As a minimalist, I always want to have less. Less stuff, less space, less bills, less, well, everything. Buying a home as a minimalist is also something I think about.
Generally speaking, this has served me well in the past. I have fewer clothes, which means less to replace, wash, etc. I have less space, which means less to furnish, clean, and repair. Most of the time, living with less makes me happier. There’s only one place where being a minimalist is really throwing me off, and that’s with home buying.
Now, I’m not ready to buy a house just yet. I still have a lot of debt, and I won’t be ready to take on the commitment of a mortgage until that’s paid off and I’ve amassed a sizeable downpayment. That said, I want to be a home owner some day. I want to have my own backyard, my own little bit of space that I can change or remodel and do whatever I want to.
The only problem is deciding how much space I need.
Right now, as a couple of DINKs (Dual Income No Kids) with a dog, my fiance and I need relatively little space. We used to do just fine in a studio apartment (we live in a 400 sq. ft. house), but since the addition of the dog, we’ve moved to a 400 sq. ft. house with a backyard. At the moment, this size living space suits us perfectly, and it’ll probably continue to suit us for a long time.
The trouble is, just how long would a space this size suit us?
If we were to buy a house right now, what kind of house would we buy? Any house that we buy, we would probably want to be happy in it for at least ten years.
Of course, the whole kids thing has to come into play here. We aren’t sure, at this point in our lives, that we want children. It’s just not a sure thing for us. So, do we buy the three bedroom house and hope that the biological urge kicks in? Do we buy a smaller house, say a two bedroom, that would be more suitable to our needs but would still require an upgrade if multiple children were in the future, or do we stay minimalists, and buy a one bedroom home, or even more minimalistic – rent forever. This isn’t even taking into account that one and two bedroom homes are basically unheard if in my neck of the woods.
These are things that I think about. Nevermind that I won’t be ready to become a homeowner for at least three years, nevermind that there are tons of other things I should be devoting my brain power to. This is what I ponder.
As a minimalist, buying a house to fit future needs that may or may not come to fruition just seems wrong. That said, the idea of buying a house to fit current needs only seems short sighted.
When buying a house as a minimalist, it’s important to consider what you need now, but also what’s going to come in the future. I have no desire to own a house that is too big for me, so perhaps finding a home that could be renovated to suit either scenario would make the most sense.
Home buying as a minimalist makes things a little bit more complicated, especially for people like me who are still figuring out what they want out of life. However, with a bit of planning and the patience to wait for the perfect property to become available, buying a home as a minimalist is entirely doable.
Is your home too big for you? How about too small?
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myfijourney says
My home (a one bedroom apartment) is fine for me currently. But I'm under no illusions that should my life situation change that I'll have to scale up. I'm not really concerned with home buying at the moment for a variety of reasons including the highly expensive nature of homes in the area, and the fact that living alone kind of negates the need for the extra space.
IMHO, what's more important than the exact size of your house is how much effort it will take to maintain it. I think I'd rather buy a bigger newer house than a smaller older one, if it meant less maintenance. I'm certainly a minimalist when it comes to repairs as I do not have the talent nor the desire to perform them.
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DC@Young Adult Money says
Are home is "just right' (at least in my opinion). We have three bedrooms upstairs, one is our bedroom, one is our office (the smallest of the three), the third will be a guest bedroom whenever we get to it. The nice thing about the third bedroom is that we can still have an office even when we have a baby (which won't be for at least 5 years…if all goes as planned). The basement area is currently more storage than anything, though we would like to utilize it. Our laundry room is a nice size with storage space. FINALLY there is a fourth bedroom (huge room) with a kitchenette and bathroom connected. We rent this out! We don't need the space and the income is nice.
Two car garage should suit us well for years.
Basically I'm very happy with our house size-wise.
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plantingourpennies says
I tend to think our home is pretty perfect in a lot of ways. We have 1100 sqft, which is considered small in our area of the country (but manageable to take care of for me, so I love it). But it doesn't feel small – we have high ceilings, skylights, and big sliding glass doors that open up into a big screened in patio with outdoor eating/living space and our pool. Adding in the outdoor living space and the pool nearly doubles the size of our house, plus I love the feeling that the sunlight and outside are a part of our life, and we're not locked away from it.
Laurie says
Jordann, I think by the time you're ready to buy, you'll probably have a better idea of what you want. And even with kids, you can learn to be happy in a smaller house. My old boss was one of 10 siblings and they lived in a 3 br, 1 bath house quite happily. :-).
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HappyFund says
If you were a true minimalist, you wouldn't have children. Har har har, I kid!
