Note: This is a guest post from Julia Ubbenga of Rich in What Matters.
Lately I’ve been happily fielding a not-so-surprising question: “Why are you raising your family in a 1,000-square-foot apartment?”
Well, actually, the question usually sounds more like, “Aren’t you looking for a house?”
While we certainly could be house hunting if we wanted, the truth is, we don’t have the desire. We did the live-in-a-house thing for three years before moving to our current apartment. And we aren’t in a hurry to get back to that lifestyle.
Yes, we realize it’s a bit countercultural. In the US, 80% of the population prefer to live in a single family home, while only 70% actually do. Meanwhile, apartment and condo living is preferred by only 8% of the population, yet 17% of Americans do live in an apartment or condo.
In European countries, however, apartment living is more common. In Spain, for example, 65% of the population live in apartments.
Clearly, choosing an apartment over a home is not the “American norm.” So why do we love being in that 8%? What’s the draw to apartment living? I think many people don’t even stop to consider the benefits.
Here are 7 reasons why we love apartment living and you will too:
1. Simplicity
Apartment living is a simpler way of living, which translates to a happier, lower-stress life. A simpler lifestyle provides the space to figure out what matters most and the freedom to focus on these things.
Some people may love fixing up their home, and that’s great. But if that’s not how you feel called to spend your gift of time, then apartment living will free you from those obligations that come with owning a house.
Instead of spending your weekends on home maintenance projects or mowing a yard, you can take your kids to the park and the pool. You can relax more and even nap more (yes!) without thinking about things that need done around the house.
This is not lazy living, just the opposite. It’s intentional living that focuses on what you believe matters.
2. Less stuff
A smaller space simply can’t fit a lot of material things in it. It’s minimalist by design. This reality forces you to edit your life constantly by making decisions about what stays in your home.
If you let clutter pile up, you quickly lose living space. In a smaller space, you’re not tempted to buy more furniture or other “toys” because you just don’t have a spot for them. When new things do come into your home, other things have to leave. You quickly learn the feel of “enough” in your home and become motivated to maintain this balance.
3. Connection
Connections thrive in smaller spaces. These connections could be within your family, your faith, or even to yourself. With less home to care for, family time, prayer, and self-care can become a daily theme, not a side note.
An apartment’s smaller space allows families to be more present for one another. This leads to more connection and more shared experiences.
You will talk more, play more, and do more together because you’re closer together in proximity (although apartments are still big enough to allow breathing room when needed).
4. Community
Apartment complexes come with a built-in community. Many have weekly activities or a clubhouse where people often meet. This can be beneficial, especially for stay-at-home-moms (or those of us who work from home).
A face-to-face, adult conversation is always easy to find, which can be a very welcome thing during a day spent taking care of kiddos and a home.
Feelings of social isolation are hard to come by in apartment complexes. Befriending elderly neighbors can be especially rewarding. The memories they share are almost always about family and experiences—not stuff. Hearing stories from their lives will remind you to slow down and keep a big-picture perspective on life.
5. Financial flexibility
Apartment living helps shape your spending around the lifestyle you feel most called to. If your family values relationships, traveling, health, and generosity, but your finances are going toward home projects and repairs, then you won’t be able to focus as much on those values.
Consider if the trade-offs make sense. Instead of saving up for a new roof, you could travel to see family out of state multiple times a year. Instead of redoing your flooring, you could have frequent nights out with your loved one. Instead of repairing your basement’s foundation, you could invest in your health by eating organic, real foods. Instead of renovating your kitchen, you could donate to a cause you’re passionate about.
6. Contentment
Happiness is found in being true to yourself and your values—not someone else’s. Studies also show time and time again that more possessions don’t ultimately make us happier. Although many people may pursue the “American Dream” (a bigger home, more stuff), they don’t report being any happier for it.
Raising your family in an apartment also instills this in your children. As your children observe your family’s lifestyle, they will realize that you don’t have to do what everyone else is doing or live the way everyone else is living to be happy.
