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The short version – Can you maintain a minimalist lifestyle and live in a big house (>3,000 sf)? It seems that the minimalist movement is obsessed with “tiny homes” or living with large families in smaller homes (+/1,000 sf). It is almost like a badge of honor for the smaller your space.
The longer version - I know there are many aspiring minimalists on here, so this question seems appropriate… I am not a minimalist and do not want to be a minimalist (as far as counting the number of items I own or doing without needed items just for the sake of being minimalist). I have, however, adopted the idea of becoming an “intentionalist” after reading many minimalist blogs and trying out their practices. The idea is that we would be intentional about the items in/out of our home, as well as our schedule, and not just mindless consumption or consumerism.
That said, we are looking to purchase a home. We are soon to be a family of 5 with frequent house guests. We are finding that either the houses are very small/old (deemed tear downs), they are varying larger sizes with weird layouts due to being renovated and added onto over the years, or new/newer builds. The new/newer builds are attractive because the layouts are more efficient and there are often more open spaces. We are leaning towards a new/newer build for this reason – the problem is that all the newer homes are (or at least to me seem) HUGE and are making me wonder – can you maintain a minimalist lifestyle in a big house (>3,000 sf)? We have a showing for a 3 story, 5BR/4BA, 2 car garage, 3500 sf house next week and although it has a very efficient layout, it is giving me anxiety just thinking about it. Husband is not a minimalist (but is slowly seeing the benefits of living with less) and does not think that a house this large will be a big deal – “this is the time of our life when we need a bigger house, when kids are growing and lots of family visiting.”
I like the idea of having a larger space that is free of clutter and that it will feel more open, spacious, inviting, and peaceful. However, I am wondering is that realistic? Will a large home just naturally become full? Will I go crazy with constant decluttering and cleaning and maintaining a home this size? I just wish that the current trend was 2,000+/- sf builds, but that is just not the case. I can see the first recommendation being – “buy your own lot and build your own house.” That will not likely work in our case, as the developers are buying up all the lots before they go on the market, the stress of home building, and concerns over resale of a “small” house in a market where the people want these big houses.
The longer version - I know there are many aspiring minimalists on here, so this question seems appropriate… I am not a minimalist and do not want to be a minimalist (as far as counting the number of items I own or doing without needed items just for the sake of being minimalist). I have, however, adopted the idea of becoming an “intentionalist” after reading many minimalist blogs and trying out their practices. The idea is that we would be intentional about the items in/out of our home, as well as our schedule, and not just mindless consumption or consumerism.
That said, we are looking to purchase a home. We are soon to be a family of 5 with frequent house guests. We are finding that either the houses are very small/old (deemed tear downs), they are varying larger sizes with weird layouts due to being renovated and added onto over the years, or new/newer builds. The new/newer builds are attractive because the layouts are more efficient and there are often more open spaces. We are leaning towards a new/newer build for this reason – the problem is that all the newer homes are (or at least to me seem) HUGE and are making me wonder – can you maintain a minimalist lifestyle in a big house (>3,000 sf)? We have a showing for a 3 story, 5BR/4BA, 2 car garage, 3500 sf house next week and although it has a very efficient layout, it is giving me anxiety just thinking about it. Husband is not a minimalist (but is slowly seeing the benefits of living with less) and does not think that a house this large will be a big deal – “this is the time of our life when we need a bigger house, when kids are growing and lots of family visiting.”
I like the idea of having a larger space that is free of clutter and that it will feel more open, spacious, inviting, and peaceful. However, I am wondering is that realistic? Will a large home just naturally become full? Will I go crazy with constant decluttering and cleaning and maintaining a home this size? I just wish that the current trend was 2,000+/- sf builds, but that is just not the case. I can see the first recommendation being – “buy your own lot and build your own house.” That will not likely work in our case, as the developers are buying up all the lots before they go on the market, the stress of home building, and concerns over resale of a “small” house in a market where the people want these big houses.
The ONLY reason I haven't made us sell it and move is because the back part of the house has a 350 sq ft bedroom/bathroom that we rent as an airbnb and makes a nice bit of extra income (~12k/yr) with minimal effort on our part.
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