I'm with Laurie. You don't need to make that decision until you know for sure, but it's good that you understand it way ahead of time. Our current home is too big for us. We have one unused bedroom and bathroom. The problem in my neck of the woods is that there are not many smaller houses around.
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Brian says
My house is too big over all but too small at the same time. We have 1900 sq-ft plus a basement (which is another 1200 sq-ft). I say this is too big because I have 3 rooms I don't even use, or hardly ever use. I say it is too small because we only have 1 full bathroom and 1 half bathroom. We really need another full bathroom in the future. Of course we just had a baby and as he gets bigger maybe the house won't feel so big.
Saskia says
Too small???? I live in Europe and grew up with 8 people in a house with 4 bedrooms and 1 bathroom (one toilet, a bath and a sink). We only have 3 children and also have 1 bathroom. Very common here!
SavvyFinancialLatina says
I think the size of the home is not as important as the layout. We currently live in 700 square feet, and honestly we would only want 300-500 sq more feet. Basically enough for another bedroom and bathroom. I do not want a house that's bigger than 1500 square feet. I just want a good layout, now wasted space!
We are huge minimalists. I'm not big on having extra decorations, etc. Most of my decoration items have been given to me by my mom or mother in law. I have only purchased one painting from a friend for $10.
John S @ Frugal Rules says
Our house was just fine when we bought it five years ago, but now that we've added three kids to the mix it does get awfully small VERY quickly. Part of that should be taken care of with our de-crappifying effort this Spring, but we do want to buy a bigger house in the next few years…that or add on to our current house.
Tina says
I'm currently the sole occupant of a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1200 sq. ft. house. There's no basement or attic, and I take care of my own maintenance. For me and when my fiance moves in, it's just the right size. For prospective home buyers, I recommend focusing on buying a house for the lifestyle they current have and not the lifestyle they anticipate having which could lead people to buying too much house.
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Frugalista Married says
Buy for the future. I really don't think you can have too much space unless it's ridiculous to the point where it's costing you money to heat and cool. Having an extra bedroom comes in handy for guests and you won't hate that you have an extra if you don't have kids but you might hate that you have to move because the kids toys have taken over the house. We have 1800 sq feet and I think it's good for just the two of us!! Throw a kid in there and I need more space. This is coming from someone who lived in a 450 sq foot studio for 5 years so I crave space. Guess I'm not a minimalist. I do try to not have too many things but I need my space.
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Kendal says
Great post, Michelle. Homes are on my mind today, too, as we just got our house appraised this morning for a refinance. My husband and I are DINKS with two dogs and when we purchased our home, our priority was a big backyard for our dogs to stretch their legs and an unfinished basement to finish ourselves. Seven years later we're pleased with our backyard but haven't touched the basement. I forget it's there most of the time, since the three-bed, two-bath upper level is more than enough space for us. Sometimes I think our house is too big, and while it's true we could be comfortable in a much smaller space, I'm grateful for the size when family comes to visit. In fact, it's during those times that I wish our basement was finished, so everyone felt comfortable and I didn't feel so suffocated! I think it's good that you're thinking about this now, even when you're not ready to commit to a mortgage. When you are ready, you'll have a better idea of what's important and be better prepared to make the right decision.
therandompath says
I also agree that in 3 years, you'll have a better idea of what you want in a home and how much space you need. I like smaller spaces too!
Also, on the whole "kids" thing? I didn't have my daughter till my early 30's. Don't feel like you need to answer that question of having kids, in your early 20's. Go and have some fun! Believe me, you'll know if and when you are ready to have a child 🙂
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krantcents says
We downsized from a 2,600 square foot home to a (1,850 sq. ft.) townhouse. If it were all on one level, I could probably live with less, but I choose not to. I want a second bedroom and I keep a separate office. I realize that many people want smaller homes, but then you may need to get out more. My space is very comfortable and I am happy with it.
Budget & the Beach says
Since it's a ways off, I would put it out of your mind right now. So much can change in a few years, and you might end up future tripping. I need space, but nothing like a mcmasion or anything. A 400SQ foot apt would probably be too small for me and a dog. I live in aprox 600ish SQ feet now, and I know with two people in it I feel cramped. 🙂
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Desi says
This is neither here nor there with regard to size, but more about length – my boss and his wife bought a three level townhouse less than four years ago – and they listed it for sale last month. That just seems crazy to me! Why would you make such a giant purchase without being sure you'd be there through at least 10 years?
