My Minimalist Home: How Small Can I Go?

It’s been a busy few weeks for this mid-life minimalist, but I think I’ve found my minimalist home! This journey started about two and a half months ago, when I met up with my new realtor to discuss selling my house and looking for my next home. She understood that I wanted something closer in to the city, where I enjoyed most of my leisure time activities. I explained that I hoped to decrease my monthly expenses as well, and since living closer to the city meant more bucks per square foot, I was willing to sacrifice space. In fact, I wanted a smaller place. Not only would the mortgage be lower, but maintenance would be less for a smaller home. She understood.

Right now it’s a seller’s market here in the Orlando area. That will help me when I sell my place, but my first priority has been to find a home that I liked well enough to start this whole process. After all, my move is optional, so I don’t want to risk being kicked out of my current home too soon. My realtor sent me listings, and I eagerly studied them. I automatically rejected anything the same size or larger than my current home.

The first time we went out to view houses, I liked one place well enough to consider bidding on it, but we found out it needed a new roof and major electrical work, so I dismissed it. No sense in having my budget eaten up with high repairs costs. One day I viewed a couple of little houses that were 600-800 square feet. They would be true minimalist homes! Sadly, once I took a look, I realized that even with all my decluttering and downscaling, they just didn’t feel right, not quite big enough (hanging my wannabe minimalist head low).

Between viewings, I have been busy preparing my own house to be “staged” for potential buyers. After a year of significant decluttering, I know my house is in pretty good shape, so I was somewhat dismayed when my realtor sent a to-do list and mentioned that I still had way too many books! Only a couple of “nice” books on each shelf was her recommendation.

Fifteen packed boxes later, my shelves looked incredibly bare to me. Wait, fifteen boxes of books?! And you call yourself a minimalist?! Yet I know that this is nothing compared to what I hauled from Texas to Florida a couple years ago. I continued to pack. Cool weather clothes – packed. Kitchen dishes not needed in the next month – packed. DVDs – packed. I got into my rhythm and stacked the boxes up neatly to the side of the garage. That wasn’t too bad. Not much more I can do until the house is sold.

Then last week a small house, about 1000 square feet, came onto the market. It was an older house in an older, somewhat transitional, neighborhood, but that’s just what I like. It had character. I was the first one to view it and immediately knew I’d make an offer. Sure, the house needed some work and the yard more so, but there was potential. It was just the right size for me and Zac the cat. There was also enough room for my adult children to stay when they visited. I was excited about its potential.

I left a thank you note for the owners and went to view the next house. By the time my realtor called the owner’s realtor 25 minutes later, there were already two verbal offers on the house. That afternoon I wrote a letter introducing myself and why I liked the house, just as I had seen on house programs (and had received when I sold my Austin house). Then I waited, two long days, as multiple bids were offered.

Friday arrived, the deadline day for a decision from the owners. It was early in the morning, and I was driving home from a class when my phone rang. I don’t use my phone when driving, so I had to let it go to voice mail. The three minutes it took to get back to my house and check my voice mail were nerve wracking. Finally, I could see my realtor’s text and listen to her voice mail. I had won the bid! According to the sellers, my letter of introduction had helped win them over. I was thrilled!

It’s a sweet little mid-century house, just waiting for me to put my stamp on it. Plenty of yard for gardens and fruit trees, too. It’s a bit of a project, but that’s what I enjoy. Next come the inspections, so I’m hoping all goes well. Buying and selling a house is never easy, but I’ve got a good feeling about this.