Anyone ever "downsized" their house? - YouLookFab Forum

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Anyone ever "downsized" their house?

Raisin

Veteran

DH and I have looked at a few smaller houses lately because we have thoughts of downsizing. I should say, I have thoughts of downsizing, DH is not so on board. It's not due to financial concerns or anything, at our current rate we would pay off our mortgage in 46 months anyway.

My reasons are this: Our house is huge...to me anyway. It's 2 storeys, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2400 sq ft on those floors, and we have finsihed most of the basement ourselves, so maybe another 800-1000 finsihed square ft there. 4th bathroom is not done, but can be in the basement. We also have 2 car garage. It's new, 5 years old and has had a few small issues, but the builders have fixed them. They are in the business of building lots of houses fast, so I could foresee other issues in the future.

I hate taking care of this house. The maintenace, the cleaning, and the bills. It's all very financially fine for us, but I am a minimalist at heart and really would like to have only "enough" space. We have rooms we don't use at all.

DH agrees with this in theory, but in order to get what I want in size we would have to move to a different area. It's nice but not AS nice as here. We're in sort of a sought after neighbourhood. DH has a big issue with leaving hte neighborhood, but at the rate the houses went up, we'd end up building a bungalow here at the cost of our current 2 storey.

Originally I figured we would move around again...part of the job! But it looks like we could very well stay here most of the rest of our career, if not all! So now I'm thinking, gosh is this the bohemouth house I want for the next 15, 20, or 30 years?!

If we did go for the 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, smaller bungalow we would probably also pick out some nicer finishes, so in the end, the cost would be no so different (probably 50-70k). But DH sees it as we have less house, worth less, in a crappier neighborhood. I see it as, this is our home, the neighborhood is fine, very nice, but yes, not AS nice as here, and I don't have the mental stress of this HUGE house!

So am I crazy for wanting this? DH sort of thinks so, but at the same time he is going along with figuring it out anyway. We're seeing some houses, etc, looking around, trying to figure out what our house would sell for. I feel like I'm pushing him into something he doesn't want, but at the same time, I don't feel like this is what I want for 20+ years. Is there a compramise here that could make us both happy?

Anyone been in this situation, or downsized for any reason?

1 - Current house
2 - The bungalow I like. It's half built now, they're finishing inside.

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48 replies

Latest reply was from Sarah A

ironkurtin

Veteran

Friends of mine were in this situation and are much happier in a smaller house. I am not used to huge houses myself!

missvee

Veteran

Reading between the lines I'm wondering if your DH is more concerned about moving out of your nice neighbourhood into a less desirable location. I think that's a legitimate concern. After all in real estate they always say Location, Location, Location. If the issue isn't money why not stay in your neighbourhood and try to have a nice bungalow built to suit you? It might be more expensive than your current home, but you would both have what you want in the end, and that's worth a lot.

Glory

Veteran

I totally get where you are coming from. I have a similar sized house and am tired of cleaning and maintaining it. I also think that the bigger the house the more stuff you seem to have - I could be mistaken on that. So on the house items I agree with you. However, community and schools factor in, especially schools. Depending which Cnd City you are in, it isn't always easy to transfer from one geographical boundary to another. If you do get the approval you lose your rights to busing. I think your children are very young if I recall correctly so those things are in the future perhaps.

Beth Ann

Veteran

I think Laura downsized and even blogged about it -- you might try pm'ing her, or checking her posts for a link to her blog.

Anonymous

We kind of bought this house with an eye to future downsizing. It's a 2BR and we have finished the basement and eventually both kids will go down there and have a kid's lair, rec room, and the soundproofed music room.

it is a bit squishy now but mostly just because toys take up space. We're almost at a point we can purge the baby toys.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

Our situations aren't really comparable but the urge to simplify is I think.

Over the past 15 years we've gone from a 4 bedroom (family) house to a one bedroom apartment. Part of the reason for this was the desire to minimize. In hindsight I wish I'd done it sooner.

Anonymous

Our main floor is 1500 square feet, with about the same in the basement. We have a bungalow with a walkout basement, and we put two bedrooms in the basement. one is now our daughter's room, and the other is my study (but will become our son's room when he is a little older).

