{"id":1849,"date":"2023-09-21T20:56:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T20:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ssdcmoving.local\/?p=1849"},"modified":"2026-01-23T17:15:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T17:15:03","slug":"should-you-downsize-from-a-house-to-an-apartment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/should-you-downsize-from-a-house-to-an-apartment\/","title":{"rendered":"Why My Family Downsized from a House to an Apartment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p id=\"top\"><em>What\u2019s covered in this article \u2013 click on a link to learn more:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Take-It-All-Into-Consideration\">Considerations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Less-Expenses\">Less Expenses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Less-Space\">Less Space<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Less-Stuff\">Less Stuff<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Less-Maintenance\">Less Maintenance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Less-Isolation\">Less Isolation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Downsizing-is-Not-All-Sunshine-and-Rainbows\">Adjustments<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ah, the age-old question: house or apartment? As life takes us on adventurous twists and turns, every so often you might find yourself pondering whether downsizing from a house to an apartment is the right move for you, or you and your family.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only have I pondered if it could be the right move for me and my family, my wife and I eventually decided to pull the trigger, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-downsize-your-home\/\">downsizing<\/a> from a quaint, 3-bedroom country house with plenty of land, to a 2-bedroom apartment near the sea. By reliving the ups and downs of my own personal experience, I hope to provide a realistic outlook for anyone on the fence about downsizing from a house to an apartment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"take-it-all-into-consideration\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Take-It-All-Into-Consideration\">Take It All Into Consideration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you\u2019re solo, a family or a retired couple, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/selfstorage.com\/blog\/7-tips-for-downsizing-your-home\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">looking to downsize<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or moving on up, what to consider when moving looks pretty much the same. It\u2019s the ideal time to take stock of your current lifestyle and your future vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the five primary points of consideration:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finances<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Space Requirements<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintenance and Upkeep<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Location and Neighborhood<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Future Life Plans<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><a href=\"#top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-made-us-do-it\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Made Us Do It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For us and our two young daughters, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-downsize-your-home\/\">downsizing from house to apartment<\/a> was not just about changing our address; it was all about embracing a new, lower-maintenance lifestyle.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, in the effort of full transparency, we aren\u2019t what you might consider \u2018mainstream\u2019. We homeschool our girls, and years ago, we ditched our car for two electric bikes. Our kids have only been in a car a handful of times, including the actual move from house to apartment, which included a harrowing 8-hour car ride.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But our reasons for the move will be entirely relatable no matter where you fall on the spectrum. Our overarching vision for our family was, \u201clive with less to live with more,\u201d and moving to an apartment became an integral part of reaching that goal.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Downsizing? Self-Storage Can Help!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Less-Expenses\">Less Expenses = More Financial Freedom<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our case, we were already enjoying the benefits of renting, like more flexibility, lower insurance costs, and no property taxes, but we were still not enjoying many of the benefits of apartment living, mainly <a href=\"https:\/\/selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-storage-reduces-cost-of-living\/\">reducing our expenses and saving money<\/a>. Our future vision actually does include becoming a homeowner, but when we crunched the numbers, we weren\u2019t on a straightforward path to get there!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We were pleasantly surprised by how much moving from a house to an apartment has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-downsize-your-home\/\">simplified our budget. <\/a>Not only are we paying less in rent and utilities, but being within walking distance to shops and necessities has dropped our already low transportation costs, meaning we\u2019re able to redirect funds to family vacations, extracurricular activities for the girls, and investing in our future forever home.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><a href=\"#top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Less-Space\">Less Space = More Intimacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like many families, as our family grew, the space we occupied and the amount of stuff we accumulated grew, too. Throughout our relationship, we had always been on a mission of paring down and living with less, and we felt at odds with where we were, and where we wanted to be.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of you will be in the same position, staring at little-used rooms and asking yourselves, \u201cDo we really need all this space?\u201d After assuming that we\u2019ll be \u2018tripping over each other,\u2019 we\u2019ve found that less space actually equals more intimacy and togetherness.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It turns out that we\u2019re pretty good at sharing space, even if we\u2019re all in our own world, and our tight quarters have encouraged us to engage in more play with our kids, something my wife and I struggle with. In fact, our girls even enjoy sharing a bedroom. Well, mostly enjoy, but we\u2019ll take it!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Less-Stuff\">Less Stuff = More Meaning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Downsizing provides <a href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-downsize-your-home\/\">a fantastic opportunity to evaluate possessions<\/a>, bidding farewell to things that no longer serve you, and making room for what does. It might require you to lay a new framework. For us, we saw it as an invitation to curate a living space that&#8217;s efficient and perfectly tailored to us and our family. We didn\u2019t part ways with cherished belongings, just the stuff that was, well, just stuff!