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AlexM says
We live in a 1400 sqft 3 bedroom house which is perfect for two adults. The bathroom is tiny but we are fine with that.
One thing to consider when looking at homes, is the price per square foot. To get an idea, look at recent sale prices for homes you are interested and divide the square footage by the sale price. Then think about the layout and condition of the house. The question to ask, is that space worth the price per square foot? Do I really want to pay for that much square footage when X amount of dollars could be better used for something else in a smaller house, or to pay for work that will need to be done, etc.
Space costs money and it’s wise to get your head straight on what you are actually paying for and if you project that space will be useful or costly, etc. You might not really know what you want until you start looking!
@allthingsfinanc says
Its amazing to me that you have enough room in a 400 sq ft home. My wife and I are in a 1000 sq ft condo and we seem very cramped. It sounds like I need to reevaluate how much space we think we need.
Mochi & Macarons says
I always thought that 800 square feet would be fine for us with 2 kids in an area that has enough activity to keep us out of the home and not in it.
JNieto says
My wife has told me in no uncertain terms that when we move to Florida, the house is going to be "minimalist". the one exception would be if we can afford a maid, which we can't so it's going to be small. I've managed to talk her into having at least one guest bedroom though so the kids can visit once in a while 🙂
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Diane says
3 years from now, when you're ready to buy a house, things will be clearer to you. One thing I would definitely consider along with size ~ location! If you're planning to have kids you want to live in a safe neighborhood for them, where you have good schools. As for size, you'll figure that out. It also depends on whether you work at home and need office space.
Our current home is about 1600 sq ft, 3 bedrooms & 2 baths, fairly well laid out. We have 4 adults living here, including my boyfriend and 2 grown sons. It would be fine, except that we really need an office with 2 of us working at home. That makes it crowded and inconvenient, but we live with it for now.
When the boys finish college & move out on their own, we'll move to a different area. We haven't decided yet how big that house will be… I think it will be easier to decide what we need when we get to that point. I definitely do not want a huge house, but I do want a spare bedroom & an office.
Broke Professionals says
OK, I have a strange view on this, so bear with me…
I firmly believe that the days of buying a starter home are OVER. We bought a house several years before we started a family (like you, we were two working stiffs with a dog), and we thought we knew what we needed/wanted. All our assumptions were wrong, and the minute we had our daughter, we started plotting ways to get out of our house. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to sell it because a lot of the first-time buyers who may have considered a home like ours pre-recession are now looking for WAY more square footage and amenities than most starter homes offer. I know if flies in the face of tradition, but I'd just keep renting until you have an idea of how big your family may ultimately be.
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Nick @ ayoungpro.com says
We have owned a condo for quite a while and I think a condo or townhome would be great choice for a minimalist. Nothing beats having an HOA to take care of landscaping and maintenance!
@prairieecothrif says
Our house is just the right size right now but we might outgrow it later on. We have talked about putting on an addition but we will only do this if we really have to. I prefer to only have the space we absolutely need.
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@TheHeavyPurse says
Great questions for you to begin pondering now, since you have a few years before you start seriously looking. When we bought our home, didn't have kids yet, but knew we were ready for kids, so we definitely took that into consideration when we looked. I think our home fits us well, although we did look at moving a few years ago. There is definitely truth to the more space you have the more stuff you have. 🙂
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HIlary says
My husband and I live in a 900 sq. ft space right now. If we were minimalists, we'd have plenty of space! Buuuut, we're not. And with two furbabies, sometimes I just have to get out of the house to not suffocate! We're currently looking at a 1400 sq. ft. home to buy, which isn't too much bigger, but with a huge backyard, I can just kick everyone outside, right? 🙂
Morgne says
I’m a fairly extreme minimalist and I own a 2300 square foot home. It’s a 3 bed / 1.5 bath with bonus room in addition to a huge living room. Two of the bedrooms sit completely empty with only the master having anything in it (just a bed) and the bonus room is outfitted as a home gym.
It’s always interesting to me that minimalism and having small homes are assumed to be the same concept.
I love having the empty space in our home to dance, or hula hoop. We can lay out a puzzle on the floor of one room and ignore it for weeks if we prefer. The additional space in a home does NOT need to be used to store “crap”.
Having said all of that, financially it’s generally a sounder long term decision to buy a more standard size home. It allows for more flexibility, easier/higher resale. Each time you process through a property it takes about 10% between realtors, closing fees, repairs and moving. On a 200,000 property that 20,000 dollars. Sell that property to buy a 300,000 property and suddenly you have spent 50,000. Purchase once, flexibly, then stay put!