COLUMNS
Or maybe it's those archaic stereotypes that are crazy, as the virtues of smaller homes become increasingly apparent.
Large homes contribute to global warming in a big way, due to all the resources used to build them and fill them with stuff, and all the energy used to heat and cool them. In these troubled economic times, the savings from buying and living in a smaller home also loom large. And more folks have discovered that living in a big house doesn't make them happier.
But the classic American ideal of the big, roomy dream home isn't easy to shake. Even with growing environmental awareness the past few years, homes keep getting bigger. New single-family houses built in the western U.S. in 2007 had an average size of 2,456 square feet, compared with 2,322 square feet in 2004 and 1,710 in 1985, according to the Census Bureau.
Many experts expect that the new interest in smaller houses - and the current economic slump - will slow down or halt this bulking-up of home sizes. So, with more people considering this option, what's it really like to live in a small home?
Cozy in Kitsap
"It's efficient," said Kinley Deller, a green building specialist for King County. He and his wife Patti Pearson built an 800-square-foot house in 2006 near Kingston in Kitsap County, where they live with their two young daughters.
That efficiency has tangible benefits, since everything in the home is close at hand, and cleaning takes less time. "There's also more of a sense of family community," he said. "We're not spread out throughout the house." It can occasionally feel like too much togetherness, Deller observed, when someone needs more space or privacy. Another downside: "No place to throw everything when company's coming." In their old house they had a back room for that, but no more.
"Not having much room for overnight guests" is another issue - both a pro and a con, he said with a laugh. And their two small children can get a little stir-crazy in the winter. In the summer the kids are able to spend more time outside, since they have a large yard. Overall, Deller said, the environmental, financial and other advantages of their cozy little house far outweigh the disadvantages.
What's a house for?
As more Americans question the prevailing ethic of rampant consumerism (even the hit animated movie WALL-E addressed this), the smaller-home movement ties in perfectly.
"A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it," said the late comedian George Carlin, in one of his most famous routines. "Your house is a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get - more stuff!"
Deller can relate. His main advice for anyone considering a move to a smaller home: "Get rid of your junk. Focus on the things you need and use in your day-to-day living."
"That's been the hardest part for us," Deller said. "We've both been pack rats over the years." He said parting with his extensive paperback book collection was especially difficult.
Smaller but not tiny
Most media coverage of the smaller home movement has focused on itty-bitty houses, such as an Olympia woman's 84-square-foot home. But that obviously is not realistic for most of us. This trend will likely reach its true potential when more people embrace less dramatic downsizing - for instance, when a three-person family chooses a 1,200-square-foot home instead of a 3,000-square-footer.
The Iowa-based Small House Society (
Lean and green
Though inherently greener, small houses often boast other eco-friendly features as well, such as energy-saving appliances and recycled or less-toxic building materials. This seems to be a positive side-effect of smaller homes, as their owners' green sensibility manifests itself elsewhere.
Even if you live in a large home now, you can still make it green and efficient, and possibly plan for a smaller home in the future. You also might consider finding housemates or creating a new living unit in your large house, to lessen its impact.
As with hybrid vehicles, small houses often have an eco-snob factor. But the movement isn't about being judgmental or "tinier than thou," the Small House Society says on their website, adding that "size is relative." But it does matter, and downsizing benefits us all.
Note: Tom adapted and updated this article from a column he wrote that ran in the 7/19/08 Seattle Times.
For more EcoConsumer resources from King County, visit www.KCecoconsumer.com.
For past articles, go to the EcoConsumer Archives.
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