fbpx
Make-Do-With-Less-In-Your-Home

Make Do With Less In Your Home

03.05.16

Small is beautiful, even if it takes a little getting used to.

“My room is so small, the mice are hunchbacked.”
Henny Youngman

The clarion call to consumers is “bigger is better”, but the housing market has become so obscenely bloated precisely because of our desire for more leg room - it’s a quirk of human nature. Wouldn’t it be better instead to question what we really get out of all that extra space? And why is it that when we downsize, and learn to live within our diminutive means, it can actually end up being a huge relief?

House purchases are usually sparked by life changes – be it a new baby, a promotion or impending retirement. While it’s generally accepted that we all want to be climbing the property ladder, there are times when actually stepping back a couple of rungs makes more sense, particularly if it ensures that your home becomes a true reflection of your current and future aspirations. Downsize your square footage and you can upgrade your lifestyle - put aside that extra capital for a rainy day or realise a lifetime ambition. Alternately, you could purchase a smaller house for the same value as your current property, but upgrade to a more desirable neighbourhood. A smaller home doesn’t have to be a compromise. You don’t need to skimp on the size of the main rooms – you simply opt for fewer of them. So how can you make downsizing the smart choice for you?

Prioritise function – make a list of the rooms you have and when and how often you use them – you may find you can get away with less space, but have a layout that’s better suited to your everyday needs, e.g. trading that formal dining room you use once in a blue moon for a bigger kitchen with heaps of storage space.
 
Crunch the numbers – work out just how much you’d save by trading down. This includes difference in monthly mortgage repayments, utility bills and taxes.

Evaluate the trade-offs – monetary gain alone can’t seal the deal. It’s important to consider how downsizing will impact on your life. You may for example, be working round the clock to support a lifestyle that’s not ultimately satisfying – if it is, then it’s time to think again.

Take action - draw up a wish list as well as a corresponding manifest of absolute no-goes in a smaller home. This will save you time sifting through property particulars. Get at least three valuations of your current home from experienced local agents. Remember that as a downsizer, you hold a lot of value with estate agents. Chances are you occupy one of the best properties on the market, and once you sell you’ll have cash to spend.

Choose wisely - look for properties that have ‘hidden’ value: a place where rooms can be repurposed – the garage into an office, the study doubling up as a guest bedroom, or a home that offers the possibility to extend, whose loft can be converted or a portion of land sold off for development.

Abode Affiliates

  • Alleyne Real Estate
  • Blevins Franks
  • Coldwell Banker
  • Crane Resorts
  • Monaco Real Estates
  • RDO
  • St Francis Links
  • Unique Home Stays
  • Yoo
  • Worldwide Dream Villas
  • Enigma Yachts Limited
  • Cornerstone Tax Advisors
  • Pedini London
  • Alexander James
  • Moore Stephen
  • Ibiza Transit Express
  • Oyster Yachts
  • Jumeirah
  • Wall Street Luxury
  • Heron Real Estate
  • Edenhurst
  • MG&AG
  • Gama Property
  • Touch Design Group
  • St Edward
  • Ultra Villa
  • Luxury Italian Living
  • Habitat First Group
  • BDO
  • 7Storeys
  • Worldwide Property
  • Dimora
  • Dominic McKenzie Architects
  • Harry Manning
  • Smart Living
  • Isle Blue
  • MAS Marbella
  • Millgate
  • Jersey Finance
  • guernsey-relocations-logo
  • viberts-logo
  • kpmg-logo
  • author-interiors
  • Wilkinson Beven
  • BoConcept
  • Ante Vrban
  • Deborah Garth
  • You home
  • Ra Shaw Designs
  • Caudwell Collection
  • accanto-interiors
  • Fritz Hansen
  • capital-rise
  • jarrods-staircase
  • neil-davies-logo
  • Tina Shone Group
  • Taplow riverside
  • Aimo
  • ns-ceramics-logo
  • Rusk
  • Consilium Expert Group
  • Ben Krupinski Builder
  • Swoffers
  • Guernsey Relocation Services
  • Douglas Graneto
  • Strutt & Parker
  • wilsons
  • MJC Associates
  • plainspace
  • Fine & Country
  • Bramble Ski
  • Penthouse queen
  • Sarco_Affiliate_Logo
  • taylor wimpey
  • cooper-gardner
  • M Design Architects
  • codan
  • Lovells
  • London DE
  • HELENA JORNET FINQUES
  • Prime Lands Group
  • Bellegarde Estates
  • Sinclair
  • Pippa Paton
  • Ecole d'Humanite
  • Benedek Lewin
  • Inspired Villages
  • Huelin Homes
  • Gaudin
  • Lovells Property
  • Racecourse Lodge Logo
  • Paseo
  • Lemay + Escobar
  • Octagon
  • Locate Isle of Man
  • Newlands of Stow
  • Hawksford
  • Holdun
  • Schule Schloss Salem
  • AR Architecture
  • lazaro
  • Sella Concept
  • Blakstad
  • SAREG
  • miller interior
  • Wealth Club
  • Yellow House Architects
  • Designer Touches
  • Zafiro
  • Nicole Murray
  • Scout Boats
  • Emerson Insinkerator
  • Forsters
  • https://www.cullenhomes.co.uk
  • https://www.londonlight.works

Enter your dream destination