“Your home is living space, not storage space.” —Francine Jay
Recently, the New York Times referred to our generation as the most stressed, tired, and rushed generation of all time.
“A Portrait of the Modern Family,” is how the author chose to title the article. She is, of course, correct. We are tired, stressed, and busy. In the article, the author cites a number of reasons why this is the case: public policy, workplace structure, unrealistic expectations, just to name a few.
Around the time that article was being published, a different kind of report was being produced, The 2014 U.S. Department of Commerce Report on New Housing, an annual study surveying the size and cost of new homes being built.
I couldn’t help but wonder if there might be a significant correlation between the two.
Certainly, there is a direct link with the number of possessions we own and the stress we experience. Every increased possession adds increased anxiety unto our lives. There is a direct relationship also with excess possessions and an overall lack of time, energy, and focus.
The 763-page study on the homes we live in confirms what most Becoming Minimalist readers already know to be true: We own too much stuff—and yet, rather than getting rid of it, we just build bigger homes to store it all.
Here are some findings from that 2014 report and other related sources:
- In 2014, the average size of new homes built increased to an all-time high of 2,690 square feet. In 2015, the average grew another 30 square feet to 2,720.
- While our houses have gotten bigger, our families have gotten smaller. Because of these two factors, since 1973, average living space per American person has doubled.
- The growth in square footage of new homes has wiped out nearly all the efficiency gains. In other words, though energy efficiency has developed rapidly, we’ve increased our home size to the point that we’re still using almost the exact same amount of energy.
- As would be expected, housing costs have risen alongside square footage. In the U.S., the existing home median sale price is $356,700 (up from $154,600 in January, 2012).
- Housing expenses, all totaled, accounted for more than 33% of the average consumer’s total expenditures during 2014.
- Renters aren’t doing much better. In fact, it’s the worst time in 36 years to be a renter in America. The median rent nationwide now takes up 30.2 percent of the median American’s income, the highest cost burden recorded since tracking began in 1979.
- Meanwhile, Americans aren’t even building the largest homes in the world. Australia holds that honor (they are even filming television shows about it). The U.S., Canada, Denmark, and France round out the top five for largest home sizes in the world.
Our homes continue to increase in size, cost, and responsibility. Our biggest investment has become an ever-increasing drain on our resources.
But this doesn’t need to be the case.
Your biggest investment also represents your greatest opportunity.
Consider the benefits of living in a smaller home: less expense, less worry, less upkeep—more time, more money, more freedom, and more opportunity.
When we first began pursuing minimalism, we made a lot of changes in our home. We removed the excess from every room in our house. But when we began removing entire rooms from our home, we started to experience even more significant benefits.
Four years ago, we intentionally decided to downsize to a smaller house. Our mortgage payments were sliced in half. Our insurance and taxes were also lowered. Our energy bills were slashed. Our ongoing repair and maintenance is a fraction of the expense it was before. And our cleaning responsibilities are noticeably easier.
Recently, I was asked by a friend how we are able to make ends meet financially while still doing a fair bit of traveling as a family. My answer immediately centered on our decision to minimize—not just our possessions, but our home as well.
“When the rest of the world was building bigger and bigger, we decided to buy smaller. And that decision has freed us to do many wonderful things.”
Choosing to buy a smaller house is a decision I have never regretted. Likely, neither will you.
Amy@MoreTimeThanMoney says
We live in what most would consider a starter home, but it is my plan to stay. We will have it paid off in about 8 years. We have so many more options because we choose not to be saddled with all the debt we were eligible to sign up for!
There is a great piece in the first couple of chapters of James Wallman’s book “Stuffocation”, about ethnographic research undertaken about how American’s use their large homes – in a nutshell, they don’t.
Heather says
I really dream of having a smaller home, but my husband is still of the mind that bigger is better. We moved into our current home 11 years ago before we had kids. It is about 2200 sf. My husband can live with this size, but refuses to go smaller. If we ever move, he would insist on a bigger house. Knowing that, I am trying to be content with the home we have. The crazy thing about it is that half of my cabinets and drawers are empty. We even have a bedroom that is hardly used. Going smaller is a great goal, but only when both people are onboard.
Marissa says
I am reminded of the song “Rockstar” by Nickelback to describe people wanting bigger or better than what they have (like houses) or dream of being famous. I interpret the song discouraging the behavior of the big “rock stars” and their possessions like their “hilltop houses (with them) driving fifteen cars”. D:
Speaking of big houses, my mother and I went to an open house today in a neighborhood we were interested in just to see what the houses were like. This particular house had 4 bedrooms in it and three bathrooms! 3 bathrooms and one was in the kitchen! The realator said the houses with 4 rooms were being sold faster than the homes with 3 rooms. I thought that was ridiculous! The only reason I could think a house of that size would be selling better is that people need more space to put all of their clutter and/or mountains of stuff and as others have said in the comment section of this blog post, they are looking for more house just because they could afford it. Well, the jokes on them because more house = higher mortgage payment every month. That would obviously lead to more stress and more hours on a job eventually down the road. Imo, bad move there. : /
But I’m all for smaller houses! I wish to live in one someday! But the economy is still terrible, so that dream will have to wait until later hopefully. But I have faith the future will be better, but it will take time until it will be. We just have to be patient is all. :C It’s pretty hard to wait for something like that though. . _.
