The Benefits of Buying a Smaller House in a Larger City

You can find a 5,000 square foot home with five bedrooms and five bathrooms for under $250,000 — if you are willing to live in West Virginia. As the cost of housing climbs, large homes within most buyers’ price ranges seem to slip farther and farther into the country. What about buying a smaller house ?

Fortunately, you don’t need a huge property to survive. In fact, there is a good argument to be made that living in a smaller space closer to the city is a much more rewarding lifestyle than having too many bedrooms so far from the community you love. If you are trying to determine whether you can compromise space for city living, read on to learn some serious benefits of smaller homes in urban environments.

Buying a Smaller House Means Easier Maintenance

To start, let’s tackle the issue of owning a smaller home. On one hand, smaller properties don’t give you as much area to expand into, meaning you will need to be conscious of your buying habits and avoid accumulating too much stuff or stuff that is too big for your space. 

On the other hand, smaller homes are much, much easier to maintain than huge houses in the country. With less square footage, you will spend less time per week cleaning and managing clutter. If you have outdoor space, you might not need to spend more than an hour or two per month on yardwork simply because there isn’t that much to do. As a result, you will spend less money on maintenance equipment and supplies. Also, you will have more time to devote to enjoyable activities. We can think more about being with friends and family, traveling or seeing the city. 

In fact, you could outsource your home maintenance to gain even greater benefit. Many personal finance experts advocate acquiring home services if your job is high-paying and demanding of your time. Because your home is on the smaller side, regular home and yard services will be more affordable than you think, and because you live in the city, companies will compete in price and options to provide exactly the services you need.

Closer to Necessities 

Speaking of services you need, the city can typically provide more than the country can. Unless you are committed to the homesteading life, living in rural areas can be extremely inconvenient. We have to consider that necessities aren’t always close by. Some country dwellers have to drive upwards of 30 minutes to reach the nearest grocery store, and other essentials like hospitals, schools and gyms can be equally far. In contrast, city homes are rarely more than a few blocks from essentials like food, health services, education centers and the like. If you still need extra storage, Los Angeles public storage solutions should cover it; all cities have plenty of storage units available to ease that burden.

What’s more, what the city lacks in solitude, it makes up for in security. Though cities are often portrayed as havens of crime, research shows that urban areas are much, much safer than rural communities. If you are injured in the city, you are likely to find help almost immediately. Although in the country, you could suffer for hours or days before you can reach someone for help. Plus, you can sign your home up for security services if you live in the city, so you can gain access to instant response from authorities.

Smarter Investment : Buying a smaller house

In real estate, the most important factor to consider is: location, location, location. You can buy the biggest home in the country and outfit it with the most luxurious features. But if it isn’t in a desirable area, you will essentially eat all of your investment. You may say that typical homebuyers want to live in central locations where they have access to basic comforts. Although, more and more homebuyers are specifically interested in the unique amenities of urban areas. As a result, property values in cities continue to skyrocket. Meanwhile, values for country homes might plateau not long after construction.

Ultimately, every homebuyer needs to decide for themselves what is the most important feature of their future property. If you are willing to compromise space for easier and more enjoyable home ownership, a small house in the city is the right choice for you.