Anyone ever downsized to a smaller house? how did it go?

[katierocket]

wow, can't believe how long it is since I've been on mumsnet.

Just wondering if anyone has ever moved from a bigger house into a smaller one and what it was like. We're thinking of moving but the area we'd like to move in would mean a much smaller house (the one we have now is far from huge - only 3 bedrooms - but it has lots of space downstairs and big garden). I think I'd be fine with it but wondering how the kids would fare.

Bump

ah, no one loves me any more.... either that or it's a) too dull a thread b) downsizing not a good idea!

We did it and it is great.

Kids get used to things better than we do really and it is a great excuse to get rid of things and be left with what you need.

We did it and it was bloody awful! I cannot wait to move to a bigger house again! Dd can no longer have her toys out, as she is into dolls houses/sylavnians/playmobil, and they now have to go on shelves or in the loft, she can't go in the kitchen and bake anymore as there is no room, we struggle to get the dining table up, it is awful! The house never looks tidy any more and the housework has doubled as the house gets filthy in two days (the dirt must have room to spread out in bigger houses!). I hate hate hate it, but I moved on 6 weeks notice, so maybe it is better is you are really organised, work out your storage and skip and bin everything before you move,

eek paws, that's not good.
I wonder if it's easier if you have older children. In a way although DS1 is bigger he has less stuff than DS2 (who is 2).

My boys are 4 and 6 and although I would love to have a playroom, we dont! They love sharing a room though and there is less mess and less to clean and I declutter a lot as well.

As DH says - you can only be in one place at a time so why would you need a lounge, living room and conservatory!!

yup. we went from a large 4 bed, with lots of storage n stuff, into a 2 bed. The boys share the large bedroom and we've got the small one. It's big enough for the 4 of us - and easier to clean!

You do have to be ruthless with your shit though! Only keep those things that you REALLY love and or need, because a small house gets cluttered very quickly and easily.

And if your rooms are small you have to keep furniture and walls light, or it feels very claustrophobic.

And you need to be creative with your storage, make the most use out of every nook & cranny!

Ooh, sorry, I didn't explain dimensions-we moved from a 2 bed with large lounge (so dd could keep her toys there) and a kitchen diner, to a 2 bed (but was a one bed that is now a bedroom and a boxroom) house with a lounge that fits the sofa and a kitchen that is too thin to fit a step stool for dd to stand on to bake-i.e. we have a much smaller than average two bed house-it should really be a one bed, and the kitchen should be knocked through into the lounge. That would be much easier space-wise, so if it is a home of normal proportions it should be fine.