But anyway, I hope your family has a wonderful Easter, Joshua! C:
Bill Joyce says
I’m a real estate Broker in Sacramento and it’s refreshing to find this site and read this article. The vast majority of home buyers are in search of their ‘Dream Home’ which is really just the largest, nicest house in the best area with as much money as they can possibly borrow. While I can appreciate a big lovely home, this oversold image of consumerism is not helping people make wise choices for their happiest life. Dream homes are about bigger, better and more…HOUSE. I think we need to shift our thinking to ‘Dream Life’ and buy the house that helps us create the life truly worth living. http://www.survivingtheamericandream.org/more-meaningful-dream/
Hopefully, this will be a growing trend and we can find a more moderate view of housing and homeownership.
mary in Texas says
The smallest house we could find in 1976 that had a yard large enough for gardening had 1800 sqf (4 bedrooms and 3 baths). Over the years we entertained and had overnight guests fairly often. When our only child left home, she took her bedroom furniture. We used her room for a library, had a craft room, and a guest room. We mainly lived in the living room, kitchen and master bedroom. We still entertained and thus used the dining room as well as the eat-in kitchen. My husband used the garage for his hobbies, which were large and somewhat messy. Now we are downsizing to a 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo with a single car garage. We gave the most of the entertaining china and glassware to young neighbors who were delighted to have enough quantity to do their own entertaining. We kept enough to handle ourselves and 4 others. Our dining area won’t hold more. We will still entertain but won’t be having 18 people for a sit-down meal. My husband also has downsized his hobbies to go into a one car garage. The library is to be digital and a few shelves for art and reference books that can’t be digitalized. The garden will be a few pots on a deck and in a courtyard. We anticipate more time for our volunteering. It has been a struggle to reduce our possessions, but we enjoy the thought of not dealing with them anymore.
Laurie Barrera says
I moved in to a 480sf cottage a year ago. It does help to have a 250sf covered patio….. I do have a garage for my sports toys, but all the “stuff” I used to have was given away or donated this past year. I only keep my precious kitchen things!
I found a way to say ok, you stay or ok, time to go. No reason to look back, either.
Karolina says
I want to move out so I see the problem a lot. My mom bought a big house so that we would have more space, but the house seems still too small for all the stuff we own. But when I can finally move out, I won’t have much so I want to get a small place where I won’t feel lonely. All the places I’ve looked at are just gigantic!
Karen T. says
Karolina, interesting that you feel lonely in a gigantic space. I too think smaller homes just have that cozy, welcoming feel. But you’re right, you need to keep all the “stuff” in check so you can enjoy that smaller home!
Judy says
Also Happy Easter, Joshua! :) :) :)
He came out of an empty tomb…to fill our empty hearts! <3
Judy says
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmMqnU-hN_A
Judy says
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a bridal shower at a home that was built in 1920, It’s a French Tudor, I believe. One of the prettiest houses I have ever been in. This house even had a tennis court and a greenhouse. It has two dining rooms—and the list goes on! Obviously, the home owner who has lived there for the past 17 years could afford to buy just about anything to fill that enormous castle house up—but it was decorated beautifully. Not overdone at all. It was nice to enjoy the space and the amazing architecture of the home and not have your eyes drawn to clutter. I assume that was her intention. I was looking out her fancy old windows and admiring the beautiful tiles that lined the inside of the windowsill. The house spoke for itself…it didn’t need clutter everywhere. Funny—she said that she plans to retire to a high-rise one day :)
kddomingue says
Twenty five years ago, housing prices were outrageous in our neck of the woods. The 14×70 two bedroom mobile home we had just wasn’t cutting it any more for our family of four but we couldn’t afford anything on the market that wasn’t much bigger than our mobile home. After a lot of debate, we decided to have a double wide mobile home built on plans we drew up. It’s been paid off for six years. When my father in-law died two years ago, we bought my husband’s brother’s share of his house. It was a small, four room, one bath house that his parents had added a master bedroom and bath to in the 60s. It totals about 1400 square feet. Our home is approximately 1600 square feet with a garage with attached shop and an older 12×20 shop in the back. My husband finally concluded that the layout of his childhood home would not work for us unless we added on. And then we would have to build him another woodworking shop. We don’t want to have another mortgage! So we’ll be selling that house when the economy has improved a bit and using some of the proceeds from that sale to make a few improvements on our place and bank the rest.
Now, some people would ask why two people need as much space as we have. Why don’t we downsize? Well, housing costs are still outrageous here. The economy is in the tank in our area. My children have each had to move back in with us a couple of times because of the economy and it was great that we had a place to put them even if I had to give up my work room to accommodate that need. Our hobbies require room to work in. Husband is a woodworker and I sew and quilt among other things. We are hoping to turn our hobbies into extra income after retirement. We derive a lot of joy from making things. And, most importantly, what we have is already paid for. We have room for our family and hobbies, a large lot with plenty of room for the dog to run around in and a garden and, hopefully, a few chickens this year. We sure don’t want anything bigger than what we have but we also don’t want to downsize just for the sake of downsizing.