Have You Downsized?

[cschin4]

I have been thinking of downsizing my home. We have a 2700 sq. ft home and really it is more space then we need even with 3 kids. And, we have a good 1/2+ acre lot. I am considering moving to a smaller home of about 1800 sq ft. or so. I would think it would have smaller heating/cooling bills, less taxes, etc. Is downsizing overrated?

[LittleGopher]

We never upsized, but I can speak in favor of small spaces!

We have 1200 sq. ft. house, with a quarter acre lot in a small town (we're a far edge suburb to a metro area.). It's an older house, with four bedrooms. Our two oldest daughters each have a small bedroom, the two youngest girls have bunks in another room, and I share a room with my husband. It's not spacious, but we're used to being in close quarters, all the more closer with all the kids who seem to gravitate our way.

You're right about having smaller utility and tax costs - it's nice. Since I haven't downsized, there may be other considerations in your decisions (income tax sorts of things better left to others here who know more...) Best wishes in whatever you decide!

[pearlieq]

If we don't wind up having kids we will.

Right now we have about 2400 sf in the a nice neighborhood with good schools. It's a perfect place to raise a couple of kids.

But, should we decided we don't want kids after all, or if it turns out not to be a possibility for us, we'll downsize pretty quickly into a condo or townhouse closer to civilization!

[Ima saver]

Well I went from 2600 sq. ft. In Fla. to 1800 sq. ft. in the mountains. We like big houses because we like to throw parties. The locals around here are not party goers, so we didn't need a bigger house but we wanted one.
So about 10 years ago, we built a 3200 sq. ft. house which I love, but the taxes are certainly higher! I would like to downsize but my dh wants an even bigger house. What I mainly need is a cleaning lady!
I do love have a big bedroom with a sitting are, fireplace and my bath room is fabulous!
It is a double trey ceiling (about 22 feet high) with huge walls of windows all around the double sunken jetted tub! (no curtains to hide that pretty trim either)

[shelbylovesmelby]

I dunno about downsizing as we'd like to get a bigger home. We're cramped here in a 1000 sq ft house! But alas to get one that's abt 2000 sq ft we'd need atleast another $100-150,000+ just laying around. SO we will have to make due with what we have til we win the lottery

My il's downsized after all the kids moved out to a lil 600 ft house! The worst part is they moved to the city so they are paying double the taxes we are! They moved because their old house was: "too big", taxes off of the lake were awful, they wanted to try living in an area near where they grew up (wich they regret now as bad elements are moving into the area forcing people out of their homes), and shopping was in walking distance, (but now they don't walk anywhere as they are leary of getting mugged @ their age). I keep telling them if my neighbor sells his house to buy it as it's not much bigger & he does well keeping things up @ his age even. Not that I want them next door!

[PrincessPerky]

We have 1100 sq foot, and designed pretty well..My only objection is the lack of nursery...my 9 month olds crib is in my livingroom! but it wont be for long and we still have lots of space here.

But small house means small stuff.....not too much 'frivolous stuff' and not one thing for each kid, we have to share..not that we don't have TONS of the 'important stuff' (like duplos . IT is all about priorities..you have to set them based on the availible space..less you ahve the spare 100K .

[LuxLiving]

I have had all kinds of sizes of houses:

apts., apts., apts., too many to count then

purchased small studio condo of 525 sq. foot

then went to T.Hster's 2 bedroom apt.

then went to a medium size home 1250 sq. foot plus 12x20attached greenhouse & 12x20 workshed plus 2 car garage

down to an 800 sq. ft w/1 car garage

and now up to a 1500 sq. foot w/an unfinished walkout basement and walk in attic that are not included on the courthouse records. Since moving here we have almost got the basement finished and have started on the attic. I think I could turn this from a 3 bedroom to a 7 or 8 bedroom home and turn a pretty dime when we move on! Or turn the basement into a m-i-l suite. Now has a sink down there. Only need a shower/stool & stove/refrig to be ready that way. My mother refuses to live in my basement tho & my mil & fil have already passed on. Mom has however threatened to move next door!!

This house sits on 2.5 acres right outside the city limits. We are seriously considering cutting it up into subdivided lots before we sell and increasing our profit that way. Could get 5 small lots out of it plus our home, or 4 slightly larger ones and our house. Depends on code - we haven't got that far yet in our investigation. If we subdivide I want to sell my house first and be gone and then sell the lots afterwards or to the house buyer! I don't want new construction nearby while still living here.

We are now in the process of trying to decide when to sell and whether or not to go condo, small house again or even to a rental. Just now beginning to check out these options. Whatever it will be a one story - no townhouses or split levels, etc. Knees are already bad so don't want to risk falls upon aging further.

Trick would be for me to do it while I still have energy enough to sell off all these possessions!! Way too much STUFF!

[Ima saver]

This is my first two story house. I love the look, but am not too crazy about the stairs. Our bedroom is on the main floor, but I spend a lot of time upstairs because of the computer and the tread mill.

[Bookie]

Probably not much help, but I went from a three-bedroom, two-story house to a two-bedroom townhouse.

Downsizing proved more difficult than I expected. The real challenge wasn't adapting to the smaller floorplan; it was paring down the sheer quantity of stuff we had amassed over the years. Spread over the larger environment, it seemed manageable. Shoehorned into the townhouse (after a ruthless winnowing), it was overwhelming. That was the year I was on a first-name basis with the Goodwill crew.

I'm alone now and still the process of decluttering and discarding continues. As I grow older, it seems there's more that I can live without, but it's an on-going process. I appreciate the simplification downsizing has allowed, but the experience was brutal.

[LuxLiving]

I know the feeling Bookie!! We bought a house that used to be a rental out in the country. It was like a jungle here and the renters had just dumped their trash behind a fence. I was making twice a week trips to the dump for over a year. Clearing trash & vines and fallen limbs. oy - the vines - let's not talk about poison ivy shall we? I'm traumitized by the memories.

Many days we made two or three runs out to the dump.

Get this -- Once, the guy on duty asked me if I was making another run that day. Sure I said - he gave me dollars and asked me to go buy him a lunch at McDonalds on my way back! I did it! haha!!! We knew each other way better than I was interested in. I didn't even know his name, but he knew I'd keep coming back and he trusted me w/his lunch money!! funny! but it was exhausting. Twas the sweat equity that we had to pay and now our place looks like a showplace. The Hubster keeps it nicely trimmed & kempt!

Trying to decide what you have to keep is what's hard. But, after all we can't take it with us!!

[tgavin71]

We have 2A and 2C living in a 915sq ft house. At times it can be a little squashy but the benefits far out the disadvantages. A lot less cleaning, less costs in insurances, maintenance, rates etc etc etc. An unforeseen benefit was that due to lack of space we have to be really careful with what we buy.
When my husband accepted a job which pays double his previous wage everyone said that it must be good now that you can afford to move to a bigger house. We are quite happy here and have no intention of moving.

[Snoopy2645]

I would much rather have a bigger house I live in a house that is 800 sq feet 2 adults & 3 kids & 2 dogs & boy does it feel cramped when everyone is here!!! I would take a house just a little bigger maybe 1200 ft or a little more if I could!!