Note: this is a guest post and consideration was received for its
publication. Creative commons licensed photograph by Jeremy Levine
design.
Compared to other markets, finding spacious and affordable
housing in Denver isn’t that difficult. Still, there are a
lot of benefits to living in a smaller space. Financially
speaking, smaller spaces are cheaper. They also force you to
evaluate not just what you already own but things you think you
might want to own—which keeps you from spending money on space
suckers on a whim (another financial boon).
How smaller spaces are cheaper:
- Smaller spaces simply cost less across the board than larger
spaces. - A small home is cheaper to insure.
- Smaller spaces are easier to heat and cool, so your HVAC
system doesn’t need to work so hard or use as much power. - Smaller spaces are easier to light properly (and natural
light goes further within them) so your electric bill will be
lower.
You can see why it’s financially beneficial to go smaller,
especially when you’re concerned about your financial health.
At the same time, it’s understandable that you’re attached to the
things that you’ve collected. You worked hard to bring those
collections together. You’re proud of them. You don’t necessarily
want to give them away or sell them or toss them out. So what do
you do?
1. Figure Out Some Creative Storage Options
We’ve talked about how to
make the most of the space in your bedroom. Apply these same
concepts to the rest of your house. You’ll be amazed at how many
things can double as storage containers (and artfully so at
that)!
2. Store Things Off Site
Do you really need to keep your Christmas decorations on hand all
year round? Do you really need to keep every single book, movie,
vase, art print, tchotchke, etc within sight at all times? Do you
really need your winter clothing to be taking up space in your
closet in the summer? These are examples of things that can all
be stored off site in a storage unit. Storage units have come a
long way from the dank holes they used to be a decade ago. Now
they are affordable, secure and most are even climate controlled
(check
unclebobs.com for deals in your area). This is important for
an area like Denver, where we get all of the seasons and they are
all intense.
Either way, you are probably going to have to
pare down, at least a little bit. Go through your home and
look at everything you own. Consider each item carefully. If you
haven’t used it in the last twelve months and it doesn’t have
significant sentimental value, you can probably get rid of it and
not miss it too much.
Instead of simply tossing out the things you decide not to keep,
though, why not sell them? Put them up for sale online. Have a
yard sale. Use the proceeds from the sale to finance your storage
unit and a few of the artful storage containers we talked about
at the beginning of this article.
The truth is that living a comfortable lifestyle doesn’t require
lots of space or lots of things. If you’re creative you can make
a small space feel and function the same way as a large space.