Are you ready for change? Are you completely willing to pack it all up and to alter your environment or are you immobilized by the same routine day in and day out? Can you imagine yourself living in a different city or in a smaller home, would you, could you trade it all in to inhabit a tiny home in a small village or do you need the assurance of 1,200 + sq. ft.
A large percentage of North Americans live in 30% of their homes while the other 70% collects clutter and dust. When people talk about changing their space the first comment is, “Where will I put all my stuff?” Yet, when the downsizing actually happens most people cannot believe that they lived for so many years carting crap around they didn’t need. The freedom that comes from realizing a dream and from taking control of the clutter than can seem to weigh you down is life changing. You can travel to your desired destination or have the perfect space you have always dreamed about, even if it’s on a smaller scale.
How much does one actually need? We can live for weeks in a 300 sq. ft. camper and enjoy all the conveniences and shelter of home with no extra work or lawn maintenance but could that be sustained over a longer period of time? Last year when this city girl relocated to an acreage complete with horses, cats and cattle I thought I had lost my mind. Last week I jumped on a quad in my business suit to corral a herd of horses that had gotten out of the pasture and were dangerously close to the highway and it rocked! Last year I was planning and worrying about my over priced mortgage in the city and today we are discussing living in our small shop while we rent out our home and build a smaller place for just the two of us – what has happened?
What would it take to move you? What would you have to discover within yourself to make a shift in what you think you need for living? There are endless possibilities for life from downsizing to home sharing which we wouldn’t have considered even five years ago. Now, I believe the world is shifting to a more communally-minded focus and it is exciting to see what this means to me as a realtor and a designer. Space changes are happening and it is very exciting, families are cohabiting again, people are opening spare rooms in their homes to give someone a helping hand and acreages are creating rental pads for people to live affordably.
Is change right for you and your family? Are you willing to step outside of your comfort zone and shake up your living space? It may be the shift you need in your day to day routine. You may find a wonderful and workable solution for your current residence or you may be on the edge of a completely new life experience. Either way I encourage you to be open and to be ready to live life to the fullest possible potential, don’t look back in 20 years and wish that you had unburdened yourself of too much stuff!
Kim Wyse is a Central Alberta freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a Designer/Ask a Realtor’.
