Small House vs Bigger – Which Is Better?

I’m so used to moving – and mostly not by choice – that I have a WEALTH of information to compare small and larger houses….

It is always a bit of a shock for people to find out that I have been a casual mover since I was born. My family and I have moved countries more than once, and when we did settle in just one of those at the age of around 6 years old (on my part), the average of our moving houses if you were to spread it all out would be every three years. A new house every three years you say? Why yes, yes I did. When it was my turn to finally move out on my own, I vowed that it would NOT be anything like that… and I was right. I’m actually worse.

Over the past two years I have moved three times…. I know, I know. I’ve been implied a frustration with moving so often and here I am being three times as bad as my family, but there have been reasons I assure you! Whatever those very long and complicated stories may be, the upside is that I know what it’s like to live in a bigger house that echos, and a smaller one that doesn’t have many walls separating the bedroom and living room. So, which was better? Let’s delve in shall we!

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My first place was a studio unit. It was larger than you’re probably imagining of course, because it was the length of a two bedroom apartment… it just wasn’t a fan of walls. Though technically a studio, it had a separate kitchen and bathroom, an entry way that was walled in but unusable for every day furniture, and the only wardrobe was a cupboard that was under the stairs that led to said apartment above.

It was small and cozy, and I loved it. Yes my bed was in the middle of the living room (well, off to the side but you get the idea), but it was a lovely place that was pretty new, close to my family, and AMAZINGLY cheap! Too good to be true however, I had to leave (I’ll spare you the very long and complicated story for now and just get to the good stuff). My next property was a three bedroom, double story townhouse with a single garage. It had a backyard (complete with green slime that grew under the water thingy – I couldn’t be bothered researching the real name… maybe a tank?), a kitchen in the middle of two small living spaces and an ensuite in the biggest bedroom. It was also echoey, annoying to clean and kind of lonely for just one person.

Why didn’t I get roommates? The same question my parents often asked me, but it was never something I was interested in. Why didn’t I pick a smaller house? Another good question, and the answer is that it was the only property around that was not going to cost me an arm and a leg each month, and was also still close to everything in my life. So, I went from a small place, to a big one that echoed with each step.

Then, my next place – this time it wasn’t anywhere NEAR my family and friends. It was an hour away (at least), in a city apartment. One bedroom and pretty small, with a car space that you had to pay extra for on top of rent, and still cost an arm and a leg. If I look at the houses that I’ve lived in myself (not counting the various with my family… after all many bodies in a larger house make it feel more cramped), I can categorically decide which I think is better – bigger or smaller houses.

The answer, is smaller. I know, I know it makes it unlikely that I would ever buy a five bedroom mansion for just myself – though I will admit it’s fun to look at those online! What would happen if you’re a millionaire with a small three bedroom apartment… would people even know that you were rich? I wouldn’t care… not that I have millions in the bank, but a girl can still dream. Here are my reasons…

• When you live by yourself, too many rooms are lonely – it reminds you of who isn’t there, and the space becomes larger than your friends and family could ever fill
• When you have to clean the house yourself, it is an almost impossible job – even considering cleaning a large house on your own properly is almost overwhelming. It was often that I would have to do a big spring clean rather than a simple Saturday go around… and it wasn’t fun when you finally got around the stuff that gathers in a normal house when you don’t clean
• The stairs were annoying as anything, especially when I hurt my ankle and could barely get up there – I know that isn’t always a factor, but it was for my houses
• When it’s hot, upstairs is a sauna – and not in a good way! Sleeping on the couch downstairs with enough aircon to cool you but not too much to send your power bill through the roof was horrendous

I know houses are going to work for some and not others. If you have a big family, of course you need more space than those with a smaller one. I am just me, after all. So a smaller house fits better. I don’t need loads of furniture and stuff to be happy, so why not have a place that can only fit less? Why not cull the clutter that I don’t use and fit into a smaller place? Being in a cozy apartment – or even the solidly sized studio – makes you feel secure and like the space is just right for you. It’s not too much, or not too little – as I have seen in SOME studio or one bedroom apartments over the last two years.

So there you have it, my view on smaller and bigger houses. A lot of it will come down to what you can afford without going bankrupt, and how many bodies you gotta cram in there, but that’s the verdict.

Do you think you’d rather a bigger or smaller house? Share in the comments! 

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