Ahhh...the empty nest. At first, it's bliss. You finally have privacy! You no longer have to stock the fridge with pizza rolls! Your laundry and dishwashing tasks are cut in half! Soon, though, you notice that your voice is echoing through the empty halls and your spare rooms are growing spider webs. Is it time to consider downsizing?
Downsizing doesn't have to mean moving to a patio home community or squeezing into a 200-square-foot tiny house...unless you want it to, of course. And downsizing is also not just for empty nesters. More and more people are realizing that having less actually gives them more.
Thinking about getting a bigger place instead of downsizing? Download our checklist to learn about The Top Ten Reasons to Upsize Your Home here!
If you've been toying with the idea of moving into a smaller space, consider these advantages of downsizing:
- Less maintenance--Do you love picking leaves out of your pool every day? Is your idea of a relaxing afternoon mowing, edging and weeding a two-acre lot? Does cleaning the second-story gutters give you goose bumps? Then maybe you should hang on to your big house with its big chores. If not, you may enjoy a smaller home with an even smaller honey-do list.
- Less cleaning--One dirty bathroom vs. four? Um, yes please!
- More time--This is what you get when you add up the two earlier bullet points. The gift of more time is precious and can be exchanged for family activities, relaxing, hobbies...you name it.
- Smaller ecological footprint--You don't have to install a composting toilet to make an environmental impact. A smaller home will (should!) use less electricity and gas and produce less waste than a larger home. Plus, a smaller home may offer the opportunity for innovative energy and water savings, like solar panels or rain barrels.
- Less "stuff"--Downsizing often means no more junk rooms, extra closets, basements or backyard sheds--just a few of the places that tend to accumulate our unused or unwanted possessions. The move to a smaller space necessitates paring down to just the important things, a process that has its own therapeutic advantages (have you heard of the "Kondo effect?").
- More money/less debt--Not only should you realize some extra disposable income from the sale of your extra belongings, but exchanging a larger home for a smaller model usually means a smaller mortgage (or none at all). Your extra money can be used to pay down debt, travel, or save for retirement.
While we can't help you with yard work or bathroom chores, Bank Independent's Mortgage Lending team CAN help you with a low-rate mortgage for your new home. Click the button below to request a call from one of our friendly Mortgage Originators.
