A big house with room to grow is the American dream, but what if bigger isn’t always better? As homes keep getting larger, a growing body of research suggests that the people living inside them aren’t getting any happier, and may actually be worse off. The average new American home includes more than 940 square feet per person, while in 1973 that figure was closer to 550 square feet. Smaller homes often mean lower costs, less upkeep and little clutter, while naturally pulling people into shared spaces. As a result, daily interaction increases and loneliness decreases. Larger homes usually come with bigger mortgages, higher maintenance costs, longer commutes, and more financial pressure. With so much to clean and maintain, it can become overwhelming for many. People soon begin to realize what they’re sacrificing in terms of time and money in order to own a big home. More room also breeds more “stuff,” and clutter is directly tied to unhappiness. In smaller spaces, clutter quickly becomes overwhelming and visible and can be dealt with on a daily basis. Finally, keeping up with the Joneses is a real problem. Even if you own a big house, your neighbor’s might be bigger. The social pressure to match or exceed them kicks in for many people. That leads to unhealthy competitive attitudes toward lifestyle, wealth and possession, and can lead to reckless spending and mounting debt. Instead of asking, “How big a house can I afford?” maybe we should ask, “What kind of home will sustain the kind of life I want?”
