Exploring the benefits of buying smaller
Americanness is practically synonymous with a taste for amplitude. A predilection for greatness in size is ever present in our songs, in our literature. Can it be that it’s embedded in our national psyche?
From early childhood, we are taught about the vast reaches of the American prairie, the enormous ranches of the Wild West, the open ranges of the mountain states. And we learn that our pioneer forebears could not be content with inhabiting just a slice of North America’s land mass, that they yearned for more, opting to keep exploring, moving ever westward until
finally, they encountered another ocean.
It can come as no surprise then that this inclination toward the grand tends to influence our homebuying decisions. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the square footage of the average American home jumped from 1,900 in 1990 to 2,400 in 2016. In recent years, the 3,000-square-foot home has become more commonplace.
By contrast, in some cultures, a compact home is not only customary but something of a virtue. While no one can be expected to adopt the mindset of another culture, there may be some value in exploring the potential upside to buying a smaller home.
When you buy a smaller home — to include smaller rooms, lower ceilings and fewer floors — you’ll have less home to heat or cool. That means you’ll save on energy costs whether your system employs electricity or gas. And even if you go solar and remain connected to the grid, you’ll have more excess energy to sell back to the power company — and consequently, more money in your pocket. In addition, depending on the specifics of your situation, property taxes and insurance for a smaller house may be lower.
It’s almost no one’s favorite task to clean a home. Fewer, possibly smaller, rooms mean less time and energy spent cleaning. You’ll also save on the cost of cleaning supplies and solutions. Reduced cleaning time means more time to spend with family or to do whatever else brings you joy.
More and larger rooms require more stuff to fill them up. You’ll need more furniture, more window coverings, more floor coverings, more lighting fixtures, all of which cost more money. Without the extra investment, a larger space can easily feel cold and less than welcoming. By contrast, a smaller space may require just one or two choice pieces of furniture with a throw rug and a few pillows. Moreover, having to choose fewer furnishings might make it easier to select only those pieces that suit your taste perfectly, giving your home a more personal feel.
The higher the ceilings and the greater the dimensions, the harder it can be to make a space feel warm. Smaller spaces just naturally encourage a cozier feel, designers say. Some experts even posit that a smaller home can bolster intimacy, perhaps allowing a family to grow closer. Either way, guests and family members alike might tend to feel more “at home” in a less cavernous interior.
Finally, anecdotal evidence abounds that the more rooms you have, the more places you have to mislay crucial items such as keys, wallets, documents or even, heaven forbid, your cell phone.
No one could ever ask that anyone abandon their cultural mindset. There may be some advantage, however, to examining the benefits of buying smaller. In addition to cost and time savings, a smaller home might make for warmer family and social interactions. In any case, as with most life decisions, an open mind is an asset.