Is Downsizing Right for You?

Is Downsizing Right for You? Test It Out Before Going Small 

Maybe you’re tired of taking care of a big house, or perhaps your kids have flown the nest. Downsizing has its perks, like lower utility and maintenance costs, less upkeep, and typically, a lower mortgage. However, moving into a smaller space isn’t right for everyone, so test it out before you make the big step into tiny living. 

How Tiny Is Too Tiny? 

If you want to downsize, it doesn’t mean you need to move into a tiny house that’s 200 square feet or a converted shed. Downsizing simply means you’re moving into a place smaller than your existing home. Typically, transitioning into less square footage also means purging unnecessary items and living with fewer things. 

But it’s possible to make too drastic of a change. If you suddenly go from a 4,000-square-foot home full of stuff to a simple 400-square-foot studio, it can be shocking. It’s like diving headfirst into a freezing cold swimming pool without testing the water first with your toe. 

A less dramatic shift to living with less can also have many benefits. For example, moving from a single-family home with 4,000 square feet and five bedrooms to a 1,500-square-foot townhouse with three bedrooms. Before you decide how small you can go (or even if you want to downsize), try these tricks to test out the idea. 

Box Up Items You Won’t Be Able to Fit 

If you plan to live in a smaller home, your current belongings aren’t going to fit. Go through your items and decide what you would realistically need to part ways with to make your downsizing dream a reality. 

Box these items up and put them in a spare room, the garage, a storage unit, or a similar location. Live without them for a few weeks and see how you do.  

Use Tape to Mark Your Smaller Living Space 

Use painter’s tape to mark off your new, smaller square footage on your floors. This step also gives you a visual of which of your current furniture pieces would no longer fit in your smaller home. 

Therefore, keep in mind the potential of needing to purchase smaller furniture. This is probably a wise idea anyway, since you’d want to find pieces that can double as storage. Do your best to only move within the tape lines to see how you maneuver in the smaller area. 

Close Off Several Rooms 

If you plan to go from a home with ten rooms to one with four, close off extra rooms. They can serve as storage for all the boxed-up items you’re trying to live without during your downsizing test phase. 

Rooms that usually get closed off during this step are extra bedrooms, dining rooms, and bonus rooms like a gym, playroom, or media room. Limit yourself to the basics, like the kitchen, a bathroom, a family room, and one or two bedrooms. Gauge how many rooms you should close off based on how small a home you plan to get. 

Organize Items Differently 

Depending on your new home, you may not have all the storage spaces you’re used to. You’ll certainly have less, but you also may not even have a hall closet, a pantry, or a laundry room. Therefore, try out a few alternate organization methods for clothes, books, food, etc. 

For example, how will you store food without a pantry? Where will you keep towels and linens if the bathrooms don’t have closets? These things are worth thinking about, so you can come up with a game plan and also so you can decide which things are negotiable and which are dealbreakers. 

Try Out New Routines 

Living in a smaller home also usually means you need to adjust routines. For example, in a downsized home will you now be sharing a bathroom? Do you need to schedule shower times? Will cooking meals together be more of a challenge in a smaller kitchen? 

Decide how your routines will need to adjust in your smaller space and start implementing them in your existing home. If they drive you crazy within a few days, and you can’t adjust, this is telling. It doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t downsize, but you may want to rethink how small you plan to go. 

Spend More Time Outside 

Many people who move to smaller homes find that they spend more time outside. Patios and backyard spaces become extensions of the living space during pleasant weather. Try grilling outside for dinner a couple of nights a week and curling up on your back patio with a book. 

How does this outside time make you feel? If you love it, this is a good sign that moving into a smaller home will work for you. 

However, make sure whichever home you choose has some ample outdoor space. If you can’t stand being outdoors, then, this is yet another thing to consider before you make your move.