I’ve shared with you that I recently moved from Delaware to Pennsylvania. I sold my house and got rid of so much clutter and, in general, stuff. I’ve always lived in places that have been at least 800 square feet. My first house after I got married was just under 1600 sq ft. My last home before moving to PA was 950 sq ft.
My current apartment is less than 600 sq ft. Moving into this apartment, I feel, is getting me ready for the tiny home living lifestyle that I am looking to live when my daughter no longer lives with me. Can I actually handle living in a smaller home? I am looking to travel by RV when I have my career set up to do so. I have been getting rid of things for years, and am still getting rid of items from my home. I am finding that the older I am, I really have no desire for stuff. I just want the experiences that I can gain out of life. Travel, days laying by the creek, staring up at the stars, seeing what out of the way treasures I can find on back roads.
Questions you should ask yourself before moving into a smaller home:
- What is your reasoning? Are you looking to move to a smaller home due to finances? Or do you want to use your money for, like myself, experiences? Or, are you trying to lower your carbon footprint. These are three different reasons. Either you NEED to keep your finances lower, or, you WANT to keep them lower.
- What environment are you looking for? City or Country? In the city, rules are a bit more strict than in the country. If you want to start going off the grid, country living may be better because you will have the option of well water and more room to grow your food and “live off the land”.
- Is it feasible for you to live tiny? In other words, how many people live in your home? How comfortable will you be living tiny? Watching Tiny House Hunters on HGTV, I’ve seen families of six or seven move into a less than 500 sq ft home. In my opinion? That’s absolutely insane! I cannot imagine having that many people in such a small home. I’d be ready to kill the people I lived with if we were that enclosed.
- Do you understand what it means to “live tiny”? You will not be able to go out and shop for that 60″ flat screen. You will not be able to have a man cave. You will be grocery shopping at least two or three days each week because your appliances are too small to have much food in them and you can’t freeze food for later. Cabinet space? That’s going to be at a premium. Maybe two shelves for canned goods and boxed food. And that’s if you’re lucky!
I’m not going to lie. It know it will be hard for me. In the past, I’ve wanted more. I felt entitled to things because of what I had been through. My apartment now? I am thrilled with. I am able to keep up with things easier. It’s not as cluttered. It took me this long to realize what I needed to be happy and relatively stress free. I don’t feel as overwhelmed as I did before. I am happy and content. I look forward to going home and being in my home. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt that way. In the past, I’ve always looked the other way when it came to my clutter. No matter how many times my family would say what a mess my place was.
If you live in a tiny home or apartment, what is your favorite or worst part of it. If you live in a “McMansion”, do you feel overwhelmed with the size? Would you go smaller given a choice?
We need a lot of space for our family. A tiny home won’t cut it for 5 people and 7 animals!
My husband and I have watched the tiny house hunters show and we are intrigued. It seems refreshing to live a simple life and have less to worry about! These are great questions to ask!
I have seen some very cute Tiny homes, but to be realistic, I could not see me living in one if I had a family or husband. Maybe its me, but I need some space and to have a place to not have space would not be good for me.
I love watching Tiny House Hunters but I don’t think a tiny home is for me at this point. I can see downsizing when I retire though.
We watch the ads for these tiny houses and I am in awe! It is crazy how much they can put in such a small space. I am not sure I could do it, but it looks really neat!
We just went the opposite direction and chose a house large enough for our entire family. Great questions though, I feel many people may jump the gun without thoroughly considering all aspects.
Tiny houses are so adorable! I love watching any of the shows about them and think it would be perfect for me!
I think these are important things to consider. I think homes seem much bigger before you move into them too.
This is a very informative post to share, I keep seeing shows about tiny homes and they seem to be the next best thing but there are some things to note like you had here. Glad you shared.
I think the main reason for me to move into a smaller home would be to save up to travel more 🙂
I love this! I live in a 90 sq. ft. apartment and while I can’t host big parties or things like that, it’s such a great lifestyle for my life right now– hustling in my 20s and prepping to go to grad school!
That is amazing! Good for you Rachel! I’m not sure I could go quite THAT small, but, I am looking to buy a smaller RV Camper to travel in. I guess that’s about the size! LOL. I hope you do a post and share your place with us!
I think tiny houses are addable and since it’s just me and my dog I would love to live in one one day!! I need to simplify!!
Ha ha. We are some of those crazy people, although we are a family of 4 + pets. We are in a 26ft travel trailer and love it. Sometimes it gets really loud inside the RV, but we wouldn’t go back to our old way of living. It isn’t for everyone, but it is definitely for us!
Jessica, that’s awesome! I’ve been looking at campers from Jayco and Winnebago and fell in love with some of their 19 foot ones. Hoping I can make that happen! It will be me and my cat lol.
I think you and your cat would be just fine in 19ft. 😀
I always think this! I live in a pretty small place but its not consider tiny. I have a hard time keeping it clean because small places look messy really easily! I still think though that these are SO cute and they do pack a lot of punch in such a small space!
My husband is hooked on those tiny house shows. He is convinced we are moving into one when our kids are grown. I think they look neat but I like space.
I don’t mind moving into a tiny house as long as I have what I need.
This is definitely a life style! The Tiny House Hunters show on HGTV never fails to amaze me. I could NEVER live in a tiny house but it’s definitely interesting to see!
I live in a tiny apartment and there have been times when I second guessed my decision. It all comes back to my back issues though and not being able to properly clean a large home. It’s not always cute and romantic like it looks on HGTV lol, but it’s something to consider.
We went from a 3/2 with an office and pool to a 2/1! I am loving the upkeep though. It is SO much easier to clean and relax in. Now we aren’t wasting our weekends deep cleaning, mowing the lawn, and cleaning up! It is actually really nice!
Hahaha I love the concept of tiny houses but yeah….. a family of 3 has a ton of stuff! Heck even when I was single I had too much stuff lol. I don’t know how people do it!
I live in a small apartment now, a little less than 700 square feet, and it drives me crazy sometimes. All I want is space to make a little reading nook, ha! I don’t think I could live in a tiny home without going insane, but I love the mentality of experiences over things, and simplifying your life by getting rid of all those extra belongings.
Your insights and personal experiences resonate with me deeply. It’s inspiring to hear how your current apartment, despite its small size, is preparing you for the minimalist and experiential lifestyle you aspire to have. The questions you pose for readers to consider before moving into a smaller home are thought-provoking and essential. Understanding one’s motives and desired environment is crucial when making such a significant lifestyle change. Your honest assessment of the challenges and limitations of living tiny is refreshing, as it provides a realistic perspective for those considering this path. Your journey towards finding contentment and happiness in a clutter-free space is truly admirable.