We bought a much too small (for us) rowhome in DC and toughed it out for a few years until the stress of trying to renovate the house ($$$$ and permit nightmare) eventually got to us. We sold the house and are renting a larger home in VA; our mental health definitely improved for the better and our kids are happier now that they have a yard and space.

Also fewer rats and piles of dog poop everywhere is a nice perk of no city living.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nasa has done studies that it's unhealthy to live in small confined spaces and each person should be allocated 1000sf. So a four person household should have a minimum 4000 st home for mental health

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind for when I buy my next house in space.

good idea, you only live once

Anonymous wrote:Nasa has done studies that it's unhealthy to live in small confined spaces and each person should be allocated 1000sf. So a four person household should have a minimum 4000 st home for mental health

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind for when I buy my next house in space.

Anonymous wrote:Nasa has done studies that it's unhealthy to live in small confined spaces and each person should be allocated 1000sf. So a four person household should have a minimum 4000 st home for mental health

Nasa has done studies that it's unhealthy to live in small confined spaces and each person should be allocated 1000sf. So a four person household should have a minimum 4000 st home for mental health

There are pros/cons with homeownership. You'll figure them out soon enough.

It can be both suffocating (ugh, now what?XYZ leaking/doesn't work. Howmuch will that cost me??) And rewarding (we re-financed decades ago and our mortgage payment is relatively low - hooray) .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had to move into a really crappy tiny slumlord-run apartment when I was out of work and now have rent control so can't leave. It definitely negatively affects my mental health 100%. So it makes sense the reverse would be true.

You can choose to be miserable or choose to leave.
Not every decision needs to be based 100% on cost.

I can't afford to leave. If I left, I'd have to move to a different part of the country, away from any family, my friends, my job, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I had to move into a really crappy tiny slumlord-run apartment when I was out of work and now have rent control so can't leave. It definitely negatively affects my mental health 100%. So it makes sense the reverse would be true.

You can choose to be miserable or choose to leave.
Not every decision needs to be based 100% on cost.

I lived in a small rental for a year with my family of five. It was overall fine, but some parts of it were mentally exhausting (layout was noisy, no room for the kids to play inside, couldn’t see the yard from anywhere in the house). We absolutely felt better after moving to the house we were building. We had chosen the layout and the location, and even though there were small problems, overall it was a weight off of us

I moved last year from a very small 1-bedroom rental to a larger 1-bedroom that I bought. I had rented 20+ years and it was a very difficult decision but I ultimately moved because the landlord's relatives were mentally ill and I didn't feel safe in my home anymore. It had a strange layout but a lot of storage. Despite moving to a larger place, I got rid of so much stuff and I feel a million times lighter, a lot happier and more secure. Yes, my mental health is much improved. Good luck to you, OP.

Anonymous wrote:Oh my gosh YES!
Everything impacting senses impact mood. So dark smelly house = bad mood and light filled clear house = happiness!

Unless you are struggling to pay your monthly payments after a job loss or some other situation reducing your income/wealth. It quickly ramps up your anxiety, because you may need to trade down this great life you are accustomed to. I've been there. You simply stop enjoying all this light and space and beautiful finishes, or the view or the neighborhood because it spells financial stress. You even start fantasizing about much smaller and dumpier place you can make cozy and comfortable to get out of the daily stress. Never overextend what you can afford even in a situation of income loss, illness, or anything else that can make you downwardly mobile even if temporarily.

My parents felt much less burdened when they downsized after all the kids left the nest. My mom says that she loved our 5000 square foot house, but keeping it up and tending to the yard was exhausting. They now own a smaller but charming and light-filled home, and my parents much prefer it.

Oh my gosh YES!
Everything impacting senses impact mood. So dark smelly house = bad mood and light filled clear house = happiness!

Anonymous wrote:I think if you are in an improved living environment - - then your mental health can benefit as well.

Living in a clean, tidy ➕ cheerful surrounding can do wonders for the internal you!

Absolutely! If your problems are caused by the issues of your current dwelling then changing it would be generally positive. But the previous 2 responses are also on point. People with issues aren't always helped by the change of environment. The saying "wherever you go, there you are" is true. Also true, if your new tidy home becomes a huge financial burden and you are stressed about meeting your monthly bills obligations, you just stop enjoying it. You know you have to move out and downgrade and you feel like a prisoner out on bail trying to savor the last days, but being stressed it's coming to an end.