Don downsized into a tiny house for more freedom, financial and recreational. After getting divorced and becoming an empty nester, he decided to leave his large home. It just didn’t make sense anymore, especially after realizing he only used a fraction of the square footage.
Now he’s living his best single life in a beautifully designed 10-ft wide tiny house by Indigo River Tiny Homes. Don worked with them to fit key creature comforts, like a full-size sofa. He didn’t want to sacrifice ease of movement in his small space. So must-haves included a standing-height bedroom loft and a storage loft accessed by stairs. Additionally, he prioritized lots of natural light to provide a greater sense of spaciousness.
Don’s Downsizing Process
“Coming from a very large house and on 5 Acres, it took me two stages of downsizing, getting rid of crap that you’ve been collecting for 40 years. You really don’t know how much crap you accumulate till you have to move it. The first step was deciding which I wanted to keep and which would fit, and then getting rid of everything else, selling things like furniture, tables, and big bulky items, and then giving away a lot of stuff. I’m very active in my church, so I gave some stuff to people in the church and then moved what’s left over into a 10×30 storage room.
When my tiny was done, I went to another stage of taking what was in that 10×30 storage room and making it fit in here. That was another purge of uni, so I looked at things two times. Do I really need this? Actually, it’s kind of funny that I still find things here that I don’t need anymore, that I haven’t touched in a year, that I get rid of. It’s a very free feeling you get from getting rid of certain.”
-Don, tiny homeowner in Texas
Tiny home living has been a liberating change of pace for Don. In fact, he’s never had so much free time. He used to hours and hours mowing his lawn and other projects to maintain a large house on acreage. In contrast, he can clean his tiny house from top to bottom in half an hour. Now, he can spend more time doing what he loves, like riding his motorcycle and mountain biking.
Ultimately, the financial freedom of his downsized lifestyle gives Don peace of mind. No more expensive property taxes and mortgage payments. His retirement savings are growing faster thanks to low living expenses, from lot rent and reduced utility payments. Don admits that being able to buy his high-end tiny house outright helped tremendously. Another perk of ditching the large house.