<\/span> It also made <a href=\"https:\/\/selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-unpack-after-moving\/\">the unpacking process <\/a>much more manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My wife also took the move as an opportunity to assess the actual value of our possessions, choosing to ditch her large set of cheap pots and pans, and instead invest in a smaller collection of heirloom kitchenware that will stand the test of time. (She also got a little obsessed with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ama.org\/marketing-news\/rise-of-the-buy-it-for-lifers\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buy It For Life movement<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but that\u2019s another story!)<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><a href=\"#top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Less-Maintenance\">Less Maintenance = More Leisure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Craving a lifestyle that\u2019s more manageable and doesn\u2019t involve endless hours of cleaning and yard work? I sure was! While I love being outdoors, we had quite a bit of land that simply required hours of maintenance every week. It had its perks \u2013 so much room for activities! \u2013 but it was a big time sink.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Apartments often come with lower maintenance demands, and with less to clean, maintain and manage, we have more time for hiking, biking, binging the latest Netflix show, and exploring our seaside neighborhood. Leisure feels like it\u2019s a more integral part of our life now, and has done wonders for my stress levels.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Less-Isolation\">Less Isolation = More Community<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Location, location, location \u2013 it&#8217;s not just a real estate mantra. When downsizing to an apartment, you have the opportunity to gain access to an exciting array of amenities right at your doorstep.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our house was a solitary island, but we\u2019re now within walking distance to the beach, our local library and plenty of shops. We\u2019ve also gained access to an on-site community pool and fitness center, and better yet, we&#8217;ve become part of a vibrant, multi-generational community, engaging in neighborly chats and sharing impromptu playdates.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><a href=\"#top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"downsizing-is-not-all-sunshine-and-rainbows\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Downsizing-is-Not-All-Sunshine-and-Rainbows\">Downsizing is Not All Sunshine and Rainbows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The truth is, downsizing isn\u2019t all positives. Making the move requires plenty of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-prepare-for-a-move-checklist\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">planning and preparation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (and a little extra prep for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/selfstorage.com\/blog\/moving-with-kids\/\">moving with kids<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/selfstorage.com\/blog\/guidelines-for-making-a-move-with-pets-stress-free\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pet parents<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!). And, apartment living after a house requires creativity, space-saving organizational skills, and sometimes, ruthless decision-making.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we adjust to apartment living, there are elements of our house that we miss \u2013 the sprawling backyard where our daughters would play, the spacious kitchen that hosted plenty of friends, and our prolific lemon tree. But our decision to embrace apartment living is rooted in choosing to live with intention, and valuing moments over materialism.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, should you downsize from a house to an apartment? It&#8217;s not just a question of space; it&#8217;s a lifestyle shift that promises more freedom, more time, and more opportunities for joy. As you weigh in and assess what\u2019s best for you and yours, in the end, our journey to live with less has paved the way to more joy, connection, and fulfillment as a family.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Find Self-Storage Near You!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong><a href=\"#top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Should you downsize from a house to an apartment? Read about what made this family decide to make the move.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":2710,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[252],"class_list":["post-1849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moving","tag-downsizing-your-home"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.9 (Yoast SEO v26.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why My Family Downsized from a House to an Apartment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/should-you-downsize-from-a-house-to-an-apartment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why My Family Downsized from a House to an Apartment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Should you downsize from a house to an apartment? Read about what made this family decide to make the move.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/should-you-downsize-from-a-house-to-an-apartment\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SelfStorage.com Moving Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-21T20:56:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-23T17:15:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Downsizing-from-a-house-to-an-apartment.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"690\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"460\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Timothy Paradis\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Timothy Paradis\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why My Family Downsized from a House to an Apartment","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/should-you-downsize-from-a-house-to-an-apartment\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Why My Family Downsized from a House to an Apartment","og_description":"Should you downsize from a house to an apartment? 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He has also written well-researched, insightful articles on everything from functional nutrition to Yugioh tournament theory, and moonlights as a 3D graphics designer. His multidisciplinary background allows him to approach all topics with a fun, fresh perspective.","url":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/author\/timothy\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2710"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}