The problem of the Minimum Dwelling has always occupied architects and designers. From modernist thought leaders in the 20th century who introduced the idea of modular dwellings precisely tailored to fit the needs of an individual or a family to more recent proposals such as the Micro Compact House featured at a recent exhibit at the Modern Museum of Art in New York, the question still prevails:

How much space do we really need?

Oversized homes use more energy, therefore generating higher monthly bills and are otherwise more costly to upkeep than smaller homes. You may be surprised to find out that many of your spaces are underutilized. They probably could be easily eliminated without you having to make any sacrifices. If anything, a more affordable, small home can bestow a sense of liberation upon you.

You can test your need for actual space by closing off extra bedrooms and bathrooms for a while and see how this impacts your use of the space. It may take a little while to get used to it but just because you follow an old habit doesn’t mean it’s an effective one. Go through your stuff: all the papers you have neatly stored in filing cabinets, old bank statements, bills and other kind of paperwork could probably be all digitized and stored on a hard drive; and when is the last time you wore that sweater? Go through your closet and make a realistic assessment of what you actually use in there. If you are scared of throwing something out or donating it, put it in storage for a few months to see if you really need it. If it sits in storage the entire time, chances are, you won’t miss it in the future. You will have freed up so much space you won’t know what to do with all the newly won extra space.

Depending on where you live, you could consider using a car share service instead of owning your own car. This may not be practical outside of urban centers, though it would save you building a garage and also a lot of money associated with the cost of owning a car.

Lastly, think about using spaces for multiple uses. A guestroom can easily function as an office during most of the year and be converted to a welcoming place to stay for your guests that one time of the year they come visit. Built in storage options could lower the need for a full dining room by adding bench seating, an office can be tucked into a closet or under the stairs to make use of wasted space.

Living with less space is foremost a lifestyle consideration. If you feel that the big house, as convenient as it may seem, wastes too much you are probably right. You will love the conveniences of a well designed small house plan that much more. More than that, your wallet will love the much lighter financial load of a downsized home.

Photo by JenaPhillips

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