According to the National Association of Home Builders, in 1975 the average square footage of a new home was 1,645. In 2005 it was 2434. And the average American family size has gotten smaller, not larger (from 2.94 persons per household to 2.57 during the same time period - US Census Bureau). While the homes may keep getting bigger on bigger, here are some reasons to live in small digs. Besides the fact that housing costs often increase with size, there are other reasons, quality of construction being equal, to consider a smaller dwelling.

  • Lower utilities. If you live in a small place you will have less space to heat, cool, and light.
  • Lower furnishing costs. Unless you plan on setting up mediation rooms you’re probably going to want to furnish all the different areas of your house. Oh, and decorate. Seeing as kids’ rugs at Target can cost a c-note, little decorative touches can add up fast.
  • Less stuff. The more space you have the more space you have to put stuff. Have you ever driven by a three car garage and seen it completely filled with things that weren’t vehicles?
  • Less space to clean. Less money spent on cleaning products, and less time spent cleaning that could be spent doing other things.

If you can think of others, let me know. I moved at the beginning of the year to a larger apartment in a new town. Even though my rent is lower, I definitely notice higher heating bills (despite having better windows). I spend a lot more time cleaning. And it gets to be really hard to fight the urge to fill-up some of the empty space with furnishings. Just think, if you go for smaller digs, the money you save could go to other things in life that you value.