7. A tidy home
Any living space requires upkeep. Apartments, by design, are easy to keep tidy. Less space means less to clean in less time. When cleaning doesn’t seem overwhelming, you’ll be more motivated to do it. And the peace that comes from a clean, uncluttered living space will motivate you to maintain this feel in your home.
Home maintenance systems are also easy to implement. Consider laundry, for example. When your washer and dryer are only steps away, you’re much more likely to stay on top of laundry than if you had to descend two sets of stairs to wash your clothes. Being in close proximity to your daily chores increases the chance you will do them.
We realize that apartment living isn’t for everyone. But for us, a minimalist lifestyle in a 1,000-square-foot apartment leads to more joy, more fulfillment, and more family togetherness.
Our home has never been tidier and our family is thriving in this simple, manageable environment.
If you’re looking for a way to simplify your life and focus on what matters most, why not give apartment living a try?
It’s not the American norm, but it could just be the right lifestyle for you.
***
Julia Ubbenga is a freelance journalist whose teachings on minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living have reached thousands of people worldwide through her blog, Rich in What Matters. Julia practices what she preaches in her Kansas City apartment home with her husband and two extremely lively young daughters.
Ellen Schneider says
Thank you so much for this; very thought provoking in this time of change, adaptation and leadership. I say leadership because we always have the opportunity to be a leader in our own life. Each of us has a way of being, living and appreciating. I was intrigued by yours. Sharing your point of view created value for me. Again, thank you.
Kathi says
I have owned a house and lived in apartments. After several years of homeownership, I sold the house and went back to apartments. Yes, there can be noisy neighbors in apartments, but I ended up with noisy neighbors in the house I owned. The person that lived in a neighboring house had parties almost every night of the week with loud music and drunken guests that would go until 1-2 in the morning. At least in an apartment they either don’t stay long or I have the option to move. While apartment rents continue to increase, I find I have a lot more discretionary income, as I am not constantly paying to upkeep the house (painting, landscaping, roof repair, fence replacement, new AC, flooring, etc). I also have a lot more free time to pursue my own interests. I understand why people buy houses – I bought one – but, for me, apartment living has way more pros than cons.
Flying Dutchgirl says
I recently moved from a house I owned for 25 years. I had just paid it off. Over the years I took out equity loans against the house. When I sold it I paid for my condo in full and had money left over. Had I lived in an apartment I wouldn’t have had any equity. I’m now enjoying retirement, condo living (another investment), and am able to travel. I don’t have the yard work, snow shoveling, or upkeep I did on my house. I enjoyed my home while I had it. Now I’m in another chapter of life.
Valerie Rogers says
Housing is a tough balance to make, and changeable as the eras of life. Apartments suck; they’re not for people, but for profit. Sharing walls, screaming kid next door, one’s vehicle outside with no protection…. AND expensive. I’m on my 5th house, and they’ve all been a place to hang my hat. The rv people have the right idea, but I’d not manage well myself. Do what works at the time, then hang in there, because it’ll change.
Peggy Thiele says
Ok. I built my dream house on 5 acres. 7 years later, a contractor bought up the other lots, built “cookie cutter houses”. It is no longer rural country here, it is a stepford wives subdivion..ie. suv’s & fancy cars…the exact stuff I tried to move away from. The first house the contractor built, was too close to our property line..it was “overlooked”….I now have a awful neighbor who built a shed-house even closer, has people over daily interrupting my privacy. I’m so sad/mad and it’s affecting my health (panic attacks, high blood pressure). The only thing i can do is build a garage and plant alot of trees to get my privacy back…or move. I designed this house and I love it….so, I starting praying…something needs to work out here.
Helene Bennie says
That’s a pity. Trees sound like the way to go. Keep praying – you’ll either find acceptance with the situation or be given a direction to go. Regards Helene.
hashmo says
And if it doesn’t work out, don’t worry, the next life is the real life.
Christy Blocker says
Amen hashmo
Susan says
Interesting perspective. Although it does sound more as though you’re trying to convince yourself than your readers.
