The journey toward downsizing

Some people think I'm crazy, but I see no reason to have a 3000+ sq house (with a basement that is probably 1500 sf) with just my husband and myself.  We bought this house for our kids, to allow them a place to grow and enjoy and feel safe and entertain their friends, and honestly it hasn't even been used to its fullest potential.  Right now is probably the closest it has come to being utilized fully and that is because I have family members staying with me right now... So, our plan is to downsize.

I not only want a smaller home, but I want to put an end to this sub-urban living.  After all, I am a city girl. I grew up in the city, and some of the best homes we have had were in the city... like our Corn Hill apartment in Rochester NY, or our warehouse apartment in New Orleans.  Those places really made us happy, and that is what we are looking for... but I know it is  not going to be easy.

The good news is that house prices in our area are above what we paid for our home and are still rising.    so will will walk away with a little equity money.

The bad news is that we would still like 1800 sq, and I am only seeing 1400 sq tops in the Atlanta area.  We still want to kids to be able to visit and even spend the summer with us for the next few years, and after that, wayyyyyy after that, grandchildren, so we can't go from 3000 sq ft plus basement to 300sq ft plus a storage room.

So much to sort out.

Things I know I want:

  • Walking communities
  • Live, work, play
  • I especially love Atlantic Station (Atlanta), but it is kind of pricy.
  • Open floor plans


We can purchase or rent... I don't care, but I think hubby wants to purchase.  I expect this to be a 2 year journey.  Stay tuned.

1 comment:

Happy Elf Mom (Christine) said...

Oh, I KNEW you'd be packing up when I got the "tour" of that great big house and knew the kids were in college.

The advantage of a smaller apartment is that visits would be short/kids wouldn't make plans to live there.

Have you looked at the tax consequences of walking away with a profit? Likely you'd want to sink that equity into your next place. I'm excited for you!

12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong

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