For the cars, assuming you haven’t gotten them yet, get EVs! No gasoline or oil changes needed! We have two of them (not Teslas) and we love them very much! The electricity cost to charge them is not a lot. We don’t have to charge them every day, more like twice a week. Just a thought.
Hi 👋 Marissa I m happy u r in Chicago I live in 963 square food apartment but it’s kind of big, we r downsizing to a 1 bed 1 bat It’s just my husband n me ❤ Love all ur videos and admire you so much Big hug 🤗 4 u
I feel that minimalist kids often need bigger spaces because they will play more imaginative games and need more space to be active with less. Personally the temptation to fill empty space is big but it also gives u room to put stuff when you are decluttering... I have 1425sq but honestly most of it is because we got it unrenovated so we got a deal but it's super expensive where we live. I'm glad I have space and time to declutter
@@Ripplesinthewaters We've got an EV and a hybrid, right now. The hybrid is more expensive to maintain, but uses so much less gasoline than a typical gas car, and that lets us do much longer trips (where I live does not have a great charging infrastructure).
after living in France for years and going back for a visit the states a lady at a store asked me how I was doing and if I needed any help I stood there for a second in shock !then I remembered how friendly people are in the states and that It is normal to be asked that !! LOL
After living in Germany for 2 yrs, we came to the US for a visit and when we went into Walmart, we had to leave, it was overwhelming how many choices we had in front of us. You definitely get used to a new way of life. After our time abroad, I prefer online and smaller store shopping.
As a German, I think it's hard to decide who is more friendly. I used to move around Germany from Northwest to East Germany and South Germany. The people are so different in every area. I had the hardest time in Berlin, when I went to Aldi and witnessed one man threatening another man to give him a liver punch if he would say just another word. I was so shocked!!!
I never in a million years thought we would ever move out of our home. We have a 2,200 sqft home on a 1/2 acre lot and we are moving completely across the country to a 1,600 sqft home on a small lot. We are moving close to my brother, The schools are amazing and with our equity, we won't have a mortgage where we are going. So I keep reminding/reassuring myself that it's going to be good for our family. Cheers to new and unexpected journeys. ❤
I’m your new Filipino subscriber, we’re renting a 500 sq ft apartment for 5 years now, so your decluttering tips are very helpful with the clutter we accumulated for that 5 years ❤ I’m not sure if we will be minimalists, maybe not, but decluttering as your teaching will be my foundation to consistently doing it ❤
1300sq ft, 4bed 2 bath, family of 6, beginning to shrink with the kids growing up and leaving. Always a lot of peer pressure to go bigger, and we could afford it, but we have everything we need in our basic home, in neighborhood where we know our neighbors, and we don't want to move again unless we have to. Appreciate your content, keep it coming!
For me it’s not always about the sqf. But the layout . I’ve been in 1200sqf apartments and felt I had more space than being in 1400sft. The other thing is lack of outdoor storage etc garage or outdoor shed ! That helps a lot
Totally agree! Layout is everything, and storage for things like tools and recreational items (or in our case, by husband's winter tires 🙃😭) can be pretty tough in an apartment.
3 comments: 1) I love your channel! 2) The person who asked if you uprooted your family back to the U.S. for CONTENT (!?) obviously didn't watch your previous video. 3) We have a 2,400 sq. ft. house (includes the garage). We don't use the den, the formal dining room, or the "office". The guest room is basically a storage room. We are just a few years away from retirement and are looking forward to downsizing ALOT!
As far as groceries- I love doing grocery pick up. I am also an HSP and this helps me reduce overwhelm. I also like going to places like Aldi and Trader Joe’s as there’s less choices.
I’ll second the pickup tip! Also helps eliminate a lot of impulse buying. Be aware they give you plastic bags tho. That’s why I cut it out post pandemic.
Don't stress the whole decoration thing. It takes time to figure out how to adjust to a new life, and we all make mistakes while trying things out. It would be a treat to be on this journey with you. :D
2 years ago we sold our 3200 sq ft house and moved to our country place that has a 670 sq ft living quarters within our 40' X 60' barn. It has been wonderful downsizing and getting rid of all the stuff we realized we never used and was able to give it to others that need it. Best move of our life!
We live in a 4400 sqft Victorian home in rural Minnesota. We have four adult children, three are married, three grandchildren. We are the home base for our family and need all that room for when we gather for holidays or family reunions. I love my home! I call it The Stairmaster because it is four stories and I keep fit going up and down the stairs (very handy in the depths of winter for exercise). There are five bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a large kitchen, dining room, living room, a room for my sewing, and a full finished attic with a pool table, treadmill, storage, and guest room. Plenty of storage in the basement too. It all sits on just over an acre of land. Best part of the whole deal was that it cost $123.5K (in 2017). There are plenty of advantages to living in tiny town or rural America.
We live in South Wales UK, our home is less than 800sqft and we're a family of 10 (with only one bathroom, one toilet) 😅 It makes for an interesting life! So glad you made the move and you found your happy place 💜
I live in a 300 sq foot apartment w my partner. It is small, but we are both minimalists, great communicators, and are able to save money. We are young adults in an expensive city doing our best and it feels good! 😊
I admire your dedication as a wife and mother to have made this compromise to better your family. Your genuine soul and dedication shines through our screens and it is a pleasure viewing your life in every aspect. Thank you. xo
I live in a 700 sq ft condo with a cat and a dog. For the most part, I could probably downsize a bit as long as I still had storage like an attic or something for the bulky seasonal items, like shovels and winter gear. For me, square footage isn't as big of a concern as natural light and layout.
Family of four living in a single level 696 square foot house. We have 15 acres of land, and spend plenty of time outdoors. It’s enough for us! Low bills and a very small mortgage make it worth it.
My family of 4 lives in a 3,000 sq ft home. It's a very open floor plan and I love all the space we have. I have learned that as I declutter, I really value wide, open space so 3,000 ft doesn't seem too big.
Hi Marissa, so glad to see you this morning. My husband and I are in 2600 sq ft, downsized from 4000 sq ft 5 years ago. We are now 77 and 83 and this house is good for us since we have family that comes to visit Florida. we lived in Tokyo for 4 years and I was in total culture shock when we got back home.
The Americans I met in person were very friendly. I think it depends whereabouts you live. The British get a bad rep yet my grandad - from Derbyshire - is very forward, friendly, unreserved.
It's definitely lay-out over square footage, I have lived in a 1200 square foot space that was comfortable but had a tiny kitchen, and I cook and bake all the time so didn't love that. We have spent most of our years, and raised 3 kids, in our 1800 square foot home. 3 bedroom, open living room and kitchen, and a den, 2 bathrooms. It is perfect. Now that we are empty nesters it doesn't feel too big and we have room for guests.
My family lives in a small home of under 1000sft. We love it! We can talk to each other across the house. Each person is able to have their own room with enough space for what we need. We are a close family and this home just fosters it further. We have talked about building an even smaller home too, but we are probably just going to turn the garage into an apartment for our oldest.
