Curious about downsizing

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   h.a.borcichposted 13 years ago

   Home builders are saying they are now building smaller homes than just a few years ago and there is lots of reports people are looking to live in smaller homes.
   Have you downsized and what was the biggest reason if you did?
   Thanks

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      tobey100posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Sorry, nope.  I live in a 4600 sq. ft. home and have no intention of downsizing.  If I'm gonna live there I'm gonna make the sacrifice it takes to make it the way I want it.  I'll drive an older car and eat out less.  I refuse to live in a box.

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         h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Glad you have been able to maintain your home as you want. Thank you for the input.

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            tobey100posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            No problem.  Since we have 5 boys we've always had to have a rather large abode.  Now that most of the boys are grown and gone we just can't let the home place go.  It's a monster but it's home now.  Too many memories.  Great questions!

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               Home Girlposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               I did it on April this year. From  3 bedroom to 2 bedroom. Unfortulately my oldest son did not get his apartment and now he is living in my living room!  "Smart" move...
               Smaller place has its advantages.  Less housework, less "stuff"to accumulate, less bills and more planning to accomodate everybody!

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                  h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

                  
                  
                  Sounds like you are happy with your choice? Less housework is always a plus! Thank you for posting, Holly

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               h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               Raising 5 boys would require much space! I would think all the space will come n handy too when all those boys bring grandkids to visit
               We downsized by over 2/3 in sq ft. We also expand for 2 teenagers in the summer for 8 weeks. Not an easy feat I just wonder how many hubbers did and what was the motivation to do it.

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      SShortposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      House builders usually build smaller houses just to cram more onto a site not because there is a demand for smaller houses?! Large houses are more difficult to sell in the wake of a recession therefore they constantly review their product to maximise their ROI .
      I moved from a small 2 bed house to a 6 bed house 18 months ago and ironically i feel most comfortable in the smallest reception room in the house! More space is great for storage but really you dont need a lot of space to make a house a home!

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         h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Hi, Lately I have seen more than a few articles about builders having requests for smaller homes by empty nesters, etc. I have ben wondering what hubbers have taken this route too! Thanks

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      ryankettposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I would suspect that reasons could include:
      
      Lower energy costs (a smaller place to heat)
      Lower maintenence costs & efforts (smaller yard to mow, smaller area of house to repaint).
      Lower mortgage repayments(counters loss of income plus food and energy inflation).
      Divorce.
      
      Plus numerous others...

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         TamCorposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         That's pretty much all of our reasons--well, except for the divorce part!
         
         I feel lucky, though...how many folks can rent a 1400 sq.ft. apartment for $400 a month? So instead of feeling bad about the circumstances that brought us to this point, I'm grateful for the positives that came out of it.
         
         What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger...

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   Cagsilposted 13 years ago

   My living arrangement has not changed in 20 years and I don't see it changing any time soon.

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   TamCorposted 13 years ago

   My husband lost his job three years ago, which caused us to lose our home, like so many others these days.
   
   We love big older homes, so we rented a 9 room house for the three of us(one son left at home, in college).
   
   After awhile, we realized that we couldn't justify the expense of paying $800 a month, plus ridiculous utility costs, so we moved to an apartment which, while it's only four rooms(living room, kitchen, and 2 bedrooms), it's over 1400 sq. feet of space--all the room we need right now. The best part is its half the rent we were paying before!
   
   Downsizing was the best thing we could've done at the time, and now that my husband has another job, our goal is to eventually find another bigger home--we kind of miss all that roaming room! 
   
   But...we got rid of a ton of unneccessary stuff that we didn't need, and it feels so much better having it gone.   I wrote a hub about our down-sizing last year--like I said, for us, it was the best move we could've made!

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      h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I'll be reading that hub Glad all is worked out for you!

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   relacheposted 13 years ago

   I'm now in a shared household after having two reductive moves in a row.  I'm fascinated with the micro and tiny house movements, and am contemplating building to that scale when my family finds suitable land.

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      Home Girlposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It all depends on one important thing: renting vs. buying.  If you are renting, you don't want to pay extra for extra rooms, but it you are paying mortgage it does not work proportionally, and you can have extra rooms and accomodate them any way you like.

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         relacheposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I don't own a car, I don't own a cell phone, I don't have a tv anymore.  The idea of having to heat, insure, maintain and clean space that isn't necessary goes right along with minimizing anything else that isn't needed in my life.

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            h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I do believe I am jealous

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      h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think so too! There is a hubber here who builds micro houses. He has been featured in mgazines! I will watch for hubs from you on it

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   GmaGoldieposted 13 years ago

   Whatever the size I am happy but please no stairs!

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      h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Me too

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   Daniel Carterposted 13 years ago

   I have a 3200 sq ft home near a resort area, and I've been forced to put it up for sale. I downsized to four rooms. The move will enable me to preserve my finances, once the house is out of the picture. I had two buyers anxious to buy the place, but neither qualified under the new terms for mortgages, and I'm facing foreclosure. I'm presently checking into deeding it back to the bank, but there are lots of legalities to go through, and I even have to qualify for that.
   
   This is a time for so many people to downsize. And if you're attached to your belongings, it's traumatic. However, I've lost homes and belongings in two divorces, and so I've been dejunked more than once already. It's never easy, but it sure clarifies your values and what's important to you.

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      h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      
      
      Hi Daniel,
        We carried 2 mortgages for over 3 years - finally sold one house the end of July. We sold at a big loss to avoid forclosure.
      I hope you find a buyer or a good solution. Sorry this is happening again for you.
      The less stuff - to dust, insure, house, and be attached to has been  relief for us, but I know it is traumatic for many.
      Take care and thanks for posting. Holly

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   h.a.borcichposted 13 years ago

   As an added after thought - part of our need to downsize resulted from carying some massive debt for medical care. Was medical debt a factor for anyone having to downsize?
   I appreciate the responses, and wish everyone well, Holly

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   rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

   I haven't downsized space wise, but I'm downsizing with material stuff, getting rid of clutter and things from the past I never use.
   
   at some point, I'm sure I will move to a smaller place, but I feel like Toby, I can't live in a box. I've done it before and it was hard. my home isn't that large, but it's spread out over 1600+ sq. ft inside living space and has a large caged patio and pool area and a yard with lots of trees and a fence for our dog. we're outside a lot, it's like part of the house. 
   
   if I do downsize to a smaller home, it would still have to be around nature and not too small. my home is probably considered small to some, but it has plenty of space.
   
   I'm sure builders are faced with rising material and labor costs also, besides building for people's needs.

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   Ivorwenposted 13 years ago

   I wouldn't mind a smaller home, if it had real acreage (like 20+ acres).

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    h.a.borcichposted 13 years ago

    Another question if I may. Has the down sizing been a United States phenomenon or has it spread far and wide?

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       Polly Cposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       They build smaller houses here now (I live in a two bedroomed Victorian terrace which is tiny, yet new build town houses are even smaller). That has been going on for a while though, since before the economic downturn. Probably to make them cheaper for people as well as cram them in, as most young people here can no longer afford to get on the property ladder at all (in England this is, by the way). You need about £30,000 just for a deposit now.
       
       So we haven't downsized - we still waiting to upsize!! Four people in a small house does not lead to less housework, believe me it leads to more. Half an hour after getting up there are things everywhere, at least in a bigger house they would all be spread out! Before we had the kids though it was perfectly adequate.

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          h.a.borcichposted 13 years agoin reply to this

          I can relate. When the 2 kids are here - it seems chaos is up and at 'em about 1/2 an hour after we get up!

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