So if we are still here when we are old and have mobility issues, we'll be able to live on the one floor (laundry is on main floor).

pil

Veteran

Downsizing makes so much sense to me. We love our current location but in my opinion the perfect house for this lot would be the two bedroom bungalow I bought myself before getting married.

i've seen this architect in magazines.
http://www.notsobighouse.com/

Raisin

Veteran

Thanks for the replies.

IK, I agree, I'm not used to large houses either!

Misvee, it is possible that we could buy a lot and build up the street. And something we are talking about now. We would not come out of the deal with much less mortgage, but in the end we would both have what we want, and I think it's important for a long run house.

Glory, luckily even if we move to the new area, which is actually quite close, we would not have to change schools for the kids.

Thanks Beth Anne ill look for Laura's blog.

Ceit, sounds like you guys planned well before you bought. See we had to find, and purchase a house on a 5 day house hunting trip, and having never bought one (we were in force housing before) and not really knowing what we want or needed, we just kinda went for nice and big. I wish I knew more then, or could go back.

Caro, wow that's a big downsize! I assume your kids are moved out now?

Pil, it does seem like there is a trend towards downsizing now. It makes so much sense to me too. But there is so much to think about and stress involved. Not sure at what point it makes the most sense.

So, there just so happens to be a big home show tomorrow. We are headed to that. We also have an appointment to see some homes the builder we like has built, and talk to her about house plans, and cost. We need to work out if the cost is worth it. Part of the cost though is not necessarily monetary to me though. I guess I put some importance on the fact that this is our home not just and investment property, and quality, stress, maintenance, time are all important issues. But how do you measure them against the cost?

Isis

Veteran

I love the book and website, http://www.notsobighouse.com/
Check it out.

We went from a 3,000 sq foot house to a 2,000 sq feet and are much happier. Every space is used in our new house. The lot is smaller, less upkeep and we know our neighbors. As your kids grow older, it is nice to share common spaces with them.

But the biggest factor in choosing a house is not the house, it's the location. Can you move to a place where you minimize your commute? Can you move to a place where you can walk to stores, walk or bike to work, where your kids can walk to other kids' houses and the park?

New construction tends to be in places that lack these attributes. I'd select a smaller house in the urban core if that's available.

cheryle (Dianthus)

(website)

Veteran

I am in the process of "right sizing" now. My son moved out last summer and I had a bi-level with about 2200 feet of space including 4 BRS, 3 full bathrooms, a LR and huge FR for him. It is also on a very large lot with an inground salt pool. I am moving to a bungalow but don't plan to develop the lower level. I will have less overall square footage but only one room that won't be used and the space in the new home is allocated to areas that will be used.

One thing of note is a bungalows is valued quite a bit higher than 2 story of the same size and also has more living space as there isn't space allocated to stairs and landings on the second floor. Different markets would impact the extent but where I live, a real estate agent estimated it to be about $30K.

Factors I would consider (other than how the space fits your lifestyle) include proximity to quality education for the children, amount of green space/park area, convenience for commute, etc.

I find it very interesting that there is a huge demand for bungalows in our city and yet the majority of new homes being built are two story. Many people get caught in the more square foot is better mindset.

I went with a builder that would customize the home. I modified almost every room and added an extra 2' to the great room, 7' to the kitchen/dinette, over 2' to the main floor laundry and completely redesigned the WIC/ensuite off the MBR. We like to have dinner parties so I expanded the kitchen to include a small island with seating space as well as a breakfast bar to the dinette. All open to the GR so the result is a very large open entertaining area. I spent at least two months reviewing the plans, visiting show homes, and redesigning the interior before I settled on a plan. It was worth it.

P.S. The floorplan of the new home started at about 1560 ft and is not 1700 and was designed to be our retirement home when my partner's children are finished school.

Isabel

Veteran

I have not "downsized" , but let me tell you that if I had the chance I would. Our house is as big as yours and I am a stay at home mom. The amount of time and energy it takes to maintain the house, exhausts me. Then the maintenance on the outside...we have 2 acres, mostly woods, but a garden , an orchard, a lawn. I hate maintaining it. I love the area where we live and it is off of a small dirt road. I love the area and my husband and kids would never agree to move. But I wish sometimes that I could cut the top half of the house off. it is funny how we don't think about it before hand.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Yes!!! We have always lived small. Then we came to the US and bought a 2200 square foot house. We were unhappy and the house was GIGANTIC and not cozy at all. We would spend all our time in 800 feet of it. It also had vaulted ceilings, which I enjoyed looking at, but really disliked living in. Now we live in a total of 1600 square feet which is spread across 2 floors and it's so much better. We have small furniture, small rooms and huge windows and art pieces. But our floor plan is modern so it feels spacious. We have a tiny but modern walk in wardrobe. I have a small galley kitchen and I LOVE it!! We also have 9 to 12 foot ceilings. I could do without our garden, and we have a tiny garage. My car is permanently outside.