Our family of five is living in a 680sqft 1.5 bedroom house, and we finally outgrew it with our third child. Up until now it’s been perfect and cozy, but despite a somewhat minimalist approach to stuff it’s cramped 😅 We are sad to leave but we’ll be moving next year, looking to double the square footage for breathing room as our kids grow!
I don't think that I've posted much on your channel. But I had to post. I'm sorry that you and your family were put into the position of moving back when you wanted to live the rest of your lives where you were in Germany. Sometimes things happen. However you seem to have made the best of things and moved forward positively, I know it's not always easy to do but you're doing it. I'm also one of the ones who are hoping to watch and learn more tips that you pass on from this latest move. Good luck. You're in my thoughts and prayers. Love your videos!!!!
We live in the UK in a 900 square feet home with two rooms downstairs (kitchen and lounge/diner), & four upstairs (bathroom, 2 small double bed rooms + a box room). Our home is the perfect size for me, my husband, son & our pets & we have zero interest in upsizing. It felt too big before we had our son, but it’s a good size now we have him. The only thing I’m jealous of that people have in other countries are pools! Only very rich people have pools here. Your new place looks amazing ❤️
Welcome home! I’m a northwest Chicago suburbanite! I moved back after eight years away, and I also have that place-based memory experience. I just moved from a 5 bedroom home in Vermont to a few 1000-square-foot 2-bedroom apartments to a 648 square foot apartment. I felt very minimal in my last 1000-foot space, and now? I’m feeling uncomfortably maximal. I like having a smaller space, because I’m single and this reduces my carbon footprint. It helps me make better decision about what I need. Does a single person need NINE bath sheets? Even with company, am I ever going to have THAT MANY people needing bath sheets in my apartment? Um. No. I am asking myself, “What do I NOT need?” and dropping things off at the thrift store accordingly. And NOT repurchasing! It feels so good!
Our family (of five) moved from an almost 2500 sq. ft., 4 bedroom house in the suburbs of the Twin Cities to buy a family member's older 1750 sq. ft., 4 bedroom lake home in rural MN. Downsizing has been challenging and is still a process (there is a reason I sought out videos about decluttering 😊), but we love the slower pace, less traffic, and don't miss having the big house to care for. Though we are very car dependent where we live, we find we tend to drive less than when things were closer to us in the suburbs. Before, we were more likely to run out again if we forgot something or try more stores if we couldn't find it closer to home. We now are more likely to make due and remember to get it on the next shopping list or accept that we can't get it locally and either need to order online or find a way to do without. We've also decreased our car expenses by shifting to electric cars (currently a Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid and a Tesla model Y). I was skeptical at first that it would work, being rural, but it's worked out great (even took a road trip to visit family in TN this summer with no charging/range issues in the Tesla). I second shopping smaller stores like ALDI to help with choice fatigue. That has helped me out a lot. Best wishes as you guys settle in and as always, thank you for the things you share!
❤️🇨🇦. Being your in law’s age and having all our grands closeby I have so much respect for your decision and how hard leaving them would have been for you. The image of him dancing in his work shirt is so lovely. Sending you strength for the journey!
As a Chicagoan who moved to the UK almost nine years ago I couldn’t agree more about the differences you mention. Both good and bed… Hope the transition back is as expected for you and the family.
I live in a 20 sqm (215 sqft) apartment in Taipei with my husband. We are not Taiwanese and came here to study in graduate school. We both like living as minimalists, and we could say that our apartment is quite small, but it is the best apartment for both of us because it is close to MRT. Renting in Taipei is quite expensive, but I love small apartments because it is easier to clean, and it even makes us more intimate 😁
We have just under 2000sqft. 4 bed 2.5 bath. We just bought this house and are expecting a second baby. We love this space right now. I think as our kids gets older we’d like a little bit of more room for like a bonus room or game/play room. But for having little kids and having family come stay with us often along with sometimes working from home I think it’s great.
I lived in a 1400 sq ft, 3-bed, 2-bath home and raised my 2 kids in that house. About 3 years ago, I sold that home (empty nester and widowed) and bought a 1700 sq ft, 3-bed, 2-bath home in another state. Even though I upsized in living space, I significantly downsized in things, eliminating about 75% of my possessions before the move. I’m still not a minimalist, but heading that way.
We recently upgraded from 1400 sq ft to 2400 sq ft, but with less space for storage so we were forced to declutter 20 years worth of stuff! We got rid of A LOT! And although, some areas of our house still feel way too cluttered, overall, I love all the open space we have now. I'm sure at some point we may downsize again, but for now, I'm truly enjoying the space we have.
I found your channel yesterday, already listened to the entire book - the life changing magic of tidying up- and now bing watching your content and decluttering the last two days while I have the time to myself!😂 thank you so much for the inspiration! ❤🙏
I grew up in relatively large apartments and there always was this idea that for one person you should have two bedrooms (one to sleep, one as office/guest room), and then add one bedroom for each additional person. I live in an area that works great for me but is not the most popular, so was able to find an apartment that fit with this guideline. But even though it was great to have that space during the pandemic, and I very often have house guests, I also feel a bit guilty taking up so much space. Having moved from Germany to the US, I totally agree with those culture shocks!
Our house is 2 stories and a basement, about 2400 sf in total, and I think my family of 4 could live happily in half the space! We got such a good deal on it in 2012 and I can't imagine moving in today's market. The neighborhood works really well for the 4 of us. I thought I would have more kids, but in the end only 2 of 4 babies resulted in live births, so this is what we have. That said, in the past 11 years, we've had my brother, sister, college age foster daughter and my parents living with us. This channel helps me consistently declutter, even in the rooms we don't use all that often, to keep them from becoming store rooms.
We live in a classic 1920 bungalow, 800sq ft with a smaller unfinished basement for laundry/storage/workshop. The space is laid out very well so we have lots of living space and smaller bedrooms (good!) but very little storage. It encourages us to live more like people lived 100 years ago, before the consumer economy took hold. I hope you find somewhere to live with some kind of walkable community. I would find it very hard to give that up.
We are living in 1175sqft flat which is devided to 2 floors. Me, my boyfriend and 2 kids (3 and 1,5yo). Right now it feels perfect for us. We struggeled with storage spaces but thanks to your videos we decluttered that much that it is not our problem anymore ❤️
I love this video! (sorry for those rude people) You are so down to earth that its like listening to a close friend or neighbor. Glad you are back in the USA!! Of all the podcasts, you are the most inspirational, thought-provoking and so well-spoken!
Me and my boyfriend just moved from a 85 m2 apartment to 62 m2. And we moved across the country. It might be smaller, but we have everything we need and it is SO much cheaper for us. We might have downsized in m2 but not in happiness. I had to declutter a lot when we moved and your videos helped me with that. So thank you 😊
Liked even before watching. I wish you the best luck in whatever adventure you embark ok with your lovely family. Your story reminds me so much of mine and your chanel has helped me through some really dark times. Much love ❤️
Wow! I was just in Chicago on a long layover from AMTRAK ..had a blast! Walked nearly 14 miles according to the app on the phone. People were sweet and helpful. Who knew there were so manyleafy neighborhoods right down town? Cannot wait to go back!
