. I finally figured that out and got different furniture last year and it works much better. My kitchen table is still too big, so it is a work in progress. The first one was too small. I have a better idea of what I want now, the problem is convincing dh to buy yet another one!

 

I have curtains, and I have them hung so that it looks like the window is much bigger than it is by having more curtain on either side that is really just covering the wall and not a window. From inside it feels like we have huge windows, which gives the illusion of more space.

 

Our computers are laptops (except one, which lives next to the tv so we can turn the tv into a giant monitor). We don't have computer desks taking up space or a dedicated computer area. We use wireless internet and a wireless connection to the printer that can be used from anywhere in the house. We have endtables with shelves in the living room, and a laptop or two can be stored safely on the endtable shelf when not in use. We use the laptops in different rooms or at the table as the mood strikes. Same with kindles. The printer lives on a bookshelf.

 

As you actually live in your new space you'll find you get ideas about how to make it work better for you. I'm also always finding new organization and storage ideas online too. Just give yourself some time to let things settle and see what works for you.

Edited September 2, 2012 by Rainefox

[Swimtaxi234]

We just downsized by 600 sq. ft. and I don't miss the extra room, but I really miss the storage the last house had. Our last house had wonderful built in cabinets on the bottom and shelves on the top that held so much of our things, plus we had a walk-in attic for extra storage of luggage and Christmas, etc.

 

Actually all of the rooms in our last house had large walk-in closets and I miss those too for storage.

 

Basically, I think a smaller house would be fine with great storage. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned multi-purpose furniture and I agree.

[catz]

We went from a 3000 square ft house to a 2000 square foot house. If you're building, you will have a say in design, right? I felt like there was so much wasted space at our old house. We use our space here much better and it's got better storage spaces. We built a huge garage too. We live in a nice neighborhood with friendly neighbors and many walkable amenities. Our smaller house was actually more expensive than our bigger houses (we both owned houses when we got married, so we had to reinvest in a house for tax purposes - our mortgage will be paid off when our oldest goes to college).