mnmize

Skybox House in Denmark by Primus Architect
Image from: DecorDir

After clearing out the clutter and excess furniture, are you noticing just how much extra space you really have in your home? Before I started focusing on minimalism, I could not wait to upsize to a roomier apartment with an additional 200-400 square feet. But now.. I realize just how perfect my current 600 SF apartment is for me. Not everyone is cut out or comfortable living in such a small space, and I’m not sure how much smaller I’d be willing to go, as I do live with two crazy cats and a dog that would probably go stir crazy in an even smaller apartment (any minimalist pet lovers out there with experience in this situation?). But even so, I believe that everyone making the transition to a minimalist lifestyle should consider whether downsizing their home or apartment would be beneficial to them.

Here are some benefits to downsizing…

• Lower monthly rent or mortgage. This may be reason enough to consider a smaller place during this crazy economic climate.
• Lower utility bills and more sustainable living. The smaller the space, the lower your level of energy consumption.
• Less maintenance and less room for clutter. A smaller home means less cleaning. Also, when you have less room for everything, you are definitely going to focus on the essentials and forget about wasting space on extra furniture, accessories, and clutter. 
• Less time spent commuting. In the city, square footage isn’t cheap by any means… so by being able to live with less, you may be able to find a decent, small apartment close to work. While it may run you about the same in rent as a larger apartment further away from work, you’ll make up for it by saving on commuting by being able to walk or use public transit. The tradeoff of having less square footage for less time wasted in a car and less gas used, has been worth it for me!
• Non-city-dwellers can downsize easily too! If you have children or do not work in a very walkable city, that last suggestion may not be feasible. But, even if you want to continue living in a house or living in the suburbs, consider downsizing  by moving out of your 2500-3000 SF home and into smaller home with 1000-1500 SF. You may find that living in a larger home after decluttering could feel somewhat awkward if you only have a few pieces of standard furniture… unless you enjoy all the extra floor space for fun activities!

These are just a few things to think about in terms of how much living space we need. Scaling down is an important aspect to consider with the minimalist lifestyle, and it can prove to be very beneficial to your budget and stress level as well as allow more time for the important thing rather than spending your time cleaning, driving in rush hour, or locked away in your rooms on opposite sides of your 3000 SF home.

Tammy Strobel of Rowdy Kittens has famously downsized her living and has documented it here. While this may not be practical for the majority of people, at least not at their current stage in life, it is a neat idea to really explore how little of a footprint you can make! Simply downsizing from a 800 SF two-bedroom apartment to a 600 SF one-bedroom or studio apartment, can make a significant difference and put you on the path to an even more minimalist life!

Posted on Monday, November 21st, 2011 at 8:24 am in minimalist life, save money, small space   |  RSS feed |  Respond  |  Trackback URL