My home is probably only 1500 sq ft but since we gave up the lower level so my mother could move in, it feels we are overloaded with possessions, I am working on decluttering to feel more peace and calm in the area we have left.
My husband, our two children, and I live in a 800 square foot home..its a little cozy but we make it work. I actually found your channel a couple years ago when I was searching for minimalism inspiration because we realized having 4 people and a ton of stuff in a tiny house was not gonna work 😂. Congratulations on the move and this next chapter in life!
Welcome back to the States! I know what you mean about the people, in Germany, not being friendly! I lived in Germany for three years. I loved it and miss it, but the people were not friendly. My landlord was very friendly and helpful teaching me German of kitchen items . She would take me shopping with her. She loved my son, at the time he was 15 months old, she would babysit and just take him down to her apartment. We lived above her.. Her husband wall papered our whole apartment. I just bought the wall paper. Anyway what I was getting at, is in my case, the people didn’t like us Americans. Also we we’re Military, they did not like the military! Thought it was cute that you told us about your husband dancing in front of the mirror! I’ve followed you for a long time. Looking forward to your videos with your family living in the States! Take care! 💜🌻💜🌻💜🌻
My husband and I are currently living in a two story 2200sf home with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. For years we entertained a lot, hosted family Christmases and even had our niece live with us for about 5 years. We stopped entertaining right before Covid, family Christmases moved to my mom’s house and my niece has been moved out for 6 months. We have about 18 acres total (across 3 contiguous properties) and care take about 5 of it mowing, gardening, etc…the rest is woods). We have been renovating my husband’s childhood home which is now 1420sf, one story 3bd/2ba on 2 acres about 5 miles away with the intent to sell it. After much thought and many conversations, we have decided to move there in a quest to downsize our home, our stuff and the work of upkeep. We are so excited for this new chapter in our lives. Good luck with your new chapter.
My family of 5 + 2 dogs live in a 1400 sq foot house, 3bed, 2bath. We’ve lived here for 8 years and have loved it. Before we decluttered a lot we always wanted to add a room, after decluttering we don’t talk about adding a room.
I think we're (my wife and I) in about 900 sqft. In the UK, it is a fairly standard 3 bed terraced house. We use the third bedroom for my office. We wanted this place because it had a downstairs loo, my disability makes stairs hard work and I love not having to use the stairs as much. I wanted to be able to entertain and this has a great kitchen/dinner that opens into the garden so I can easily host 20 people. I grew up Idaho, US and our house was 3,270 sqft. It was definitely more space than our family of five needed, but I didn't notice when I lived there. When I'd visit my parents before they moved, it was a big shock. I used to joke that I needed to pack a bag for the long journey from my bedroom to the main living space of the house. 😃 I wish you and your family every happiness while you settle in your new (old) city.
Hello, Marissa. I'm certain you will be able to replicate the success you had decorating your flat in Germany (which was so perfect). I used it as a model to decorate my home, since we moved too. Best of luck on this new stage of your life❤ Can't wait for the following videos about it🎉
Happy for you. We moved from Alaska and live in FL in a 1800 sq ft house with a pool and fenced yard. Its comparable to our home in Alaska - except for the pool. Seems we traded the vistas of Alaska for the pool and beaches here. It’s a great launching off place for our maturing family of 5.
We have a 2000 sq ft home in the Netherlands for a family of 4. I love for us to have the space to grow our family, but for now we have too much unused space I think. The house was mostly a very smart financial step in a prime location.
I moved from a 1000 square foot two-story house with basement to a 400 square ft second floor apartment. I am perfectly comfortable and content in this space. It helps that I have ample closets, ample kitchen counters and cupboards, and plenty of natural light. My only regret is that the living room doesn't have any wall long enough to put a couch on, but it's a small sacrifice that is balanced by the fact that there's a sizable backyard that I can use and enjoy as I wish. Naturally I had to pare down my belongings tremendously when I moved in here, and 4-1/2 years later I am in the process of another major declutter. I have no goal to become a minimalist, but I might wind up there anyway.
I live in Berlin with my husband and our dog on 45sq ft with a small kitchen, a tiny bath, a bedroom, a living room and a little balcony with a view on water (plus a small room in the basement for some storage). We're looking for a bigger flat every now and then, but so far we found nothing with more space and a price we're willing to pay, just way too expensive. So I regularly declutter to keep the small flat nice and neat. We also have a garden with a cute cabin (25sq ft), that helps us a lot when feeling in need of a change of scenery, because being surrounded by nature is a very beautiful compensation. Also, coming back from there, the flat feels sooo big and the city so lively. Having these two places keeps us in balance and though it's not much space, I really like both. Everyone who comes to us, can't believe it's just 45sq ft and says the furniture is just so pleasantly arranged that it feels much bigger - that always makes me happy, because it's the result of years of optimization 😅😂
My and my husband lived in 700 sq ft apt for 17 years as about family was growing. Now we are family of four. We recently moved to a townhouse- 1500 sq ft with additional 600 sq ft based and I love it. We have a good memories from our apartment and I always kept it nice and tidy but I feel so much better in our bigger home. I’m an highly sensitive person and I need some space. I love spending time with my family but now I feel like we all have our own space as our girls have separate rooms now. It’s also easier for me to keep clean- who would think! Everything has its own space and I have huge basement that I’m planing to leave as empty as it can be. Marisa I wish you and your family all the best- you are kind person and I always enjoy watching your content. Sending love to this community 🥰
Our flat has 75 square meters (=807 square feet), 2 balconies and 2 bedrooms for two. It is perfect for us and it still feels like a lot of space. :) I was always interested in tiny homes but I am happy with the size of our flat. I think its more practical because here you have space to have guests.
I am a widow, living alone, so I need very little space. I have a studio apartment that is slightly less than 400 square feet. It has an L-shaped kitchen with good prep space, enough room for a comfy bed, a couch a couple of guest chairs (one of which doubles as my desk chair) a spacious desk and about 8 linear feet of built in closets with mixed hanging and shelving storage. It suits me to a "T" and I spend many hours Googling to try and find a building authority that will let me fulfil my bucket list and build a 500 square foot tiny house. No luck so far, they all want more square footage than that. But I'm in a rental now and I really want to own so that I can have a dog and a garden.
Great video - love the idea of answering our questions! As for my home, it is a 648 Sq ft manufactured home. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and combined kitchen-living room. Decided to downsize when I moved 5 years ago. Current home 1/3 the size of previous house. I LOVE the small space! Less to furnish, easier to clean, lower utilities- the list goes on and on! Sort of forced in to minimalist living with the downsizing, but so grateful for it now. You are so right - the marketing and consumerism push is so strong. Takes a conscious effort to resist. Looking forward to more videos as you settle in!
