Top 10 Reasons to Downsize

Gone are the home buying days that trended toward purchasing McMansions. A large house used to be a sign of wealth and achievement. No longer do people hold their measuring stick up to the size of a home. Now more than ever before, many home owners look toward efficiency, functionality, and ease of use of their home. Many see a home as a gathering place for family and friends and a true place to live. Not just exist. Here are 10 great reasons why you should consider downsizing when searching for your next new home.1. Family Bonding - In large homes it's easy to retreat to completely different areas and never interact with your spouse or your family. When living in a smaller home, more spaces are shared, which offers time to catch up and stay connected. 2. Reduce and Declutter - A small house means less stuff. It can be very freeing to unclutter your life by ditching items that are not important yet just take up valuable mental and physical space. 3. Easy to Clean - The larger the home the more time spent keeping it clean, chasing dust bunnies, moping and sweeping endless floors, and sanitizing numerous bathrooms. A small home can cut your cleaning time down to size and make room for other more fun and rewarding activities. 4. Smaller Carbon Footprint - We at Ideal Homes are all about our energy saving initiatives. A small yet efficient floor plan keeps your impact on the planet small as well. 5. Lower Maintenance - As with anything, the larger the space the more time, energy and money it takes to maintain it. By reducing your home size, you reduce your maintenance schedule as well. 6. Less Debt and Risk - Many homeowners mistakenly push out to the limits to which they qualify in order to get the biggest house they can. This can open them up to more risk by creating a balancing act. Any little change in income could add stress on affording the home. A smaller home means smaller long-term debt and risk. 7. Less Overall Expense - Not only do you have your monthly mortgage, taxes, and insurance, but you also have a variety of other bills, both fixed and unexpected. The smaller the home, the smaller the heating and cooling bill, tax bill, insurance and more. 8. Less Expense and Time on Decorating - Smaller homes require less time and expense spent on painting, hanging curtains and blinds, and picking out new furniture. And it naturally lends itself to less knickknacks. 9. Mentally Releasing - Mentally you will release yourself from the need for stuff when you only have so many places to put things. Our stuff owns us, and by reducing the size of your home, you reduce the ability to accumulate items that you will feel beholding to. 10. Easier To Sell - A small house is not only more affordable for you, but it will also be more affordable to the next person who wants to buy your home. A larger of percentage of the population also looks for more affordable homes hence there will be a larger pool of people in the market for your home if you ever want to sell. These reasons will help when evaluating any home purchase and help you see if it's the right home and size for you