Moving to a Bigger House: Size Does Matter

We all know how beneficial downsizing your home can be. In most cases, moving to a smaller home is the smart solution when you struggle financially or when you no longer need all that extra living space.

Moreover, a smaller living space automatically means lower repair maintenance costs, lower utility costs, lower energy costs, lower property taxes, and so on.

All in all, downsizing your house can be easily classified as a shrewd decision in the uncertain times we’re living at the moment simply because it should provide a notable boost to your disposable income and consequently, a welcoming addition to your savings account.

But what if you happen to be in dire need of more room because of a growing family?

Combine that demand for more living space with a large and steady income and you will get to another adequate and logical solution to your insufficient space issue: to upsize your home by moving to a bigger house.

After all, isn’t the idea of living according to your needs the best way to navigate safely through life’s rough seas?

Learn what you should know before moving to a bigger house (including the big question WHY), and details about just how to move to a bigger house

Why move to a bigger house

Moving to a bigger house or apartment is rarely the result of a spontaneous decision – instead, there are always clear signs that you need to upsize your home and the sooner that happens, the better.

There are several excellent reasons to move to a bigger house:

1. Insufficient living space

The number one reason for moving to a bigger house is the lack of sufficient living space. A studio apartment may have been fine for your single life but once you meet your significant other, things can get too crowded too fast, and moving to a two-bedroom house may climb up higher on your priority list as a result.

A growing family always has its growing needs: waiting in line to use the bathroom or having to play the role of an unbiased peacemaker while your two children are having serious trouble sharing a single room can lead to undesired tension and disturb the family harmony and peace you have worked so hard to create and maintain.

But even if the living space that your current home provides is keeping each member happy, having no extra room could cause a number of inconveniences.

For starters, every time you have friends or outside family over for a short reunion, they will be forced to spend the night at a hotel simply because you won’t have a guest room to accommodate them.

Also, having your house or apartment full to the brim will sooner or later lead to privacy issues – it is no secret that, from time to time, everybody needs some quiet private moments only to themselves.

2. Insufficient storage space

Another good reason for upsizing your home is that you just don’t have enough space to store the things that you own.

Of course, your decision to declutter your home can help you get rid of useless items that you’ve managed to accumulate through the years, but even a serious decluttering project may not prove enough to solve the growing problem of having insufficient storage space.

When you live in a relatively small apartment or house, a few extra things can make your living space excessively cluttered and overly messy.

And what if you’re only left with valuable items – practical, sentimental, beautiful, and expensive – and you can’t possibly declutter your home anymore?

The bottom line is that in order to hold on to your valuable belongings (and more!), you’re going to have to move into a bigger house – a more spacious and better-functioning home than ever before.

As long as you can afford it, of course.

3. Financial stability

Another compelling reason to want to increase your living space by moving to a bigger house is the mere fact that you can afford it.

Maybe you finally got that long-awaited promotion and will now receive a substantial raise.

Maybe you just inherited a large sum and you’re looking for smart and safe ways to invest the money.

Whatever your story is, if you enjoy a steady and healthy income and if the financial situation looks rosier than ever, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t treat yourself to more space.

This can be your opportune moment to realize the dream of moving to a bigger house – the house of your dreams!

After all, we only live once, right?

You should also take into account the turbulent times we currently find ourselves in.  Their uncertainty and unpredictability are reason enough to think not twice, but three times before you make up your mind to upsize your house.

Your current job pays really well, but what if things were to change tomorrow?

Would you have enough savings to keep your head above water until you secure another good job?

Hopefully, you would.

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What to know before moving to a bigger house

In order to make a sober assessment of your current situation and to make the most of your informed decision to purchase or rent a bigger home, you must be fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages of moving to a bigger home.

Devote some time and attention to analyze carefully the pros and cons of upsizing your home – that critical and maybe even a life-changing step.

Can you afford to move to a bigger house?

Here’s the BIG question: can you really afford to move to a bigger home?

First things first, you have to understand that moving to a bigger house will definitely mean bigger expenses too.

And that is exactly why budgetary considerations should be your top concern.

Besides the inevitably larger payments for rent or mortgage, think of how the increased living space will be properly maintained as well.

Regarding maintenance costs, your energy bills will be the ones most affected by the move, followed by costs for repair works and cleaning.

If your new big house has a big yard too, factor in the money and time that will go into keeping it in tip-top shape. Furthermore, more room will require more items to furnish it nicely, so don’t forget to add up the extra expenses for adequate furnishings.

In summary, be ready for the following higher expenses when moving to a bigger house:

• Higher utility costs;
• Higher energy costs;
• Higher repair and maintenance costs;
• Higher property taxes;
• Higher home insurance costs;
• Higher furnishings costs.

