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Small Space Living: Is it Right for You?

The living space of a small apartment

Do you ascribe to the saying “bigger is not always better”? Does the theory “less is more” appeal to you? These are signs that small space living may be right for you. Less space means fewer belongings, which means less to clean and maintain, giving you more time to enjoy life. From tiny homes to efficient apartments to co-living with others, small space living is a trend that is becoming more popular. Here are six signs that you have come to a place in your life where downsizing makes sense.

  • You desire more time to focus on the areas of your life that are important to you instead of spending all of your time maintaining a home. Simplifying your life is a great way to reduce stress offering the time and space to pursue your interests and create the life you truly desire.
  • You find yourself spending your free time cleaning, maintaining a home, and doing chores leaves you feeling frustrated and empty. Does the thought of cleaning your home with minimal effort appeal to you?
  • You are willing to give up some of your possessions if it means freeing your time to pursue things you love. Do you find yourself daydreaming about how you could spend all the extra hours in the day that would be a result of small space living?
  • You are comfortable living with less, and you already know that possessions don’t bring happiness. Are you the type of person that would much rather give or receive experiences instead of material items?
  • Reducing the amount of debt in your life has become a priority, and saving money on housing would help you meet your financial goals. Small space living means saving money on the purchase or rent of the home in addition to saving money on utility bills, furnishings, appliances, and more. Also, small space living drastically reduces impulse spending. Living in a small space usually means every spare inch of your home is put to use. You will think twice about purchases knowing you will have to clear out space to make room for a new item.
  • You don’t mind sharing your space. Unless you are single, small space living requires a certain amount of closeness with your partner, family members, or roommate. Small spaces can feel confining when shared with another person, but agreeing to set boundaries and discussing how your habits impact each other is an excellent place to start. It also helps to designate a specific area for each person to call their own.

Zippy Shell is the perfect solution for those looking to downsize or move into a small space. With portable storage, you can forego the hassle of having to drive your extra belongings to a storage location. A storage unit can be delivered to your home or business, where you can load your belongings into it directly. You can cut your work in half by only loading and unloading one time into portable storage containers versus multiple times with self-storage. Check us out today for answers to any questions you may have!

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8 Things That Every New Homeowner Should Do

Brick Home

Congratulations on making it through the long and stressful process of homebuying! If you are getting ready to settle into your very first home, you may feel overwhelmed as you navigate this last step. Some things need to be done immediately—like turning on utilities—but others you can start as you get settled in and through the next few months. Take a look at 8 things we think every new homeowner should do in their first year.

INVEST IN A HOME WARRANTY

A home warranty can be a lifesaver if a major appliance, or the HVAC system goes out in the first year of owning your home. Not every company or policy is created equal, so make sure you do plenty of research before deciding who to go with. We recommend asking your friends and family, or even your real estate agent, for recommendations.

START AN EMERGENCY FUND

Even if you do have a home warranty, it is still a good idea to start an emergency fund in the event something breaks that is not covered or even for a potentially bad financial month where your emergency savings could help you make all your payments on time until things improve.

TEST FIRE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARMS

This is something that should be done sooner than later. Just because you see smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed, doesn’t mean that they are working. Replace all the batteries and set a reminder for six months out on your phone or in your planner to change them again. Be sure to test each alarm after replacing the batteries to make sure they are working as they should.

MAKE A PRIORITY LIST

If you had a home inspection, you may have a report full of small to medium things that need to be fixed. Go through the report and prioritize the things that are safety issues and most important to you and your family. You don’t have to do everything all at once, so take some time to research the issues, determine costs, and make a long-term plan.

START A FILE WITH RECEIPTS AND INVOICES

As you start to make improvements and repairs around the home, keep a file with receipts and invoices. If you were to try to sell the home, many improvements can be shared on the home listing to draw in buyers. Things like septic tank maintenance can be very important to a potential buyer.

HAVE A HVAC CHECKUP

HVAC maintenance is important to making sure your system doesn’t break down on you, especially during extreme temperatures. Have a professional come out and do an assessment and “tune up” to make sure it is in good working order. Don’t forget to replace the filter.

KNOW WHERE ALL YOUR SHUTOFF VALVES ARE

If you have a home inspection report, the inspector may have listed where the gas and water shut off valves are located. It is important to familiarize yourself with these so you can act quickly in the event of a burst pipe or a gas leak. You should let the other members of your household know where they are as well.

LEARN (AND LABEL) THE BREAKERS

You probably have seen the circuit breaker by now, but have you opened it up and check to see if it is clearly labeled? If the previous owners didn’t already label each one, it’s now your very important task to complete. You can essentially map your home by turning off all the circuit breakers and turning them back on one at a time to determine which lights, outlets, and major appliances are on each one. This information will come in handy one day.

Do you have any other tips to share with a new homeowner? Stop by our Facebook page and share with our Zippy Shell community. If you are getting ready to move into your new home, be sure to give us a call and we will provide you with a free, no-obligation quote. We look forward to hearing from you!