I’m in the U.K. but I’ve lived in a rented flat, I owned a flat and now I own a house. I’ve got to say that for me nothing beats living in and owning a house. It can be expensive with upkeep and repairs but it’s all mine. I particularly love my garden. My own little bit of the world.
joshua becker says
Thanks for the comment Susan. But it doesn’t sound to me at all that she is trying to convince herself. Sounds to me like she enjoys living in an apartment and wanted to help others know what they might be missing.
Pam says
I found that to be true also. I enjoyed her perspective as I too live in an apartment. It helped me to be thankful for what I have.
Alyssa Clark says
Well…and don’t we all, on some level, continually need to convince ourselves that it’s okay to live ‘counter-culturally’ when the voices of what is “normal”, “acceptable” or “should be” are so darn loud???
Elaine Taylor says
We have downsized and bought a beautiful apartment with a lovely balcony in the city, so that we can enjoy the eating and entertainment on offer without using the car all the time. We have been here 2 years. I retired although I don’t receive my state pension yet. My much younger husband has also retired. With my very small pension, his redundancy money and very little living expenses, plus no maintenance, we are free to enjoy life. We don’t hear the neighbours, we have a dog and cat. We also feel very safe. The excellent insulation keeps utility bills very low. We would not go back to our 4 bedroomed house with massive garden for anyone. I really enjoyed reading this article.
Jeannie Walker says
I hear you! We rented a duplex and two houses before we bought our own home 22 years ago. I wouldn’t do it any other way. I love my own small home here in Florida — and my yard. It is my very own yard that I can landscape in any way I wish. I just came in from harvesting the last of my garden until the fall planting. So now I concentrate on flowers and ferns!. It is worth every home-owning dollar to have our own little corner of the world. And we have the best neighbors in the world!. We have all been here together through the years. We are a solid little community.
NANCY DE FLON says
The observations in this article are predicated on the assumption that one is living in a high-rent complex with lots of conveniences. Thus they don’t apply to apartment living across the board. And they ignore important considerations mentioned by two commenters above: (1) bad neighbors; (2) noise levels. Plus the fact that apartments that don’t fit the author’s upscale vision aren’t likely to be in the greatest of neighborhoods and not necessarily likely to be near open space (nature, etc.).
Sandra Richardson says
No thanks. My sister and her family live on the 14th floor of an apartment. With COVID, the building has a rule that only one family/individual can use the elevator at a time to maintain physical distancing. She either needs to walk up or down 14 flights of stairs with 2 little kids (!) or wait an hour and a half for the elevator. She doesn’t even take the kids outside anymore because it’s too much of a hassle.
I will keep my single-family home any day, where I can come and go as I please.
Inigo Montoya says
Every apartment I’ve lived in has been less energy efficient, and maintenance was lacking. Granted my house is too big for me being single but once I do a little more work I could get a roommate if I wanted.
Can’t work on cars at an apartment complex. I love working on cars (unless it’s a ford escape) and I’d love to be able to fix up any classic I own. (yes yes my life would be grand if I didn’t own classics…… not really.)
Sure the hour I spend every other week mowing and doing yard work could be spent “doing something else” but to be honest it’s good exercise.
College kids living downstairs? Expect all night long parties when you have to be up at 5am to go to work. At least my neighbors usually cut their stuff off by 10pm on week nights.
AC/Furnace/problem with the plumbing on the weekend? Yeah don’t expect to get that fixed any time soon.
If you are happy in an apartment great. personally there are far more negatives than positives for me. I also pay about the same or less than just basic rent (not counting the higher utilities) on the house. I do want to sell and buy a piece of property to build a “tiny” home on though.
Megan says
I agree with most of the points, but I don’t get the community aspect. I’ve lived in an apartment in Canada and in China and hardly anyone knows who their neighbors are, except maybe the people directly across from you if they happen to enter/exit at the same time as you.
My house neighbors are much friendlier. But there could be all sorts of factors at play there; who knows.