Whatever your financial situation might be, make sure that it makes financial sense to move to a larger house before you actually do it. Even though you have the money now, it’s a good idea to think about your future from a financial point of view.

If needed, speak with a financial advisor to help you decide.

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Moving to a bigger house: Space vs. Location

But even if the financial aspect of the home upsizing equation is eliminated, there is another factor that may further complicate the house upgrade process and its name is LOCATION.

The location of your new house should be the deal-maker or the deal-breaker in your quest for more space. Why?

The long-term significance of the location of your new home surpasses the immediate and transitional financial matter. In reality, purchasing more living space will eventually prove to be counterproductive if the larger home is located in a bad neighborhood and is much farther away from your workplace or your children’s school.

Ultimately, you don’t want to have to sacrifice on location just to buy or rent a larger home because if you do, it’s likely that you will come to regret that unjustified greed for more living space at the expense of a good location.

Remember that before upsizing your home, the location should be the major factor in your final decision.

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Do you really need all that extra space?

Before moving to a bigger house, you just have to ask yourself if you really going to need all that extra living and storage space that you’re buying.

Bear in mind that a bigger house is not always a better investment.

Also, when it comes to moving to a larger home, more space doesn’t guarantee more usable space.

Think about this: there’s really no point in moving into a bigger home only to have that extra space get wasted by not using it in any way.

The idea of having extra rooms seems appealing but having those extra living rooms or bedrooms empty all the time doesn’t actually sound like a great investment.

The problem of having insufficient living space is clear but the proper solution may not always include an actual move to a larger house.

There are three major paths you can follow to increase the actual usable room of your current home without actually having to upsize it:

1. Purge your home of unnecessary stuff

Years and years of living in one place will undoubtedly bring years’ worth of household items and personal possessions. At times, that gradual accumulative process might reach a point when you feel threatened to be evicted from your own residence by your own stuff. Imagine that!

Feeling more and more overwhelmed by all that suffocating clutter in your home?

The time to act is now. Find the time and energy to do a complete inventory of your house and free your living space of all the useless clutter.

• Organize a profitable garage sale for all the items that are worth selling (or try to sell them online);
• Give away to friends or family members the items in good condition that you no longer need;
• Donate to charity all usable household goods to kill two birds with one stone: create more space and help strangers in need.

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2. Home renovations might be the answer

You’re sick and tired of your tiny kitchenette and will not be satisfied until you have a larger and more modern kitchen?

You can’t live anymore without an extra bathroom or a more spacious one?

You need an extra room at all costs?

Keep in mind that one single renovation project could solve your problem of space insufficiency. If you don’t think you can do the work on your own, consult a professional renovation company and try to work out a reasonable space-creating solution.

3. Creative ways to free more space

Sometimes you may have to turn to your creative self and think of unusual ways to maximize your living space.

Invest in multi-purpose furniture and decorative elements that can offer top functionality, use fewer but larger furniture pieces, make the most of the under-utilized vertical space, or even consider some “Abracadabra” magic tricks to deceive the eye – mirrors placed in strategic places, see-through furnishings, etc.

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How to move to a bigger house: 10 steps

The following step-by-step tips for moving to a bigger house will help you have a smoother and faster move into the house of your dreams.

• STEP 1. MAKE SURE you really need more living space by carefully assessing your current situation. Compile a list of all the things you want in a bigger home and compare them to what you currently have in your house or apartment.
• STEP 2. CONSIDER maximizing your existing living space with the help of some space-saving tricks. It may turn out that you’ve always had the room you need, you just didn’t know how to use it efficiently… until now.
• STEP 3. ASSESS your financial situation wisely. Can you honestly afford a bigger home? Be prepared for the heavier financial burden.
• STEP 4. START the property search process while repeating to yourself, “Location, location, location…”. Make sure you visit the neighborhood before you decide on a property.
• STEP 5. MAKE SURE you move out of your current home in a timely fashion. You don’t want to pay for two homes simultaneously or even worse – to have no place to live between the home closings. Timing is everything!
• STEP 6. LEARN how to prepare your home for sale before the move.
• STEP 7. START the moving preparations as early as possible. Be sure to find the best cross-country movers in your area.
• STEP 8. LEARN in advance how much you’ll pay for the move by filling out our moving cost estimator.
• STEP 9. TAKE advantage of the greatest moving checklist of all time in order to organize your time perfectly and have a fast and trouble-free relocation.
• STEP 10. HAVE a safe and smooth move to your new BIGGER home!

Moving to a bigger home sounds like a wonderful idea but the decision to upgrade your residence should never be rushed or made without looking at the room insufficiency problem from all the available angles.

It’s possible that you’ve only been staring at the issue one-sidedly, so seek good advice from different sources in order to reach the best-informed decision in your particular case.

Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, of course, but considering all worst-case scenarios in advance is a fine prerequisite for a smart decision-making process.

Happy upsizing!

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