We live in 1450 SF plus a semi-finished basement, family of four, and it's fine. Great, actually. We have a LR, DR, kitchen, three bedrooms, two baths. We use the finished part of the basement as our guest room.

We never owned a larger house, though DH grew up in bigger houses. (I didn't.) Sometimes I think it might be nice to have a master bath or a small sitting room off the kitchen where I could read while DH watches TV. But even with two kids in elementary school, we have plenty of room/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:why do this to yourself

Because you can't always choose the cost of living where you're sent.

It's helps if you give context and background as to why you're asking the question. So it sounds like you guys are a military family, and you are going from a low COL area to a high COL area, and to manage it you'll need to move into a smaller space. Is that correct?

I'm in a similar situation right now. To prep for the move, I'm getting rid of as much stuff as I can. I've identified a charity that takes kids clothes, so I'm getting rid of everything that no longer fits. I found a consignment sale and got rid of baby gear like pack and plays, high chairs, strollers that we no longer need. Yesterday I purged my shoes, so I'm down to the ones I actually wear. Ruthlessly and methodically go through all your "stuff" and get rid of anything you no longer need. I still need to downsize more toys and my own clothes.

The layout of the next place matters. You may need to sell or store some furniture. Guests may need to go to a hotel - you just can't have a guest room in a small space. Figure out what's important to you. Do you need two bathrooms? Will 1.5 or 1 be okay? Can your office be in the same room as a playspace for your child? Do you want a granite/stainless kitchen, or will formica and white appliances be okay? Is this a temporary move or permanent? Will you buy or rent?

We love our 1,400 sq ft home (have a small basement, which helps)! I feel so free and like I've reclaimed so much time for things I actually enjoy. We finally have a cleaning and maintenance routine that keeps things up to my standards without being exhausting. I relax and appreciate my home more.
The only time I want more space is when I find a great, but large furniture piece I want but don't need, or am offered a clunky family heirloom that I can't just automatically say "yes" to without measuring. In a larger home I knew I could find a space even if it was just tucked away unused, but now I am pickier and there's not as much wiggle room for things that aren't just right. Don't get me wrong-- we still have plenty of stuff we don't use all the time, and could still stand to declutter, so I view this as a positive. I prefer my home be active living space and not a storage unit and would be happy to get rid of more, if I practically could.

Anonymous wrote:why do this to yourself

Because you can't always choose the cost of living where you're sent.

why do this to yourself

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What sort of tips are you looking for? We're in just under 1800 sq. ft. 3 beds/2.5 baths. Bedroom setup currently is master bedroom, kids bedroom, and office.

I think this is what we'd have to do, but losing our guest room would hurt. DH is military and family frequently visits. I know I could put an air mattress or something of the sort in my office, but as a born and bred southerner, that seems like poor hospitality. Also, it's nice to have another bed when DH starts to snore.

We also bought a dining room set last house and I assume we'd end up with just a breakfast area in a house of that size, correct? I should add that in just five years we've doubled the size of our house, so I think it'll be harder going backwards.

Quoted PP here. We have a small bistro table in the kitchen, but also have a separate dining room (well, it's sort of one big room with the kitchen separated by a breakfast bar).

DH works from home. We keep the guest bedroom as his office, but store most books, files, etc elsewhere, so that it is neat and tidy when guests come. It is also the snoring bed.

We just did the opposite, moved from 3 bedroom 2100 sq feet to 4 bedroom 3k square feet and I just feel like it is a lot of wasted space, perhaps because its not that well designed. We have a ton of storage space, but that just means we hold onto crap we rarely use.

If you have a little bit of money to throw at the problem, I'd do one of these sleeper couches in the office. They are genuinely listed as the most comfortable sleeper sofas around. http://www.americanleather.com/Comfort-Sleeper/Comfort-Sleeper-Styles.aspx

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What sort of tips are you looking for? We're in just under 1800 sq. ft. 3 beds/2.5 baths. Bedroom setup currently is master bedroom, kids bedroom, and office.

I think this is what we'd have to do, but losing our guest room would hurt. DH is military and family frequently visits. I know I could put an air mattress or something of the sort in my office, but as a born and bred southerner, that seems like poor hospitality. Also, it's nice to have another bed when DH starts to snore.

We also bought a dining room set last house and I assume we'd end up with just a breakfast area in a house of that size, correct? I should add that in just five years we've doubled the size of our house, so I think it'll be harder going backwards.

Futon in the office. Not as nice as a bed but better than an air mattress.

Maybe something like this http://www.wayfair.com/Hokku-Designs-Coronado-Convertible-Sofa-JEG-DN3024-KUI2389.html or this http://www.wayfair.com/Milford-Convertible-Sofa-300138-CST9257.html

Anonymous wrote:What sort of tips are you looking for? We're in just under 1800 sq. ft. 3 beds/2.5 baths. Bedroom setup currently is master bedroom, kids bedroom, and office.

I think this is what we'd have to do, but losing our guest room would hurt. DH is military and family frequently visits. I know I could put an air mattress or something of the sort in my office, but as a born and bred southerner, that seems like poor hospitality. Also, it's nice to have another bed when DH starts to snore.

We also bought a dining room set last house and I assume we'd end up with just a breakfast area in a house of that size, correct? I should add that in just five years we've doubled the size of our house, so I think it'll be harder going backwards.

You probabbly thank yourslef for this...

our first home was about the size you mention. 3 Br 2 bath 1700 sqft block home in FL

god it was so easy. wife and I have so much crap now....
yeah we never had real nice dinner parties in FL but it was so simple.

the down side....it seemed like wife and i were always under each others foot.... Nice thing about a larger home is the abliity to get separation when needed...

start selling your furniture that you don't need, china, living room stuff, extra bedroom furniture ect...

Do you have a lot of stuff? People usually expand to fit their space. Purge, purge, purge.

What sort of tips are you looking for? We're in just under 1800 sq. ft. 3 beds/2.5 baths. Bedroom setup currently is master bedroom, kids bedroom, and office.

We currently live in 2600+ square feet, with 5 bedrooms and 3 baths, and are looking at downsizing to 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no more than 1800 square feet, probably more like 1600. Has anyone successfully down this? We only have one child but I work from home and need a dedicated office. Please give me some tips for downsizing like this!