We Had Another Baby and Chose to Downsize Our House

One night, while eating a bowl of ice cream perched on top of my very pregnant belly, I told my husband, “I think our next house should be smaller.”

As one might suspect, he gasped a bit, thinking I was on a fresh pregnancy rant. Who has a baby coming and asks for a smaller house?

We had been talking through the details of a transition and the chance of a move shortly after our baby was born seemed likely, but my husband definitely did not expect me to request a smaller house, especially knowing that we were about to have our fifth child. One would think a family of seven would need a bigger house, but I was convinced the opposite was true.

I was tired of keeping up a 3,000-square-feet house. I saw no reason for three bathrooms and two living rooms and a kitchen island that was constantly full of clutter. Blocks and superheroes were always covering the floor, and despite my big kids each having their own room, most nights they migrated toward mom and dad.

Plus, the cost of a larger home didn’t allow for any help in keeping it all up. Even with ample space, inevitably, our family was usually gathered in the same place. All of the extra square footage was just that… extra.

So when we began house-hunting, I made our family’s intentions clear to our realtor — we wanted a smaller house and we wanted to downsize.

My boys were excited about sharing a room. We promised bunk beds, and they dubbed their space-to-be “The Bro Cave.” I sold our spare couch and downsized many of the fillers that a larger house had required.

As we settled into our new, smaller house, I felt content. Of course, no house is perfect, but this felt like home. Everyone had just enough space – even the new baby. Downsizing gave us the opportunity to cull our belongings and truly be mindful of how we use the space we live in.

With less money going toward our mortgage and all the residual expenses it takes to keep up a larger home, we’ve been able to travel, invest in some hobbies, purchase a car with cash, and contribute more heartily toward our retirement funds. Talk about a worthwhile swap! Lose some square footage and gain all that? Yes, please!

Best of all, the time I have gained by managing less has allowed our family to experience so much more. Now our days are filled with less cleaning and more adventuring, less thought about bills, and more treats here and there.
Sure, my kids don’t have their own rooms, and my desk is tucked in the corner of our bedroom, but the mental space we’ve all gained has made us feel richer than ever. Downsizing has been such a gift.