It's really hard to find a small house. Most people like to live in 2000 square feet or more around here.

Jules

Veteran

Just a note, from someone who lives in a fairly small house with two kids. Furniture (Angie touched on this) - so much of it these days is freaking huge, designed for all those giant new houses. I live in 100-year-old Toronto semi and I've learned to be very careful about what I choose to bring into it. At least Toronto retailers are starting to catch on with "condo"-sized offerings. So my couch for example is technically "condo"-sized. Even when buying ceiling fans I had to do my research - the ones at Home Depot were all huge which turns out be inefficient in smaller rooms.
All that said - although we do often wish for more space I do appreciate less maintenance, inside and out. The only thing I really miss, having two girls, is a 2nd bathroom and sounds like you are planning on that.
This idea seems very you, what with your minimal wardrobe and all!

Gaylene

Veteran

I think a house has to suit the people who live in it. I've friends who love their monster homes on a huge acreage and others who live in a 600 square foot condo. Both parties seem happy with their decision so it really depends on your lifestyle and how you live in your space.

Personally, I'm happiest in a smaller house because I don't have to spend as much time taking care of my physical space. Our current house is actually the largest one I've ever lived in with just under 1600 square feet on four levels. It's definitely the smallest house in a very nice area. Because it was a custom-build, I was able to plan every square foot with the help of a friend who was an architect. With the guidance of our contractor and our friend, we used high quality components and fittings without breaking the budget. Most people are totally surprised when they learn the actual size because the house "lives large".

We plan to sell in a few years and move into a small condo in the city. Oddly enough, a couple of realtors have approached us recently with offers because they have clients who are looking for well-designed smaller houses in this area. Given this interest, I don't think selling our house will be much of a problem. I think a well-designed smaller home with quality finishes in a nice area has just as much re-sale value as a larger home in today's market.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

Oh; I love your home, Raisin - it's very similar to my one day dream home for my hypothetical family, but I can see why you want to downsize.

My parents have downsized after the flood, and they got rid of so much junk! Now they have more time for more important stuff instead of cleaning (like nagging me to make them a baby).

deb

Veteran

I read this blog http://www.housetweaking.com/ and she downsized and has the whole story on her blog.

Rambling Ann

(website)

Veteran

We went from 3500' (including a poorly utilized finished basement) to 1000' last year. It was supposed to be temporary, but the longer we live here, the fewer reasons I find to change. We had our builder enlarge the garage a bit for some storage. Mostly I continue to purge stuff that I wouldn't have imagined letting go of 2 years ago, and it feels great. We live on the porch when it's above 60 anyway. This was part of a much bigger lifestyle change that I wanted and DH resisted for years...until we found the right place and then he was the advocate. New house was designed for low maintenance and I love that, so does he. Building is stressful though. Even if you are awhile out from starting, suggest starting some Pinterest boards because when you have to decide finishes, it comes really fast and you don't want to be the delaying party. Or have to compromise because the tile you really want takes 3 months to ship. Building a house was easier than a wardrobe though. Wouldn't go back for a second. Good luck.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Heh, we're just the opposite. Lived in an 800sf beach house for years, tripping over the boys sleeping on inflatable beds in the living room, hubs and I both trying to run businesses out of one tiny office, having to wait for the one tiny bathroom, having NO closet space, etc.

We're in a 2700sf house now, and it's perfect for us. Each of us has an office of our own, there's a nice guest room (youngest stepson is currently living here so that's his room), and I never have to wait for a bathroom. We have a little loft with a futon above the living/dining room that also allows for more overnight guests, and it doubles as a cozy reading nook on winter days.

We love that we now have enough room for overnight guests or even just my stepsons to stay here whenever they need to. We can now have parties that are not relegated to only the outdoors, and there is enough storage for our things!

I would not want anything bigger than this, though. We have the smallest house in our neighborhood, and that's fine by us. I cannot believe what people must pay to heat and cool some of the huge McMansions in our area!

