I live in Texas where the saying bigger is always better thrives and that applies to Texas homes. The average home in Texas is 2,170 sqft. Now that's not crazy big, but when I went house hunting with my husband my big want for my first home was that it wasn't too big. My reasoning? I can't handle too much house! Currently, my home has 1,200 square feet. Now, of course, there are downsides to having a small home but for me, the pros outweigh the cons of living in a small home. Here is my list of pros and cons of having a small home.
The Pros
1. Small homes run cheaper
No surprise smaller the square footage the cheaper the home. When we were house hunting of course like most first-time home buyers we needed to make sure the house was something we could afford in the long run. According to Opendoor a home's square footage is 1 one of the 8 important factors in determining the value of a home. But the most important of that space is livable space so it’s not just a matter of how big, but how many bathrooms and bedrooms it has. And of course, smaller square footage will impact those numbers. So if you desire a certain number of rooms that is something to consider.
2. Lower energy costs
Smaller space equals a lower energy bill for heating and cooling. And it takes less time for your house to get warm or cold. According to PowerWizard.com, the average energy cost for a 1,800 sqft home in Texas is $131.71, while the average energy cost for a 4,000 sqft home in Texas is $292.69. This is such a great benefit. In the winter our home is nice and warm and in the summer our home is so cool in the 90+ degree weather that sometimes I actually feel cold inside and I need a jacket!
3. Easier and faster to clean
I am a stay-at-home mom and the last thing I want to do is spend all day cleaning a large home. I rented a room in a house before my husband and I got married. The home had to be 3,000 sqft at least. When it was my turn to clean the home it took a good few hours and all day for general cleaning and morning til night if it was a deep cleaning day. I had no desire for that kind of responsibility. With my 1,200 sqft home, I can be done cleaning in 30 minutes to 1 hour, 2 hours tops if I am deep cleaning, but with how short a time it takes me to clean our small space it doesn't usually require deep cleaning too often since nothing gets neglected for too long.
4. No awkward open space
Another reason I hated the idea of having a large house. I hated the idea of having too much extra space that isn’t being used and having the urge to fill it with something. What do people fill up their open space with? You can probably fill in the empty space with a piano, plants, artwork, china cabinets, and other fancy furniture. But that's still something I’ll need to clean in the future and I bought those items not so much because I needed them, but because it was to fill an awkward void in the home. I just need enough room for basic home necessities, nothing else. This leads me to my next pro of having a small home.
5. Less clutter
When you have enough room for just the necessities it’s easier to say no to unnecessary items. When you have a small home acquiring new things can quickly take over in every room. Have a large perfume collection? How are you going to be able to fit all 10 bottles in your bathroom, if you have a lot of shoes but not enough room to keep them maybe it’s a sign to downsize. Because keeping 20 pairs of shoes in a space that may hold only 5 is a recipe for disaster and will lead to more clutter, plus it’s easier to keep after a smaller number of items even if you live in a larger home. The only living room furniture we have is a TV stand, couch, and, two side tables on top of a living room rug. That is all we need and we don’t need to fill it up with anything else that will just make the space cluttered and cramped.
6. Cheaper renovations
When we were house hunting I knew that I was going to renovate my future home no matter what house we chose. I wanted our future house to be a reflection of our style so I knew I would have to consider the cost of renovations in the future. According to StatewideRemodeling.com a bathroom remodeling project in Texas costs anywhere from $120 – $275 per square foot. Of course, materials used can impact renovation costs as well. But, If you only need to replace the flooring, 1,200 sqft of flooring rather than 2,000+ sqft it will obviously be cheaper. So that is a major perk of having a smaller home. And if you really needed more space you can always add an addition, or convert your garage for more square footage in the future.
The Cons
1. Family size
If you already have a big family or want a big family you may want to reconsider having a small home. Now it’s not impossible and people do live in small homes around the world with their large families and live very happy lives, but this is more for individuals who are on the fence of buying how big a home they should buy. When you have a big family you need to take into consideration that more people equals more clothes, and more clothes equal the need for more closet space. If you have 5+ kids in a 3 bedroom home that is less than 2,000 sqft it’s going to get cramped really fast especially if you have kids of multiple ages and they need clothes of multiple sizes. Now there is an easy fix to that. You could limit your kid's wardrobe to save on space and get creative with storage methods, but if you know that may not be possible you may need to think of a larger home. Another thing to think about having a big family in a smaller home is food and pantry storage. Small homes usually have small pantries and may not even have one at all. Mine didn’t. I have to get creative and buy a cabinet to put all of our pantry items in. When you have a large family and not enough pantry space you might need to increase your grocery runs to 1-2 times a week since your kitchen can only hold so much food and you go through your food fast to feed your large family. Also, when you have a large family it can get loud when you live in small quarters it is easy to hear what everyone else is doing around you which can get annoying at times especially when you need peace and quiet or have babies that need their naps. If you have young kids toys will overtake the place, now you can limit the number of toys in your home, and find an effective storage solution, but if your kids aren’t too keen on giving up their toys just yet you may need to take that into consideration. Lastly smaller bedrooms. If you have a lot of kids it's inevitable they will need to share rooms. It’s not the end of the world, I shared a room with my little sister growing up, but as your kids get older and acquire more sentimental things in their lives or develop their own hobbies it will take up a lot of space. So take those points into consideration if you have a larger family or want a large family when thinking about buying a small home.
2. Entertaining
We don’t entertain much in our home, mainly because we lack space. We are a family of 3, and we could probably only be able to entertain 3 more people comfortably in our home. We were able to celebrate my son’s first birthday in our home when we first moved in. We entertained around 15 people and that was only because we barely had enough home furniture to take up space! If you and your family are social butterflies and love hosting others in your home that is something to think about as well.
3. It gets dirtier faster
You’re probably reading this one and going “But Melissa you said small houses are faster to clean?” and yes that is true. But likewise, small homes get fast really quick, I would say faster than larger homes. That’s because smaller homes have more high-traffic areas. When I do clean it’s usually the floors that I need to clean every day due to dirt and food crumbs. Also, kids' toys tend to migrate into other rooms because there is less division, and sometimes a room can serve two purposes. Our office doubles as the playroom and right now I am writing this blog post next to a ball pit and my son’s markers have floated to my desk. Usually, larger homes will have a mudroom or an extra room that can double as a playroom or office, but we are working with what we got and honestly, it doesn’t bother me one bit. But if you work from home or run a business from home it can be a big deal breaker. And if you hate the idea of your home getting dirty quickly in a short space of time that is something to think about.
4. Lack of privacy
Similar to what I said earlier in the post regarding large families and why they might not have a small home because it can get loud and you can hear what everyone else is doing. That is still kinda true still even if you are a small family. I can hear my husband’s TV as I’m tucking my son into bed and he can hear my true crime shows playing in our bedroom! When My husband is playing his video games I am usually always walking in front of him to clean and pick up our laundry from the garage and it drives him insane. We can sometimes hear each other on the phone in other rooms of the house so if that doesn’t sound appealing to you when thinking about buying a small home it should be something to consider.
Even with those cons listed, I wouldn't change my mind that having a smaller home is the best. I don't see myself having a huge family and lack of space as an easy solution, just declutter. And you can get creative with storage options to best utilize your space. But remember that the most important thing about a house isn't its size but the family in it.
I hope you enjoyed this list, comment down below if you prefer a small home or a larger home and why?
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