Small house / simple living. Please talk to me about your experience and advice!

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I have my heart set on living in a certain area and it's becoming very apparent that my budget won't buy me much house. I also kinda want a more simple lifestyle and a big motivator for moving house has been to have less Stuff.

However, the realities are starting to feel quite daunting. My main questions are:

• How do I cut down on clothing? Day-to-day I wear a very limited wardrobe, but I also have a lot of out-of-season clothes and clothes for "special occasions" like beach holidays and funerals. I am not really in to shoes, but I still need wellies and trainers and sandals and shoes for work, hiking boots... How do I cut down on clothing and shoes?
• Hobby stuff?? Camping equipment, bread maker, wet suits and body boards, huge collection of Lego - do I just need to accept that if I've not used these in a decade couple of years I probably need to get rid?
• Toiletries and cleaning stuff that I've bought because I saw a bargain? Do I just stop grabbing a good deal from now on?
• Books, books, books.

Is it just you? How small a house are we talking?

What about putting excess into storage close to new house for a limited time and sort there once you know more what you will and won’t use, can/cannot keep.

Is it just you? How small a house are we talking? If it's just a one- or two-bedroomed house it will be just me and DP and I will have separate houses. If we find something we can afford together it'll need to be three-bedroomed because he is not a minimalist.
With my budget I've only seen "two-up, two-down" kind of houses.

Do the Kondo method on your stuff to see what you want to keep. It might turn out you actually don't want most of that stuff anymore so you can get rid of it.

Also, how small is the house? Unless it's the size of a shed you should be able to have enough storage to keep everything you need. Look up camper van refurbishments and tiny home videos on YouTube. They often have a lot of fantastic space saving storage solutions you could copy in your new home.

I am a book lover but if it’s between my books and living in my dream location, the books will go. They can always be rebought or acquired digitally

Clothes - vacuum bags in wardrobes or under the bed

What about putting excess into storage close to new house for a limited time and sort there once you know more what you will and won’t use, can/cannot keep.

So, I'm at this stage now and in two-minds. I am managing absolutely fine without a lot of it (mostly furniture).
It's the stuff mentioned above that is the puzzle. I can't get rid of my clothes just because I won't be wearing them for six months. Stuff like camping equipment is hard because it's emotional. I feel I ought to be an outdoorsy young woman, but I'm now a middle-aged woman who prefers a hotel.

He’s going to need an entire bedroom for his stuff?

What’s wrong with the loft and a shed??

Our last house was very small; I would never do it again. It wasn't so much having less stuff that bothered me; I hate clutter and don't keep stuff for the sake of it, but it was still a squeeze. Three people in that house was a crowd, and cooking was a nightmare because of a lack of worktop space. The spare bedroom wasn't even big enough for a bed, so it became a catch-all for anything that needed storing.
It wasn't a happy experience for me.

I think a 2 up 2 down house is plenty big enough for one person. You can declutter but I don’t think there’s any need for you to be extremely ruthless. You will have space.

It sounds like you’re already thinking about the right things. A simpler lifestyle usually isn’t about getting rid of everything you own overnight, but about being more intentional about what actually adds value to your life.
For clothing, a good approach is to keep what you genuinely wear and set limits rather than focusing on a specific number. Seasonal items and a few occasion outfits are completely reasonable to keep. You don’t need to own only everyday clothes, just avoid keeping things that no longer fit your lifestyle.
For hobbies, I’d ask: “If I didn’t already own this, would I buy it today?” If the answer is no and it hasn’t been used in years, it may be time to let it go. That said, if something like camping gear or Lego is connected to something you truly enjoy, it’s not clutter — it’s part of your life.
With toiletries and cleaning products, the easiest change is to stop buying backups just because they’re on sale. A bargain only saves money if you were going to buy it anyway.
Books are probably the hardest one! Many people keep a small collection of favourites and donate or sell the rest. Libraries, e-books, and borrowing from friends can help reduce the need for physical storage.
A small home can be very freeing, but it helps to think of it as making space for the things you value rather than simply removing things. Good luck with your move and creating the lifestyle you want!

Books. Is there a library close by. If yes get rid of 99% of them.

Cleaning and toiletries. Just stop buying until you actually need it again.

Stuff you have used in a decade? Get rid of it.

Don't put stuff in storage. You don't need it.

Storage is not the solution..its the problem.

Do the Kondo method on your stuff to see what you want to keep. It might turn out you actually don't want most of that stuff anymore so you can get rid of it.

Honestly, I have got rid of so much to get to this stage. But what about the things I don't need this week, but will definitely want/need within the next year?

I live in a small 1 bedroom, 1 box room house with no storage.
I am pretty brutal about not having too much clutter.
Also learn to.use every available space. We have camping stuff in our boiler cupboard and a bed with drawers under for clothes

He’s going to need an entire bedroom for his stuff? What’s wrong with the loft and a shed??

Not all houses have these. And stuff for his work can't go in a shed.

This is spot on.

Thank you so much for your post. I think you've summed up the conclusion I am slowly struggling to reach. I love the simple living of a holiday lodge, but having lived it now I can't see how I can do it for long. If I was single, it'd be a different matter, but I love DP and I don't think the relationship is compatible with a small living.

These are two very different scenarios here! The starting point is surely do you actually want to live with DP, before whether you keep your old tent! three bedroom places aren't usually double the cost of two beds so this isn't adding up.... I'd go with the lovely 2 up 2 down just how I wanted it over me get rid of my stuff but by be swamped with all his junk... but that's just me.

I got rid of 2000 books when I moved. I never reread them and read about 120 a year. Once I've read a book it goes. I have 1 shelf of to be read books and had shelves built into alcoves for music/art books which I wont get rid of.
I declutter every month and love it! There is actually nothing on our lift except 4 suitcases for holidays and they are empty.
I have 2 ottoman beds , 3 wardrobes and 2 chests of drawers ( for 2 adults clothing). Nothing is vacuum packed...all accessible.

Two-up two-down is one more of each than my house 🤣🤣 Granted there's a simple basement as well.

This lady has lots of videos about decluttering, downsizing and minimalist living:

One thing I forgot to mention is, having no room for friends to visit. We simply didn't have the space for people to be comfortable.

I think a 2 up 2 down house is plenty big enough for one person. You can declutter but I don’t think there’s any need for you to be extremely ruthless. You will have space.

Yes, if I was single I would go for it. But I love DP and the simple life I hanker after doesn't come easy to him.

This pretty much mirrors my life

Thank you @Leog and @Pickmepickmepickme ! That's the practical kind of advice I was after!

If you haven't used camping stuff and lego for years you should let it go to someone else so it gets a new life. Books can go too. Make a list of them or photograph the shelves and you can easily get a 2nd hand replacement if you ever want to reread one. Out of season clothes are not a problem and can be stored easily out of the way.
I use Anglo Doorstep Collections for effortless decluttering.