Bigger Isn't Always Better

Earlier this year, my husband and I decided that as much as we liked our home, we wanted to make a change. We had built our "dream home" three years earlier and it had everything we wanted. Everything except.... hmmm, what was it that was missing? We couldn't quite put our finger on it but something wasn't right. We talked about options and decided what we needed to do.... DOWNSIZE! Somehow in this country we have slipped into the mindset that bigger is always better, but we found that was not the case for our family. We missed the coziness of a smaller house and a more mature neighborhood (with trees!) and felt we were leaving a bigger environmental footprint on the earth than was necessary.

A few months after we put our house on the market, we moved into a smaller, older home. We have done some renovation and absolutely love it. It doesn't have as many bells and whistles as new construction, but we have added the things that are important to us and honestly, do not feel like we lost anything of value. The kids love it too ....and I'm talking about two teenagers who lost their own private bathrooms.

Most often when someone buys a new house, it's bigger than the one they are coming from. There's nothing wrong with that unless we just assume that's the only option. By not looking creatively at the options, we could miss a great opportunity. The downsizing experience has been nothing but positive for us... not only do we feel more comfortable in our surroundings, but we are living more sustainably and enjoying a much smaller mortgage payment!