In November 2020 we published a post called “What’s It Like To Downsize” after living in our smaller house for six months. That post covered many first impressions—the benefits of owning less and saving money, and the early challenges like paring down and finding storage. We still stand by everything in that piece, but now that we’ve been in our downsized home for over 4.5 years, we have additional perspective on what long-term downsizing actually feels like. Here’s what we’ve learned.
We won’t rehash the full story of why we downsized (you can find the full explanation in our original post), but the highlights are:
- We moved from a 3,150 sq. ft. home in suburban Richmond, Virginia to a 1,400 sq. ft. home a few blocks from the Gulf of Mexico.
- Our current house has six rooms (and just one bathroom).
- The lot is about one-tenth the size of our previous yard.
- We don’t have a garage, attic, or basement, but we do have a pool, hot tub, and firepit.
- We wanted walkability—we can now walk to shops, restaurants, and the beach.
- Our family downsizing motto: “live with less & be outside more.”
After 4.5 years we can confidently say downsizing was the right decision for our family. We spend far less time, money, and energy on homeownership tasks—maintenance, renovations, furnishing, and cleaning—which has freed us up to focus on family, hobbies, and a better work-life balance. The financial benefits have been meaningful, too: despite living in a warmer climate, our smaller home is easier and cheaper to heat and cool. We shared detailed savings calculations in our original recap.
We’ve now lived in this house longer than any of our previous homes, so downsizing isn’t a temporary experiment for us. If it hadn’t been a good fit, we would have made changes by now.
After nearly five years of living smaller, two recurring observations stand out. They almost contradict each other, but both are true:
- It’s easy to forget you downsized.
- It’s easy to be reminded you downsized.
Both points are largely mental and relate to how you adjust and compare. Many people who have downsized mention the same mix of feelings, so we’ll explain each one.
Forgetting You Downsized
Most days it’s easy to forget we ever lived in a much larger house. After years of living in 1,400 square feet, that size has become normal. The transition eventually stops feeling unusual. That normalization can make this topic harder to describe because the things that once felt notable become background life.
Why point out how forgettable downsizing becomes? A few reasons.
1. Transitions Are Temporary
First, if you’re in the middle of a similar move, it may help to know the hard parts usually ease with time. Like other life transitions—starting college, a new job, or having a baby—the adjustment phase is often the most difficult. With patience, you’ll find a new normal.
For us, some adjustments took a few years. After moving, it took about two to three years to finalize furniture arrangements in awkward spaces and to implement the storage solutions we needed, like built-in closets or cabinets. There was an initial sticking point while we figured out how to store certain items, but once those systems were in place, things became routine. If you ask us now what gave us the most trouble, we might need a moment to remember.
2. It Was The Right Move For Us
Second, the fact that downsizing feels ordinary now reassures us that we made the right choice. Downsizing isn’t a universal solution, but for our family it has worked beautifully. We still host guests—the pool and proximity to the beach are big draws—and we spend far more time outdoors. We clean the house together on Sundays in about 30 minutes, and having fewer rooms has many practical perks despite the single bathroom.
Smaller homes require accepting some limits, but limits often force creative solutions and reduce the urge to accumulate. For example, when Sherry wanted large skeleton decorations one Halloween, she considered storing them in crawlspace but ultimately bought smaller, foldable skeletons that fit into a basket indoors. The kids love repositioning them each year, and the small change feels like a clever pivot rather than a sacrifice.
There’s also a peaceful clarity in saying “that won’t fit” and moving on—often with money left in our pockets. The longer we live here, the less space limitations distract from the benefits of downsizing.
Being Reminded You Downsized
On the flip side, there are frequent moments that remind us we chose a different path than many people. Those reminders are a natural part of living smaller.
Often the reminder comes in conversation—someone will say they could never give up a guest room or a double garage. Other times it comes when visiting a friend’s large home and noticing their dozens of closets or a huge laundry room. That’s not a bad feeling; it’s simply an awareness that other lifestyles exist.
Comparison is part of homeownership for everyone—whether you live in a small house or a large one. Seeing bigger houses can stir brief envy or curiosity, but those moments don’t invalidate what we’ve chosen. If you’re thinking about downsizing, pay attention to whether those feelings are fleeting or deep. Temporary curiosity is different from a persistent desire to change course.
When we tour big open houses, we enjoy the inspiration and then return happily to our cozy home. For us, living with less requires less money and less time spent cleaning, maintaining, and working—so we have more time for family, friends, and the outdoors. Those priorities keep our choice grounded.
Our neighborhood’s wide range of house sizes—from small cottages to multimillion-dollar waterfront homes—could have made us question our decision, but it hasn’t. If you’re prone to house-size envy, a neighborhood with dramatic size differences might be a harder environment for downsizing. Know yourself when choosing where to live.
Would We Still Choose Downsizing?
Absolutely yes. After nearly five years we’ve only grown more confident it was the right move. In our earlier recap we focused on the logistics and finances of downsizing, but with more time we can describe the mental benefits as well. The novelty has long worn off, and what remains is a steady satisfaction with the trade-offs we made.
Simplifying and paring down has become a habit; it feels rewarding rather than limiting. Even the occasional urge for something larger—like oversized Halloween decorations—usually finds a simple, creative solution. Downsizing has given us clarity about what matters: more time, fewer obligations, and more life outside our walls.
More Posts About Downsizing
If you want to read more about our downsizing journey, check out these posts:
- Making The Decision To Downsize
- We Did It! The Realities of Downsizing
- The Rooms We Don’t Miss After Downsizing
- 4 People + 1 Bathroom: How We Make It Work
- 6 Smart Layout Features For A Smaller Home
- Tips for What To Get Rid Of When Downsizing