Top 8 Benefits Of Living In A Small Space
People are ditching their gigantic houses in favor of smaller homes, studio apartments, and even tiny homes. This tendency to downsize is trending, and for good reason:
- You’ll learn to be creative with furniture and decor
Do you really need a 6-foot long dresser? You’re about to find out. Generally, the answer is no. Nobody needs a gigantic dresser, but you may not discover that until you move into your smaller space and realize your dresser is in the way. Space-saving furniture is what you need.
Take the opportunity to be creative with your furniture and home décor. Buy pieces that maximize use of vertical space, and find pieces made for smaller spaces. For example, it’s easy to find wide bookshelves, but there are thin bookshelves, too. If you don’t have the space for one large bookshelf, find several thinner units and spread them out around the house in various corners.
- Less space means minimizing your belongings
Moving from a 6-bedroom home into a studio apartment will force you to prioritize your belongings. You’ll have no choice but to get rid of the past and all those trinkets you’ve collected over the years.
You could get a storage unit, but it will cost you several hundred dollars each month. It doesn’t make sense to pay $300/month to store things you don’t use. If you’ve downsized to a smaller home and have no plans to upsize, get rid of everything you don’t use.
- Luxury living in a small space
People want smaller spaces but they still want luxury. You don’t have to give up living large just because your space got smaller. Upscale apartments are being built across the U.S. to meet this demand, and many offer spacious studios with sensible floor plans under 800 square feet. The Uptown 550 signature apartment homes in Charlotte, NC, for example, provide residents with a private bar, exclusive spa, gas fireplaces on the balcony, and wine refrigerators.
Tiny homes are getting decked them out in a similar fashion with genius space-saving engineering that can hide an 8-person dining room table in the floor. No matter your choice for a small space, luxury is easily created inside.
- Less stuff to own equals less mess
The less stuff you own, the less mess you’ll have to clean up. Not having tchotchkes sitting around eliminates tedious dusting. With limited belongings in a small space, you can’t work on late night projects in the living room and tell the kids to use the family room. When only one room is available, you have to clean up after yourself so others can use the space, too.
- Get extra cash for unused items
Instead of paying to store items you aren’t using, sell them on eBay or a local selling platform. If you downsized from a large space, you’ll have plenty of items to get rid of.
To make your move easier, don’t pack anything you’re going to sell. Or, at least pack it separately. If you don’t sell everything, you can drop the boxes off at Goodwill.
- Being a minimalist is good for your health
Being a minimalist has health benefits. A simple life reduces stress, which ultimately affects your body in a positive way. Less stress leads to better mental health, too.
By reducing the amount of stuff in your life, you’re also reducing the amount of time you need to spend messing around with it. You’ve got more important things to do. Get rid of what you don’t need and focus on what matters.
- Your spending habits will change
Without a large closet or garage to store things, you can’t go on wild shopping sprees. If you live in an extremely tiny space, you’ll have to carefully consider the trash can you buy for your kitchen.
Having to think about space first will curb excessive spending fast.
- You’ll learn to be creative with storage space
Nobody knows storage tricks better than people who live in tiny homes. Even in a spacious studio apartment, you’ve got every reason to be creative with your storage space. Create your space so that when you have friends over, they’ll have a place to sit down and relax with you. Don’t make your guests sit on plastic tubs because you couldn’t find anywhere to put them.
Being a minimalist will save you money
Downsizing is a good way to save money, provided your income stays the same. If you’re smart about it, you could end up saving enough money to start that new business you’ve been thinking about. When you’re well off, you can credit your success to becoming a minimalist.