Glad your move went well (at least this first transition)! About the plastic bags, some states or cities have banned them in the US depends on geography unfortunately. I’m with you on that, shouldn’t be allowed anywhere anymore. As for house size, I’m actually in the middle of a downsize to an apartment from a condo for that reason (my kids are older & flown so it’s easier to downsize from that perspective). So sweet about your husband - glad he’s found work he’s excited about. And glad for your boys and you as well in this new chapter. Wishing you all the best!
Just had to work the sq ft thing out as we're selling our home - 2200sq ft/204sqm!! And that's not including our outdoor deck area or backyard. We're moving to a slightly smaller place with a smaller yard (189sqm or 2030sqft so not that much smaller lol) because tbh the living spaces in this house are ridiculously large and it's wasted (or taken over with kids stuff which just seems to multiply when I'm not looking!) I'm looking forward to having a bigger ensuite, a bigger walk in robe, and having all the kids stuff in one single space instead of spread across 4 living areas as well as in their rooms. As another commenter said, it's less about space than about space usage and floor plan!
My childhood years were in Canada and then my dad received a very good job opportunity in Australia. As life has it I then moved to Germany after high school for a number of years, where in fact my parents originally come from and where I have relatives. After 10 years in Germany I came back to Australia. You never know where life can take you and people ask which country I prefer to live in and though Australia is home with my husband and children and my parents and sister and her family, I have wonderful memories of Canada and Germany. The countries all have their pros and cons like you were mentioning and I could totally relate to what you were saying. Australians like Canadians are so friendly and easy going, you definitely need a car in these large countries and Germany has such a beautiful atmosphere of traditions and culture, great public transport and health system but every country definitely has their pros and cons. Home is where you make it. Look forward to your new adventures. Your children will cherish the memories and respect the differences in countries like you already do Marissa.
I spent my childhood in Canada as well (my dad is Canadian) and we moved back to Australia. I HATED it here. Kids were SOOOOO mean and it was very distressing. I am married to an Aussie and now my home is just wherever he is ❤
For the square footage question, I think our house is about 2k, which is plenty! But the big thing I've noticed with square footage is that how it's organized makes as much or more difference than how much you have. For example, our kitchen (square footage wise) is pretty big but in a very narrow L shape, making it awkward to use, especially if more than one person is cooking at a time. I'd love to redesign it to make it a better flow when cooking, but I'm not sure how to do it without completely changing walls or doing other large expensive renovations.
Shop for groceries online and then just pick them up at the store. Many stores offer this. You then avoid the temptation to look at all the 'shiny objects' that catch your attention. You can usually check out your produce while they are loading your groceries to see if they are satisfactory and the store associates will get you a different one if you want.
Welcome back to the Chicago area. I think it's great to be able to afford a temporary apartment as a launch pad before a more permanent place. I do love your previous home and realize that it was a difficult but well thought decision. I agree the consumerism in the USA is astonishing and debilitating at times.
Hi Marissa. We live in a 2450sq ft house. There are 5 of us. All our children are young adults. I think it's perfect amount of space, but really, it's about how the space it carved up. I think bedrooms don't need to be huge, but having spaces for quiet, work, etc is important. Especially if you work from home. I really appreciate your honesty about the challenges you face in such a big move. Best wishes on your future dwelling search. ❤
Oh nice! Chicago! The city where you began together!! Welcome back to the states. On the subject of square footage, we are a family of five in a 2000 square foot double-wide modular rental (aka trailer, but modlular sounds nicer). It's really is the furthest thing from the house that my husband and I dream of, like old homes with good bones and character, even squeaky floors 😉, but it is spacious and bright and we've made it look nice. We really don't need more space. I can't imagine taking care of more house than this. We'd just fill it with stuff if we did! We have two living rooms - one doubles as our school room and we can pack a whole crowd of people in for a dinner. A bonus is that it is situated 18 acres of wooded land as well. You don't really need tons of room to have a beautiful, peaceful home.
Our rental home just north of Austin is a two story 1,794 sqft home. It feels perfect for us right now with our two kids. They share the second largest room upstairs and the smaller room is a guest room/play room.
About 5 years ago, my husband and I retired and moved from 1800sf typical Californian suburban home to a 650sf permanently located mobile home in the Sequoia National Forest. It was only 1 1/2 hr away and in the same county, but also a world away. Small stores really help curb the draw to mass marketing. We tend to use a local hardware store and Grocery Outlet for household & food items. Once a month we do a “big shop down the hill” as the locals say and purchase more bulk items like pet food, paper products, and any needed clothing at a big box store. I hate going. The traffic, stores, and amount of people make me anxious now after 5 years in a rural community. Life is just simpler. People don’t care if your car is washed & spotless or if you have a nice front lawn or off-brand shoes - things like that. People here worry more about potential wildfires, water safety (our river is very dangerous), spay & neutering our pet population, and helping neighbors in distress. It’s just a whole different life, and we like it. Years ago, we used to live in Valparaiso, IN in the countryside and would travel into Chicago regularly. We loved that season of our lives, too, with two little boys like yours 😊 Much love as you re-settle into life here. Love that your husband is enjoying his new job and the boys are enjoying their new school. Be sure that YOU try to connect to a small circle of people too, maybe a book group or community center. After you settle in, don’t just huddle in your home and work. It feels like connection to friends & colleagues will be easier for them and you might have a harder time finding that in-person tribe. For me, that lead to some depression & anxiety. I needed a few “real” people in my life, too. Just be sure to care for your mental health, too. 💛💐
1100 sq ft one level ranch for 2 adults. 3 bedrooms, 1.25 baths, decent garage and too large a yard per DH (dear husband). I’ve been very happy with simplifying and decluttering, 7 yrs after moving from 2400 sq ft house that we bought for babies that never happened.
Welcome back to the North Shore. Our home is a 1064 sq ft ranch with a full basement. We have a large yard to enjoy. We're very happy with a smaller space. The basement is useful during the colder months for indoor activities.
I brought my house for my garden rather than the house, my gardens just under 1 acre and I’m slowly learning how to grow all my own fruit and veg to give my family healthier food that I know has no chemicals on it. That was so much more important to me than the size of the house. To me the house is to big but my husband thinks it’s the perfect size. But long as I have my garden then I’m happy ❤
As an Australian- No to the plastic bags! Why are they still using them?! Such a massively populated country needs to stop using single use plastic bags! We found people very friendly when we visited the states, similar to here in Australia 🙂
Plastic bags are the worst. I live in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island and we've been plastic bag free for years (provincial bylaw), however the rest of Canada only adopted a plastic bag ban this past spring. Oh the moaning and whining! You'd think they'd been asked to cut off their right arm. It's not hard to have some reuseable bags in the car. You get used to it when there's no alternative.
I wish they were banned locally. I get so annoyed when I send my reusable bags down the conveyer belt only to find someone sticking them in plastic bags at the end of it. And if I say something about using my bags, they just take the groceries out of their bags and throw them away. 🤦♀️
They were banned in New Zealand a few years ago now. Though I think there was one foreign owned supermarket that has only just stopped having them available for fruit and veges.
