I live in a tiny apartment in a big city. – And I mean a seriously tiny apartment.
We’ve been here for over two years, and before that, we were somewhere even smaller. What’s weird is that I grew up in a not-huge, but definitely ‘big enough’ house, with an even bigger garden, but when I look back across my many abodes since, they all have one thing in common: compact size.
From college dorm rooms to city apartments, though I loved growing up in a spacious house, I’ve never once chosen it as an adult.
Housing costs are one of the toughest issues millennials face, and more and more of us are having to put up with less-than-ideal living situations. When it comes to tiny apartments and small space living, however, I’m definitely waving a (miniature) flag, with no plans to change soon.
People are surprised that I’m happy to forgo the big house and garden that my parents were naturally able to buy with a mortgage the banks couldn’t wait to hand over. But when you consider it, small space living gives you a lot of opportunities.
Maybe we should learn to have more love for downsizing, rather than thinking of it as a hardship.
Although sometimes it might drive me crazy – I love to cook and dream of flinging open my kitchen door to see miles of farmhouse-style cabinets and worktops, complete with a colorful KitchenAid stand mixer – it has to be said, there are also a lot of upsides.
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Here are seven reasons why small space living is actually the best.
- Living cheaply
This might be an obvious one, but it’s a good place to start: With housing costs rising, more people than ever are living in small apartments.When you think about what you’d actually use extra space for, often it’s storage. If you’re happy to give that up, a cheaper, smaller place gives you a lot of financial freedom instead.
It’s not just rent or a mortgage that costs less, running costs will often be cheaper too. You gain the freedom to live in a part of town that you like better, or in a place that cuts down your daily commute or is closer to excellent schools. You might just want to spend money on other things rather than rent, pay off some bills, or save so you can retire early and buy a boat. Whatever you choose, there are huge cost savings versus a larger home.
- Fewer spending sprees
When you know you can’t come home with mountains of shopping bags – because where exactly would you put all that stuff – it really helps you to live more simply. If you can just about fit your current possessions in, it really puts a lid on those shopping sprees that fill your home and life with extra ‘stuff’ you don’t need. – Although I’m still working on my addiction to buying lipsticks.
RELATED: 18 Strategies to Break Your Online Shopping Habit - Living simply
Small space living is much more the norm in other parts of the world like Europe or Asia. It’s not as commonplace to have big houses and gardens there for either economic, practical or cultural reasons. It makes you ask; is our preference for too big houses only linked to a need for status? - Low maintenance living
I love that I can clean my entire home from top to bottom in less than two hours, it just means that I can spend less time ‘working’ on my home and much more time enjoying it.RELATED: How to Clean Your House Fast: Genius Speed Clean Method
A low-maintenance pad might be limited on space, but at the same time, it’s very calming. While my bigger-house peers are slaving over yard work or working on endless remodeling projects on the weekends, I’m spending them relaxing with a book.
Looking for ways to maximise the space in your petite abode? These are our top picks
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