More so than any other group, small houses are the perfect match for singles. Especially for those who choose to remain single or childless if coupled.
Small houses not only fit the single lifestyle, but they also offer a much better living environment than the typical single’s residence of a condo or apartment.
Many singles can’t afford a traditional size house, don’t want the responsibilities of taking care of it, and/or they don’t want to have such a large percentage of their savings and salary committed to a mortgage. Most singles want to have ample funds and time for dating, travel, sports, and social activities. They don’t want to be chained to a big house that eats up a large portion of their money and time.
A small, much less expensive house is an attractive alternative. No more noise coming through the seemingly paper-thin walls of the adjoining apartment or condo. No more lugging your groceries 300 yards from your parking space to your kitchen. No more apartment managers dictating what you can and can’t do in and with your home.
With a small house, you select the exterior color. You decide how you want the landscaping to look. You choose how the interior spaces are configured. With a condo or an apartment, none of this is possible.
Up until relatively recent times, your only choice was to buy an old fixer-upper small house. That’s all changed now with the growing small house community. This community not only includes small house enthusiasts but it also small house designers and builders! This is a game changer for people who want to own a house but don’t want the big mortgage, steep utility bills, high property taxes, and large time commitment to maintain it.
How small does the house need to be to dramatically lower the cost to buy and maintain it? Before I tell you, you’ll need to put aside those images you have in your mind of the ideal house. Those images were put there through repeated exposure since birth to home builder ads and movies, television shows, and commercials depicting the perfect home.
A small house is in the 400 to 1,000 square foot range. The low-end would be a studio style house, which is very efficient. You could go even smaller if you want. There are also tiny houses in the 250 to 400 square foot range and micro tiny houses in the 75 to 250 square foot range. These are ultra-cute.
So what are the advantages to a small house? There are many advantages and they fit the singles lifestyle perfectly. They cost much less to buy. They cost much less to power, heat, and cool. Their tax assessment and bill is much less. And they take much less time to clean and maintain.
What do you get by owning a small house over a conventional size house? More money, more time, and more freedom! More money to create financial independence, decorate your house, entertain, travel, and anything else you want. More time for hobbies, exercise, mediation, clubs, family, friends, and anything else that comes to mind. And more freedom to do the things you love!
To get more of what you want and need, buy small to live large.
For more information and pictures, check out the “Related Articles” below and Guru Habits’ small and tiny houses article series.