Litany of Reasons to Downsize

Saturday’s Real Estate section in the Washington Post mulls over the premise of “The Not-So-Big House,” a ten-year-old book written by architect Sarah Susanka. Now that developers are eschewing mcmansions—and even knocking them down in some places—for smaller homes, the book seems even more relevant than it did in the late 1990s. The Post’s article breaks down why “The Not-So-Big House” trumps the stereotypical, colossal, Exurban home:

• Bigger monthly mortgage payments
• More money for flood insurance
• Bigger energy bills
• More money to furnish, clean and maintain the space
• More walls to wallpaper or paint
• More trim to touch up
• More bathrooms to clean
• More bathroom tile to grout
• More light bulbs to replace
• More yardwork
• Higher housekeeping costs
• Higher cost of living because of surrounding stores.

And finally…and this I consider a stretch: “Think about the holidays: If you live in a fancier neighborhood, you might feel pressured to do more elaborate holiday decorations.”