I love to hear you speak 🥰 I relate so much with your experience because I was an emigrant myself since I was 3 years old... I move 7 times in 4 diferent countries (France Portugal Angola and Macao) so I know how difficult it is to move, leave people behind, restart every time.... my daughter was 4 months when we move to Asia.. boa sorte😍🍀❤️🇵🇹
CONGRATULATIONS on your move back to the midwest. Really happy for you and your family and glad you made the decision that is best for all of YOU! All The Best!!!
Our family of 4 live in 1500 square foot 3 BR/2 BR in CA. We have a 5k lot and love our outdoor space. We have enough space and feel grateful for it. I use reusable bags and have to work hard to avoid pre-bagged produce. It is heartbreaking truth. We strategically purchased near bus station, park, bike path and near shopping but still feel dependent on a car. Welcome to the USA!
I live in a 1.270 square feet house, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Currently my adult sons live here with me and my husband, but they have just finished their studies and are about to move. I look forward to turn one of their rooms into my creative space and the other one to a guest/exercise room. I think the size is perfect for our needs.
Including the basement, our townhouse has 1,200 sq. ft. We had six children when we were at our ‘coziest’. By the time our seventh arrived (adoption), we were down a couple of kids. We have always been grateful for our house; it’s been the perfect size from three to six kids!
We recently purchased a smaller home, it is 864 square feet on the main level and an additional 864 square feet in the finished basement. Our last home was approximately 4300 square feet. I have a strong preference for a smaller home; less to manage, less to clean. Our youngest child is finishing college and will be moving out in a year or two. When she moves out, our basement will be largely unused. I think 800 to 1000 square feet is perfect for my husband and I. We’ve been slowly working on downsizing our possessions and furniture. I like to live in the space for a bit. It helps me decide which items are most useful in the new home.
![What does a MINIMALIST think of Marie Kondo's Netflix Show? [Season 1 - Tidying Up]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/I8Nz2abNJjE/mqdefault.jpg)
![What does a MINIMALIST think of Marie Kondo's Netflix Show? [Season 1 - Tidying Up]](/img/tr.png)
Don't forget to like 👍 this video + sign up to join the course waitlist here: landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/u0i2s3
For the cars, assuming you haven’t gotten them yet, get EVs! No gasoline or oil changes needed! We have two of them (not Teslas) and we love them very much! The electricity cost to charge them is not a lot. We don’t have to charge them every day, more like twice a week. Just a thought.
Hi 👋 Marissa I m happy u r in Chicago
I live in 963 square food apartment but it’s kind of big, we r downsizing to a
1 bed
1 bat
It’s just my husband n me ❤
Love all ur videos and admire you so much
Big hug 🤗 4 u
I feel that minimalist kids often need bigger spaces because they will play more imaginative games and need more space to be active with less. Personally the temptation to fill empty space is big but it also gives u room to put stuff when you are decluttering... I have 1425sq but honestly most of it is because we got it unrenovated so we got a deal but it's super expensive where we live. I'm glad I have space and time to declutter
@@Ripplesinthewaters😊😊😊
@@Ripplesinthewaters We've got an EV and a hybrid, right now. The hybrid is more expensive to maintain, but uses so much less gasoline than a typical gas car, and that lets us do much longer trips (where I live does not have a great charging infrastructure).
I love languages..the fact that your boys will speak 3 languages is amazing..knowledge is power
Yes, knowledge is truly power.
I think it's amazing too.
It’s not that Europeans aren’t friendly, we’re just blunt and real, we don’t act friendly on purpose.
after living in France for years and going back for a visit the states a lady at a store asked me how I was doing and if I needed any help I stood there for a second in shock !then I remembered how friendly people are in the states and that It is normal to be asked that !! LOL
🤣
As a German Myself, I was shocked how friendly people in France were when I went to the grocery store 😂
@@majussel as an austrian, i was shocked how friendly people in germany are
@@tinylama as a Brit, I go to self-check out so I don't have to speak to anyone
@@AtoZenLife😂😂
After living in Germany for 2 yrs, we came to the US for a visit and when we went into Walmart, we had to leave, it was overwhelming how many choices we had in front of us. You definitely get used to a new way of life. After our time abroad, I prefer online and smaller store shopping.
As a German, I think it's hard to decide who is more friendly. I used to move around Germany from Northwest to East Germany and South Germany. The people are so different in every area. I had the hardest time in Berlin, when I went to Aldi and witnessed one man threatening another man to give him a liver punch if he would say just another word. I was so shocked!!!
I saw an old woman RAM someone else’s shopping cart 🛒 at top speed because they took too long in the aisle. 😅 I was shocked too!!! (It was at Lidl.)
I never in a million years thought we would ever move out of our home. We have a 2,200 sqft home on a 1/2 acre lot and we are moving completely across the country to a 1,600 sqft home on a small lot. We are moving close to my brother, The schools are amazing and with our equity, we won't have a mortgage where we are going. So I keep reminding/reassuring myself that it's going to be good for our family. Cheers to new and unexpected journeys. ❤
You are so generous with your audience. I really appreciate your candor.
We downsized from 2000 to 1600 to 500 and I think 800-1000 would be perfect….basically what used to be the average size of a home in the U.S.
I’m your new Filipino subscriber, we’re renting a 500 sq ft apartment for 5 years now, so your decluttering tips are very helpful with the clutter we accumulated for that 5 years ❤ I’m not sure if we will be minimalists, maybe not, but decluttering as your teaching will be my foundation to consistently doing it ❤
1300sq ft, 4bed 2 bath, family of 6, beginning to shrink with the kids growing up and leaving. Always a lot of peer pressure to go bigger, and we could afford it, but we have everything we need in our basic home, in neighborhood where we know our neighbors, and we don't want to move again unless we have to. Appreciate your content, keep it coming!
For me it’s not always about the sqf. But the layout . I’ve been in 1200sqf apartments and felt I had more space than being in 1400sft. The other thing is lack of outdoor storage etc garage or outdoor shed ! That helps a lot
Totally agree! Layout is everything, and storage for things like tools and recreational items (or in our case, by husband's winter tires 🙃😭) can be pretty tough in an apartment.
3 comments:
1) I love your channel!
2) The person who asked if you uprooted your family back to the U.S. for CONTENT (!?) obviously didn't watch your previous video.
3) We have a 2,400 sq. ft. house (includes the garage). We don't use the den, the formal dining room, or the "office". The guest room is basically a storage room. We are just a few years away from retirement and are looking forward to downsizing ALOT!
OMG he was dancing! I got tears in my eyes about that. So happy for him!
As far as groceries- I love doing grocery pick up. I am also an HSP and this helps me reduce overwhelm. I also like going to places like Aldi and Trader Joe’s as there’s less choices.
Oooh, great tip!
I’ll second the pickup tip! Also helps eliminate a lot of impulse buying. Be aware they give you plastic bags tho. That’s why I cut it out post pandemic.
I love Trader Joe's!
We started doing grocery pickup during COVID. Now I'd never go back. It's SUCH a time saver.
