House Hunting: 5 Tips to House-hunt like a Minimalist

I have always loved learning about real estate, probably because I have lived in 7 states. I have taken real estate courses to learn more about the industry. On a practical level, moving frequently taught me that more space is not always better. For a time, I was a minimalist- and it helped me consider new ways to approach house hunting in a creative way. At times, area affordability was a limiting factor of square footage. In my experience of downsizing to a smaller home, I wanted to share my experiences in this area. I write about creativity, and I believe this can be applied to house hunting. This essay considers how to approach house hunting like minimalist and considers the intentional use of space.

Desiring a smaller home is a bit counter-cultural, as popular culture emphasizes the appeal of larger homes. According to Economics Professor Mark J. Perry of the University of Michigan, in an AEI public policy blog analyzing recent census data, “New US homes today are 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973 and living space per person has nearly doubled.”

His analysis of the Census Bureau Annual Report, “Characteristics of New Housing” suggests that:

- US home size has increased by 62% since 1973.

- The median-size house has increased in size by almost 1,000 square feet, from 1,525 square feet in 1973 to 2,467 in 2017.

- American households decreased in size (from 3.01 persons per household on average in 1973 to 2.54 persons per household in 2015, a reduction of one half persons over the last 42 years.

- Living Space per Person has doubled. According to this analysis, with the drop in household size and the larger size of new homes, the square foot per person has increased from 507 to 971 square feet (using median house size) and from 551 to 1,058 (using average house size).

In other words, there was a 92% increase in living space per person in a new house, meaning new homes doubled in size in the last 42 years. For original data & his article see, http://www.aei.org/publication/new-us-homes-today-are-1000-square-feet-larger-than-in-1973-and-living-space-per-person-has-nearly-doubled/

Below are some suggestions for navigating a home search for smaller homes. This by no means is isolated to consumers of tiny homes, yet it is astounding to see the change in average square footage in the past decades.

It can be tough to choose the right amount of space.

Here 5 important things to consider when you shop for a home “like a minimalist”:

1.Make a list ahead of time of your needs. By this I mean, what could you not live without? Consider spaces with multiple uses. For instance, a table can double as an office space.

2. Make a list of what you don’t want.

For example, extra spaces can be clutter magnets and take you down the road of accumulating things. Perhaps you value having an office or workout area - consider where else these areas can exist(a property near a co-working space or gym) or what you might give up to have them in your home. Consider the tradeoffs.

3. Spend a week determining the space you need/where you go in your house.

There have been studies done that most Americans only use a portion of their homes. A blog in “Residential Behavioral Architecture 101”, by David Friedlander of LifeEdited, considered a study by the Center of Everyday Lives of Families at UCLA, that followed 32 families for four years published in the WSJ article, “The Stuff of Families.” The study suggested that Americans used only a portion of their living space. The image below published in this WSJ article shows that the kitchen and family room were the most used area, while the formal living room and dining room were rarely used.

Try to determine which areas of your home are the most important to you, and focus on these during your house hunt. Sure, the home may have a beautiful dining room, but if you rarely entertain it might be wasted space unless you use it or it can double as an office for instance.

4. Be careful what you wish for (in terms of storage space). Extra spaces might yield more clutter over time or be useful if you have particular items to store. The important thing is to be intentional about your choice- not assume more storage space is better, but determine your particular needs.

5.Consider the benefits of a smaller house payment. Consider what goals you have outside of a house purchase. Do you want to travel, cook, be outdoors/indoors more often? These goal might be different or change over the lifecourse. Considering this ahead of time might allow more room for planned expenses with a smaller house budget, or more intentional use of space.

Do extra spaces and square footage provide more utility?

Perhaps too small of spaces can yield management issues and too large can prove useless. Perhaps the most important aspect is the intentional use of space, layout, flow and usability. Considering creative ways to approach the use of space might prove a good compromise and solution.

References:
Friedlander, D., LifeEdited Blog, “Residential Behavioral Architecture 101” Accessed at http://lifeedited.com/residential-behavioral-architecture-101/

Perry, M. J., AEI Blog, “New US homes today are 1,000 square feet larger than in 1973 and living space per person has nearly doubled” Accessed at http://www.aei.org/publication/new-us-homes-today-are-1000-square-feet-larger-than-in-1973-and-living-space-per-person-has-nearly-doubled/
Wall Street Journal, “The Stuff of Families”July 6, 2012, Accessed at EThttps://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304708604577504672437027392

Miriam Clifford wrote about minimalism at thejourneytominimalism.com and travel on, www.SundayDrivesUSA.com about family-friendly road trips across the USA.

Originally published at www.thejourneytominimalism.com on July 3, 2018.