For many of us, living in a large home is a dream come true. With an average Australian home size of almost 2,500 square feet, it seems like many homeowners and homebuyers are thinking in terms of 'the bigger the better'.
However, the rising housing prices, especially in urban areas, are leading many individuals in search of affordable housing to embrace the concept of small living and downsize. The following paragraphs explain why tiny space living might just be the solution we're looking for.
It saves you a lot of money
One of the major benefits that come with small living is that it gives you an opportunity to save a lot of money. Given how housing costs tend to eat up around 30% of our monthly income, renting a smaller space to live in seems like a no-brainer to anyone looking to save up. On the plus side, such spaces require less energy in order to cool down or heat up, meaning you get to save on your monthly bills as well. By downsizing and reducing your monthly expenses, you gain more financial freedom, and all the extra money you save up can be used to achieve your goals, whether it's traveling the world, paying off a debt, or purchasing a car.
You'll have more free time
Whether it's maintaining personal relationships, exercising, or pursuing your hobbies and passions, small space living leaves more time in your schedule for things that really matter to you. Because of this, it's no surprise that renting a serviced studio apartment has become a standard among younger individuals, especially career-focused millennials and those who haven't started a family yet. It presents an optimal housing solution that allows you to create a lifestyle that works for you, not to mention how these apartments tend to be much safer compared to other housing options, leaving you time to simply relax, focus on your goals, and pursue activities you actually enjoy.
There's less cleaning and maintenance involved
Let's face it – many of us find cleaning and tidying our homes one of those boring chores we'd rather skip if we could. Spending a couple of hours each day just to make a space seem liveable is not really how any of us wants to use their free time after coming home from work, not to mention all the yard work and upkeep that comes with a large house. Smaller spaces, on the other hand, take much less time and effort to look nice and tidy. And, since there's less cleaning involved, you don't have to spend nearly as much on cleaning products as you normally would.
It's easier to keep everything organized
Not only do large homes cost more to maintain and involve more cleaning, but they also encourage you to fill all that vast space with items. Extra furniture, decor pieces, various knick-knacks, memorabilia, artwork, and that miscellaneous stuff you can't get yourself to throw away – all those things contribute to more clutter, making the cleaning and tidying even more tedious since you have to move things around first, start cleaning, and then put it all back once you're done. In contrast, smaller spaces discourage you from bringing in more items so you'll be less likely to accumulate things. With effective small space storage solutions and a habit of decluttering your tiny home every once in a while, keeping things nice and organized is an absolute breeze.
It's easier to update and personalise
Unlike large homes that take a lot of furniture and decorations to feel warm and inviting, small spaces are easy to make more hygge. And as if decorating your small living space wasn't already easy and cheap enough, when it comes time to re-decorating, you also get to save an immense amount of money. Whether you wish to completely change the style of your interiors or just want to swap your decor for a different season, updating a small home can be done without blowing the budget, and it's easier to personalize, too. Just by being creative and decorating with a couple of personal items, you can make your small apartment feel like an extension of your personality rather than looking like a museum (which is often the case with larger homes).
It's more environmentally friendly
Last but not least, living in a small home is also more eco-friendly. For starters, building a smaller space to live in means fewer construction materials will be used in the process. Secondly, tiny homes have fewer rooms that are smaller, which translates to lower heating and cooling costs, meaning you'll be using less gas and electricity overall. Finally, fewer bathrooms and toilets means less water will be used. And since you won't be cluttering your home with excessive items (you won't have the space to store them anyway), you'll be generating less trash and helping reduce landfill waste. In other words, by choosing to downsize and simplify your lifestyle, you'll be doing Mother Nature a big favor.
Wrapping up
Whether you're looking to save up, embrace a more minimalist lifestyle, or simply be more environmentally responsible, moving to tiny quarters is the way to go. Given its many perks and benefits, it wouldn't be surprising to see more homeowners swapping their McMansions for something humbler yet beautifully simple.