I spend way less with grocery delivery- even with fees and tips. Also, it saves decision fatigue and time.
Don't stress the whole decoration thing. It takes time to figure out how to adjust to a new life, and we all make mistakes while trying things out. It would be a treat to be on this journey with you. :D
2 years ago we sold our 3200 sq ft house and moved to our country place that has a 670 sq ft living quarters within our 40' X 60' barn. It has been wonderful downsizing and getting rid of all the stuff we realized we never used and was able to give it to others that need it. Best move of our life!
Wow, that's a huge change! Just curious how many people do you have living in the space?
Luckily it’s just my husband and I with our dog.
We live in a 4400 sqft Victorian home in rural Minnesota. We have four adult children, three are married, three grandchildren. We are the home base for our family and need all that room for when we gather for holidays or family reunions. I love my home! I call it The Stairmaster because it is four stories and I keep fit going up and down the stairs (very handy in the depths of winter for exercise). There are five bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a large kitchen, dining room, living room, a room for my sewing, and a full finished attic with a pool table, treadmill, storage, and guest room. Plenty of storage in the basement too. It all sits on just over an acre of land. Best part of the whole deal was that it cost $123.5K (in 2017). There are plenty of advantages to living in tiny town or rural America.
Yesssss! I love Chicago. My favorite place in US
We live in South Wales UK, our home is less than 800sqft and we're a family of 10 (with only one bathroom, one toilet) 😅 It makes for an interesting life!
So glad you made the move and you found your happy place 💜
You're such a softy - but that's why we love you! ❤
Thank you 🥹🙏
I live in a 300 sq foot apartment w my partner. It is small, but we are both minimalists, great communicators, and are able to save money. We are young adults in an expensive city doing our best and it feels good! 😊
I admire your dedication as a wife and mother to have made this compromise to better your family. Your genuine soul and dedication shines through our screens and it is a pleasure viewing your life in every aspect. Thank you. xo
I live in a 700 sq ft condo with a cat and a dog. For the most part, I could probably downsize a bit as long as I still had storage like an attic or something for the bulky seasonal items, like shovels and winter gear. For me, square footage isn't as big of a concern as natural light and layout.
Family of four living in a single level 696 square foot house. We have 15 acres of land, and spend plenty of time outdoors. It’s enough for us! Low bills and a very small mortgage make it worth it.
Awww, welcome back to chicago!!! I am here also so excited 😊 🤗!!!
we live in a 656 sqft app. and love it... enough space for 2 persons. less cleaning less clutter PERFECT
My family of 4 lives in a 3,000 sq ft home. It's a very open floor plan and I love all the space we have. I have learned that as I declutter, I really value wide, open space so 3,000 ft doesn't seem too big.
Hi Marissa, so glad to see you this morning. My husband and I are in 2600 sq ft, downsized from 4000 sq ft 5 years ago. We are now 77 and 83 and this house is good for us since we have family that comes to visit Florida. we lived in Tokyo for 4 years and I was in total culture shock when we got back home.
I moved from Hong Kong back to the U.K. after 7 years and the reverse culture shock has been insane. I’m a year in and still struggling!!
The Americans I met in person were very friendly. I think it depends whereabouts you live. The British get a bad rep yet my grandad - from Derbyshire - is very forward, friendly, unreserved.
It's definitely lay-out over square footage, I have lived in a 1200 square foot space that was comfortable but had a tiny kitchen, and I cook and bake all the time so didn't love that. We have spent most of our years, and raised 3 kids, in our 1800 square foot home. 3 bedroom, open living room and kitchen, and a den, 2 bathrooms. It is perfect. Now that we are empty nesters it doesn't feel too big and we have room for guests.
Here in California, we use reusable bags for the groceries, stores do not provide plastic bags anymore.
My family lives in a small home of under 1000sft. We love it! We can talk to each other across the house. Each person is able to have their own room with enough space for what we need. We are a close family and this home just fosters it further. We have talked about building an even smaller home too, but we are probably just going to turn the garage into an apartment for our oldest.
Our family of five is living in a 680sqft 1.5 bedroom house, and we finally outgrew it with our third child. Up until now it’s been perfect and cozy, but despite a somewhat minimalist approach to stuff it’s cramped 😅 We are sad to leave but we’ll be moving next year, looking to double the square footage for breathing room as our kids grow!
I don't think that I've posted much on your channel. But I had to post. I'm sorry that you and your family were put into the position of moving back when you wanted to live the rest of your lives where you were in Germany. Sometimes things happen. However you seem to have made the best of things and moved forward positively, I know it's not always easy to do but you're doing it.
I'm also one of the ones who are hoping to watch and learn more tips that you pass on from this latest move.
Good luck. You're in my thoughts and prayers. Love your videos!!!!
Thanks so much for your comment and support. Love the positivity! 🙏
Welcome back to the Midwest!!!! I’m so glad you get come home during fall, so you can see all the beautiful colors! Sending you good vibes 😊
My favorite season! 🍂
We live in the UK in a 900 square feet home with two rooms downstairs (kitchen and lounge/diner), & four upstairs (bathroom, 2 small double bed rooms + a box room).
Our home is the perfect size for me, my husband, son & our pets & we have zero interest in upsizing. It felt too big before we had our son, but it’s a good size now we have him.
The only thing I’m jealous of that people have in other countries are pools! Only very rich people have pools here.
Your new place looks amazing ❤️
Outside of Chicago as well. Welcome back to the area!
Chicago’s such a great city. 👍🏼
what part?
Welcome home! I’m a northwest Chicago suburbanite! I moved back after eight years away, and I also have that place-based memory experience. I just moved from a 5 bedroom home in Vermont to a few 1000-square-foot 2-bedroom apartments to a 648 square foot apartment. I felt very minimal in my last 1000-foot space, and now? I’m feeling uncomfortably maximal. I like having a smaller space, because I’m single and this reduces my carbon footprint. It helps me make better decision about what I need. Does a single person need NINE bath sheets? Even with company, am I ever going to have THAT MANY people needing bath sheets in my apartment? Um. No. I am asking myself, “What do I NOT need?” and dropping things off at the thrift store accordingly. And NOT repurchasing! It feels so good!
Our family (of five) moved from an almost 2500 sq. ft., 4 bedroom house in the suburbs of the Twin Cities to buy a family member's older 1750 sq. ft., 4 bedroom lake home in rural MN. Downsizing has been challenging and is still a process (there is a reason I sought out videos about decluttering 😊), but we love the slower pace, less traffic, and don't miss having the big house to care for.
Though we are very car dependent where we live, we find we tend to drive less than when things were closer to us in the suburbs. Before, we were more likely to run out again if we forgot something or try more stores if we couldn't find it closer to home. We now are more likely to make due and remember to get it on the next shopping list or accept that we can't get it locally and either need to order online or find a way to do without. We've also decreased our car expenses by shifting to electric cars (currently a Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid and a Tesla model Y). I was skeptical at first that it would work, being rural, but it's worked out great (even took a road trip to visit family in TN this summer with no charging/range issues in the Tesla).
