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retirement

Why I Chose A Small House

03/02/2017 By Tahni

The Big House

I chased the American dream of the big house and got exactly what I wished for and worked hard to achieve – over 4000 square feet of an American dream.

Right away, deep down, I knew it was too much house. My husband, John, and I tried selling it just a year after we bought it. We had a sign in our yard for two years and then the housing crisis hit. We decided to hunker down and make the best of it. We did for 11 years.

I did love my big house. We raised three kids in it, hosted oodles of parties, always had room for guests to stay and even had my daughter’s wedding in the living room. But, it takes a lot to live in a big house. It uses a lot of utilities, it is a lot to keep clean, it is more to maintain, and it is a lot to fill up – and fill it up we did – with lots and lots of stuff.

Tiny Houses

Somewhere along the way John and I became obsessed with the tiny house movement and the ideals that come with it. Fewer bills, less stuff, more time, and more freedom appealed to us. We seriously considered going that route. We purchased books, I started a Pinterest board, and I subscribed to tiny house YouTube videos.

In 2009 we purchased a used motorhome to tour the United States for a month and then ended up keeping it for six years because we enjoyed the freedom and relaxation that travel provided. It had everything we needed but was basic and simple. We loved that. Could we really live tiny?

Small Houses

Why did I feel like I had to live either big or tiny? Somewhere in the middle between 400 and 1000 square feet is small. Small house living offers the best of both worlds. This seemed to be the answer for us. There were a few factors that lead us toward small.

The child. I watch all of the tiny house shows so I know you can live in them with children. It can be done. We are still raising our youngest, who is in her teens. She is an artist. Canvases, paint, knitting needles cover her bedroom floor. And, of course, she produces laundry. That stuff needs to be kept somewhere. In a small house, she can have a room of her own.

The parties. Cooking and throwing parties is my way of showing love. Spending time with family, friends, and neighbors is a major part of living. My knack for design spills over into my cooking and entertaining. In a small house, I can have a full-size kitchen with (some) room for guests to roam.

The garden. I am passionate about growing my own food. Moving dirt, pulling weeds, planning how much I need for preserving, and dreaming about the meals I will make with the harvest grounds me and makes me happy. In a small house, I can have my own plot of dirt to garden and plant fruit trees.

The Move

Sometimes, life ends up shoving you into a decision before you are actually ready for it. In late 2014, John was offered a job in the same California town we had left 10 years prior.

Many late night talks, early morning walks, and notebooks full of pro and con lists were made.  Nine months later we broke the news of our relocation and a year later we moved. This was a really good time to downsize.

We were going to buy smaller. And we did. It took us 6 months of hunting, bidding, and patience to land in our 920 square-foot urban cottage.

I would like to inspire others who want to downsize or who already live small. Having a full satisfied life doesn’t have to be restricted by the size of your house. Do you live small? Do you want to live small? Share with me why in the comments. I would love to hear from you.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: big life small house, cottage, downsizing, living a big life in a small house, retirement, small house, small house living, tiny house, urban, urban cottage, urban cottage living

6 Houses We Missed Out On – Part 1

01/15/2017 By Tahni

We found our house by a miracle thank you to our friend, Jodi.  Be sure to read more about her role in the story at the end of part two. It is a competitive world baby! When you are determined to live in a popular neighborhood, and you aren’t an investor that can drop cash, you need to stick to your guns and not give up.

We almost strayed from our goal at one point. We house-hunted for eight months and two of those we were all living apart in three different towns. I think shopping for a house when you are tired and desperate is like shopping for groceries hungry. Stay focused, stay focused. Here is a list of the houses we missed out on before our urban cottage came along.

Small But Super Cute

This is the first house we wanted. John started traveling one week per month four months before we moved, to transition into his new job. So, house-hunting began without me. Our teenage daughter went with him on the visit where they toured this house. They both fell in love it. The house had been listed for months and months and months, so we thought by the time our house sold it would be here waiting for us. Whoops! Sold. Darn it.

What I loved about it: it’s cute. I mean, just look at it. The flower beds, the arch, the lap siding, the paned windows. It had a white kitchen. The bathroom was black and white. The backyard was big.

Why I’m happy we missed out: the second bedroom really wasn’t a bedroom. It was a room attached to the living space that you had to walk through to get to the bathroom. It didn’t even have a closet. Though it was a Jack and Jill bathroom with the master bedroom, this floor plan wouldn’t give our teenage daughter enough privacy.

The House On The Hill

Our big house in Michigan was in a sale contract and John looked at this house the day it hit the MLS. It sits on THE main street in town, and just up the hill a block from the coffee shop, the yummy eats, cute stores, and street fairs. Because we had just gone into contract on the sale of the big house, we hadn’t gotten pre-approved yet. We got that ball rolling and two days after the house on the hill was listed – sold.

What I loved about it; it had a fireplace–something on my wish list that I don’t have in my urban cottage. It had wood floors throughout. The kitchen was a hot mess. Well, there really wasn’t a kitchen – starting from zero, in my favorite room of the house, got me super excited. It had a garage.

Why I’m happy we missed out: I can’t think of anything. I think this would have been a great house for us.

The Money Maker

This was the one that got away. We were under contract for over a month on this one. It was $100k more than we were willing to spend but, it had a money maker attached. This cutie was rumored to be an old country store in the late 1800’s. It was (mostly) updated and had a studio apartment in the back. We had planned to use the studio as our moneymaker to offset the outrageous mortgage. I was really excited to throw my entrepreneurial spirit into our new backyard business! Forty-five days into the sale, we were at the appraisal stage and it did not appraise–by a lot! The seller would not budge on the price. Bye bye, to the business idea (and cute house).

What I loved about it: the front porch was nice and deep, perfect for a big ceiling fan and lemonade with friends and neighbors. The backyard had a ton of potential. I had already mapped out where to throw parties and where I could have had my garden.

Why I’m happy we missed out: the price. Though starting and running a new business would be fun for me, it really was way too much of a mortgage for us. I’m happy I don’t have that stress in my life today.

The Pool House

Right after we dropped out of the money maker, the hunt was back on. John took a tour of this house as soon as it hit the market, and I toured it online from the other side of the country. There was so much potential in this place. We could see it everywhere. We knew that the house on the hill sold for a good chunk above asking, so we decided to offer $10k over asking with a personal letter and a picture of the family. We were outbid by $1k. Sold. Darn it, again!

What I loved about this house. After we punched out a wall, it would have had a really nice, big, open-concept living space. It had an addition above the garage that would have been perrrrrfect for our teenage daughter. It had an outdoor fireplace.

Why I’m happy we missed out. It had a pool. You may think this is a bonus, but we’ve had a pool in the past. It was great when the kids were growing up, but it takes maintenance, money, and backyard space–where I could have my garden to grow food instead.

There are two more houses we missed out on in part two of the story.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: big life small house, downsizing, housing market, living a big life in a small house, preparing for downsizing, real estate market, retirement, small house, small house living, small space, urban cottage, urban cottage living

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