Raisin

Veteran

Great thoughts everyone! DH has warmed up to the idea considerably. We are speaking to a builder tomorrow. We're no where's near ready to build and not even sure if we will, but we want to know prices. The biggest stress for me is actually that I think it would take a few months to sell the house, the market is pretty soft, and I don't want to carry the building mortgage at the same time, so I have no idea how we sell....then buy. I guess we would end up renting for a few months. So much to think about!! I just know if we are here long term, I would really like to "right size" our house. And also build it to be extremely efficient and with the finishes I would like.

MsMary

Veteran

This is certainly a timely discussion for me -- I moved from my 1700 square foot house into a 900 square foot apartment over the weekend!

Raisin, one thing to think about is the age of your kids. Teenagers take up a lot more space than little kids, and that big finished basement will be really nice when you want to keep them home at night -- they will still have a place to hang out with their friends but not be right on top of Mom and Dad. You may find the big house is a great size for bigger kids.

Personally, I would be hesitant to trade down to a smaller house AND a less desirable neighborhood.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Mary makes a great point about the kids, and the neighborhood. I can tell you from firsthand experience with pre-teen and teenage boys that it will save your sanity if your kids have a good play/hangout space of their own.

Anonymous

Thanks for the confirmation -- that is how we envision the basement, both kids will have their rooms down there, plus a big rec room, a bathroom we are currently constructing, and there is a music room too. I would much rather have the kids hang out in the basement than roaming around town.

Raisin

Veteran

You have all made some very wise points. I am shying away from the other neighborhood now, even though it's not a bad one, but for the price difference I think it would be worth it to build in ours. We saw a beautiful 3 bedroom bungalow today that was 1860sq ft. They are doing up some pricing on it and another model we looked at, with all the upgrades and quality of material we want. After that we will decide how to proceed. We are also getting them to model the house at about 1500 sq ft, which they've done before. We are headed on our Croatia trip in less than 2 weeks so we are not going to make any decisions before then. If we do decide to build one, I guess we will have to try to sell the house first, then build, and possibly rent in between if we can't stay in our house the whole time. I think that makes more sense then trying to build while selling, so we don't run the risk of carrying both properties for a long time, especially since houses are selling slowly here. We are in a great neighborhood though, so resale should be better. We will have to see what happens once we get the pricing though! It's so hard not to get excited by the newly built homes with all the gorgeous finishes though.

MsMary

Veteran

Just remember those kids will grow. 1500 square feet is VERY small for a family of four. I had one husband and one child in 1700 square feet, and even that felt small once DS got big.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, and teenagers? Take FOREVER in the bathroom. Make sure you have at least two full baths. There are times I almost wish we had three.

Raisin

Veteran

Ayyyyyy......I want to downsize so much! The larger of the plans has 2 full bathrooms, but the smaller has one full bath and a toilet down with the laundry. That one appeals to me immensely as it has only one bathroom to clean!!!! Maybe I am being crazy here....

We grew up on one full bathroom though, with an extra toilet in the basement. I guess I just feel too, they can't miss what they don't have. But maybe you are all right and I will wish there was more space for them when they are older.

MsMary

Veteran

Raisin, honestly, you would be super crazy to downsize to one bathroom for a family of four. You. will. hate. it.

You can pay for a lot of cleaning lady visits for the cost of moving to a new home. Seriously.

Astrid

Veteran

We were six people at home before I moved out and we only ever had one bathroom, with another seperate toilet. It never was a problem in our family! I think having only one bathroom and an additional toilet is the norm for most families here and considered normal. Our house is fairly big, but my grandparents also live in it (7 people at the moment). They have their own entrance, bath and so on though. My mum always says they will need to sell it if we all move out and there will be only my parents left one day, in case nobody wants to stay or come back. It would be much too big for them alone! It's the house my grandparents built.

For myself I can completely understand the appeal of downsizing. I'm on a way to living more minimalist on my own and I would like a smaller home with no clutter myself one day. If you don't have so much stuff you don't need so much space to feel comfortable. Before we moved in my grandparents home we always lived in not overly huge appartements with up to three children and two bedrooms for us, master bedroom, living room, a not too small kitchen and one full bathroom. In the house we all had our own rooms since I was 15 and my dad finished remodeling the attic. I never felt like we didn't have enough room to live comfortably.

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