I second shopping smaller stores like ALDI to help with choice fatigue. That has helped me out a lot.
Best wishes as you guys settle in and as always, thank you for the things you share!
Welcome back to the States! We are a family of 3 (husband and baby) in a 1250 sq. ft. apartment (3 beds, 2 baths), and it is perfect for our needs.
❤️🇨🇦. Being your in law’s age and having all our grands closeby I have so much respect for your decision and how hard leaving them would have been for you. The image of him dancing in his work shirt is so lovely. Sending you strength for the journey!
As a Chicagoan who moved to the UK almost nine years ago I couldn’t agree more about the differences you mention. Both good and bed… Hope the transition back is as expected for you and the family.
I live in a 20 sqm (215 sqft) apartment in Taipei with my husband. We are not Taiwanese and came here to study in graduate school.
We both like living as minimalists, and we could say that our apartment is quite small, but it is the best apartment for both of us because it is close to MRT.
Renting in Taipei is quite expensive, but I love small apartments because it is easier to clean, and it even makes us more intimate 😁
We have just under 2000sqft. 4 bed 2.5 bath. We just bought this house and are expecting a second baby. We love this space right now. I think as our kids gets older we’d like a little bit of more room for like a bonus room or game/play room. But for having little kids and having family come stay with us often along with sometimes working from home I think it’s great.
I get overwhelmed shopping at big grocery stores. So much to choose from ! And I've never left the US. 😊
I lived in a 1400 sq ft, 3-bed, 2-bath home and raised my 2 kids in that house. About 3 years ago, I sold that home (empty nester and widowed) and bought a 1700 sq ft, 3-bed, 2-bath home in another state. Even though I upsized in living space, I significantly downsized in things, eliminating about 75% of my possessions before the move. I’m still not a minimalist, but heading that way.
We recently upgraded from 1400 sq ft to 2400 sq ft, but with less space for storage so we were forced to declutter 20 years worth of stuff! We got rid of A LOT! And although, some areas of our house still feel way too cluttered, overall, I love all the open space we have now. I'm sure at some point we may downsize again, but for now, I'm truly enjoying the space we have.
I found your channel yesterday, already listened to the entire book - the life changing magic of tidying up- and now bing watching your content and decluttering the last two days while I have the time to myself!😂 thank you so much for the inspiration! ❤🙏
I grew up in relatively large apartments and there always was this idea that for one person you should have two bedrooms (one to sleep, one as office/guest room), and then add one bedroom for each additional person. I live in an area that works great for me but is not the most popular, so was able to find an apartment that fit with this guideline. But even though it was great to have that space during the pandemic, and I very often have house guests, I also feel a bit guilty taking up so much space.
Having moved from Germany to the US, I totally agree with those culture shocks!
Our house is 2 stories and a basement, about 2400 sf in total, and I think my family of 4 could live happily in half the space! We got such a good deal on it in 2012 and I can't imagine moving in today's market. The neighborhood works really well for the 4 of us. I thought I would have more kids, but in the end only 2 of 4 babies resulted in live births, so this is what we have. That said, in the past 11 years, we've had my brother, sister, college age foster daughter and my parents living with us. This channel helps me consistently declutter, even in the rooms we don't use all that often, to keep them from becoming store rooms.
We live in a classic 1920 bungalow, 800sq ft with a smaller unfinished basement for laundry/storage/workshop. The space is laid out very well so we have lots of living space and smaller bedrooms (good!) but very little storage. It encourages us to live more like people lived 100 years ago, before the consumer economy took hold. I hope you find somewhere to live with some kind of walkable community. I would find it very hard to give that up.
We are living in 1175sqft flat which is devided to 2 floors. Me, my boyfriend and 2 kids (3 and 1,5yo). Right now it feels perfect for us. We struggeled with storage spaces but thanks to your videos we decluttered that much that it is not our problem anymore ❤️
I love this video!
(sorry for those rude people)
You are so down to earth that its like listening to a close friend or neighbor. Glad you are back in the USA!!
Of all the podcasts, you are the most inspirational, thought-provoking and so well-spoken!
Me and my boyfriend just moved from a 85 m2 apartment to 62 m2. And we moved across the country. It might be smaller, but we have everything we need and it is SO much cheaper for us. We might have downsized in m2 but not in happiness. I had to declutter a lot when we moved and your videos helped me with that. So thank you 😊
Liked even before watching. I wish you the best luck in whatever adventure you embark ok with your lovely family. Your story reminds me so much of mine and your chanel has helped me through some really dark times. Much love ❤️
Thank you so much for your kind words and support - I’m glad to hear that I’ve helped you in some way! 🙏
Wow! I was just in Chicago on a long layover from AMTRAK ..had a blast! Walked nearly 14 miles according to the app on the phone. People were sweet and helpful. Who knew there were so manyleafy neighborhoods right down town? Cannot wait to go back!
My home is probably only 1500 sq ft but since we gave up the lower level so my mother could move in, it feels we are overloaded with possessions, I am working on decluttering to feel more peace and calm in the area we have left.
My husband, our two children, and I live in a 800 square foot home..its a little cozy but we make it work. I actually found your channel a couple years ago when I was searching for minimalism inspiration because we realized having 4 people and a ton of stuff in a tiny house was not gonna work 😂.
Congratulations on the move and this next chapter in life!
Welcome back to the States!
I know what you mean about the people, in Germany, not being friendly!
I lived in Germany for three years. I loved it and miss it, but the people were not friendly. My landlord was very friendly and helpful teaching me German of kitchen items . She would take me shopping with her. She loved my son, at the time he was 15 months old, she would babysit and just take him down to her apartment. We lived above her.. Her husband wall papered our whole apartment. I just bought the wall paper.
Anyway what I was getting at, is in my case, the people didn’t like us Americans. Also we we’re Military, they did not like the military!
Thought it was cute that you told us about your husband dancing in front of the mirror!
I’ve followed you for a long time. Looking forward to your videos with your family living in the States!
Take care!
💜🌻💜🌻💜🌻
8 years ago I downsized from an 850 square-foot condo to a 424. I absolutely love small space living.
My husband and I are currently living in a two story 2200sf home with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. For years we entertained a lot, hosted family Christmases and even had our niece live with us for about 5 years. We stopped entertaining right before Covid, family Christmases moved to my mom’s house and my niece has been moved out for 6 months. We have about 18 acres total (across 3 contiguous properties) and care take about 5 of it mowing, gardening, etc…the rest is woods). We have been renovating my husband’s childhood home which is now 1420sf, one story 3bd/2ba on 2 acres about 5 miles away with the intent to sell it. After much thought and many conversations, we have decided to move there in a quest to downsize our home, our stuff and the work of upkeep. We are so excited for this new chapter in our lives. Good luck with your new chapter.
My family of 5 + 2 dogs live in a 1400 sq foot house, 3bed, 2bath. We’ve lived here for 8 years and have loved it. Before we decluttered a lot we always wanted to add a room, after decluttering we don’t talk about adding a room.
