I’ve written in a previous post about my path to downsizing my home and my life over a decade ago after reading an article on a plane flight home. You can read more about that here. Before I started living with less I read this book. It was a motivator I needed to start clearing the excess from my life. Read More Decluttering and minimising literally changed my life as dramatic as that sounds, its true and it allowed me to take things one step further and actually downsize and re-design the life I really wanted which included a smaller home in a smaller town with beautiful mountain views. I’ve spoken previously about having it all, the custom built house, the brand new kitchen, 5 bedrooms, 3 large living rooms (yes, that‘s not a typo), 2 bathrooms and to top it off a handful (I mean a lot) of new modern furniture pieces to fill my large home. This forever home also came with a bigger mortgage, bigger utilities, bigger maintenance, but who cares right... did I mention I had 3 large living rooms! A few years ago, after finding Minimalism over a decade ago, I downsized my 3,000 square feet ‘forever’ home to 1,800 square feet. Deciding to declutter and downsize my home and life after reading that above article on that plane flight was pure magic for me and I’ve found so many benefits that come along with it...some expected, and others a welcome surprise. HERE ARE SOME BENEFITS OF THE MAGIC OF DOWNSIZING YOUR HOME 1. Less Mortgage Downsizing doesn’t necessarily mean a smaller mortgage, it depends on whether you live in the city, suburbs or rural and also depends on the country you live in. But for the most part and for me, moving from the suburbs to a rural town allowed me to decrease my mortgage significantly. This one benefit alone was a game changer for me and opened up many more life and business opportunities along the way. 2. Less Utility Bills This one is a no brainer. Less space to cool and heat will always come with smaller bills. 3. Less Cleaning I don’t mind cleaning but I don’t particularly want it to consume my days like it did in a big house. With a big home, you’d be surprised how much time you actually spend cleaning it, organizing it, and try to keep it clean and tidy for when the Joneses may drop in. Downsizing allows you to use that extra time for things you enjoy, such as travel, playing with the kiddos or starting that hobby you’ve always wanted to try. 4. Less Stuff Most people that hang out in the Minimalism circles online will have read this book. I loved the philosophy behind the book but I did not follow the steps to the letter. But it’s a great read and I took a lot away from it. I highly recommend it before you start decluttering. As much as you think you need five soup spoons, three hundred books, a hundred pairs of shoes and 4 sets of bedding for each bedroom, you really don’t. Once you declutter. purge and get rid of stuff, it truly feels like a literal weight has been lifted off your shoulders and you can finally start to see a new way of living with less. 5. Less Maintenance Living in a bigger home means more time spent on the dreaded maintenance. From cleaning a big house, outdoor maintenance fixing and replacing things and the on-going upkeep, not to mention the on-going costs, can lead to a home that is very stressful. By downsizing, you’ll have less responsibility, less cleaning, less outdoor maintenance and yard work, which in turn improves your stress levels, gives you back more free time and more cash in the bank. YOUR LIFE 1. Your Schedule When you downsize all aspects of your life you will start to become more intentional with other areas of your life. One such area is your schedule. When you are on the path of decluttering and living a more simple life with less, you‘ll want to tackle that busy schedule. I wrote an earlier post on how to become less busy here. 2. Your Stress Levels When Downsizing you will instantly feel a sense of relief and calm. The stress of a higher mortgage gone, the stress of cleaning that large home constantly gone, the stress of that yard work and maintenance gone. Let that stress melt away in your smaller more manageable property. 3. Your Debt This one is a no brainer. By downsizing to a smaller place, your out-going expenses will be less. And with your new intentional mindset you’ll be saving more as you’ll no longer be shopping for entertainment. 4. More ME time There’s no doubt when you downsize your home and life you will find more magical pockets of spare time. Try to resist the urge to fill these magic moments with more busy-ness and clutter in your home and head. Take some ME time to relax and do things that make your soul sing. Whether that‘s getting a regular massage, gardening, reading, spending more time with loved ones, learning a new hobby, or just doing...well, Less.
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