I think we're (my wife and I) in about 900 sqft. In the UK, it is a fairly standard 3 bed terraced house. We use the third bedroom for my office. We wanted this place because it had a downstairs loo, my disability makes stairs hard work and I love not having to use the stairs as much. I wanted to be able to entertain and this has a great kitchen/dinner that opens into the garden so I can easily host 20 people.
I grew up Idaho, US and our house was 3,270 sqft. It was definitely more space than our family of five needed, but I didn't notice when I lived there. When I'd visit my parents before they moved, it was a big shock. I used to joke that I needed to pack a bag for the long journey from my bedroom to the main living space of the house. 😃
I wish you and your family every happiness while you settle in your new (old) city.
Hello, Marissa. I'm certain you will be able to replicate the success you had decorating your flat in Germany (which was so perfect). I used it as a model to decorate my home, since we moved too. Best of luck on this new stage of your life❤ Can't wait for the following videos about it🎉
Happy for you. We moved from Alaska and live in FL in a 1800 sq ft house with a pool and fenced yard. Its comparable to our home in Alaska - except for the pool. Seems we traded the vistas of Alaska for the pool and beaches here. It’s a great launching off place for our maturing family of 5.
We have a 2000 sq ft home in the Netherlands for a family of 4. I love for us to have the space to grow our family, but for now we have too much unused space I think. The house was mostly a very smart financial step in a prime location.
I moved from a 1000 square foot two-story house with basement to a 400 square ft second floor apartment. I am perfectly comfortable and content in this space. It helps that I have ample closets, ample kitchen counters and cupboards, and plenty of natural light. My only regret is that the living room doesn't have any wall long enough to put a couch on, but it's a small sacrifice that is balanced by the fact that there's a sizable backyard that I can use and enjoy as I wish. Naturally I had to pare down my belongings tremendously when I moved in here, and 4-1/2 years later I am in the process of another major declutter. I have no goal to become a minimalist, but I might wind up there anyway.
I live in Berlin with my husband and our dog on 45sq ft with a small kitchen, a tiny bath, a bedroom, a living room and a little balcony with a view on water (plus a small room in the basement for some storage). We're looking for a bigger flat every now and then, but so far we found nothing with more space and a price we're willing to pay, just way too expensive. So I regularly declutter to keep the small flat nice and neat. We also have a garden with a cute cabin (25sq ft), that helps us a lot when feeling in need of a change of scenery, because being surrounded by nature is a very beautiful compensation. Also, coming back from there, the flat feels sooo big and the city so lively. Having these two places keeps us in balance and though it's not much space, I really like both. Everyone who comes to us, can't believe it's just 45sq ft and says the furniture is just so pleasantly arranged that it feels much bigger - that always makes me happy, because it's the result of years of optimization 😅😂
My and my husband lived in 700 sq ft apt for 17 years as about family was growing. Now we are family of four. We recently moved to a townhouse- 1500 sq ft with additional 600 sq ft based and I love it. We have a good memories from our apartment and I always kept it nice and tidy but I feel so much better in our bigger home. I’m an highly sensitive person and I need some space. I love spending time with my family but now I feel like we all have our own space as our girls have separate rooms now. It’s also easier for me to keep clean- who would think! Everything has its own space and I have huge basement that I’m planing to leave as empty as it can be. Marisa I wish you and your family all the best- you are kind person and I always enjoy watching your content. Sending love to this community 🥰
Our flat has 75 square meters (=807 square feet), 2 balconies and 2 bedrooms for two. It is perfect for us and it still feels like a lot of space. :)
I was always interested in tiny homes but I am happy with the size of our flat. I think its more practical because here you have space to have guests.
We have 2200 square feet, and it’s too big for me! But it’s necessary for this season, so here we are.
I am a widow, living alone, so I need very little space. I have a studio apartment that is slightly less than 400 square feet. It has an L-shaped kitchen with good prep space, enough room for a comfy bed, a couch a couple of guest chairs (one of which doubles as my desk chair) a spacious desk and about 8 linear feet of built in closets with mixed hanging and shelving storage. It suits me to a "T" and I spend many hours Googling to try and find a building authority that will let me fulfil my bucket list and build a 500 square foot tiny house. No luck so far, they all want more square footage than that. But I'm in a rental now and I really want to own so that I can have a dog and a garden.
Great video - love the idea of answering our questions! As for my home, it is a 648 Sq ft manufactured home. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and combined kitchen-living room. Decided to downsize when I moved 5 years ago. Current home 1/3 the size of previous house. I LOVE the small space! Less to furnish, easier to clean, lower utilities- the list goes on and on! Sort of forced in to minimalist living with the downsizing, but so grateful for it now. You are so right - the marketing and consumerism push is so strong. Takes a conscious effort to resist. Looking forward to more videos as you settle in!
Glad your move went well (at least this first transition)! About the plastic bags, some states or cities have banned them in the US depends on geography unfortunately. I’m with you on that, shouldn’t be allowed anywhere anymore. As for house size, I’m actually in the middle of a downsize to an apartment from a condo for that reason (my kids are older & flown so it’s easier to downsize from that perspective). So sweet about your husband - glad he’s found work he’s excited about. And glad for your boys and you as well in this new chapter. Wishing you all the best!
Just had to work the sq ft thing out as we're selling our home - 2200sq ft/204sqm!! And that's not including our outdoor deck area or backyard.
We're moving to a slightly smaller place with a smaller yard (189sqm or 2030sqft so not that much smaller lol) because tbh the living spaces in this house are ridiculously large and it's wasted (or taken over with kids stuff which just seems to multiply when I'm not looking!) I'm looking forward to having a bigger ensuite, a bigger walk in robe, and having all the kids stuff in one single space instead of spread across 4 living areas as well as in their rooms.
As another commenter said, it's less about space than about space usage and floor plan!
My childhood years were in Canada and then my dad received a very good job opportunity in Australia. As life has it I then moved to Germany after high school for a number of years, where in fact my parents originally come from and where I have relatives. After 10 years in Germany I came back to Australia. You never know where life can take you and people ask which country I prefer to live in and though Australia is home with my husband and children and my parents and sister and her family, I have wonderful memories of Canada and Germany. The countries all have their pros and cons like you were mentioning and I could totally relate to what you were saying. Australians like Canadians are so friendly and easy going, you definitely need a car in these large countries and Germany has such a beautiful atmosphere of traditions and culture, great public transport and health system but every country definitely has their pros and cons. Home is where you make it. Look forward to your new adventures. Your children will cherish the memories and respect the differences in countries like you already do Marissa.
I spent my childhood in Canada as well (my dad is Canadian) and we moved back to Australia. I HATED it here. Kids were SOOOOO mean and it was very distressing. I am married to an Aussie and now my home is just wherever he is ❤
For the square footage question, I think our house is about 2k, which is plenty! But the big thing I've noticed with square footage is that how it's organized makes as much or more difference than how much you have. For example, our kitchen (square footage wise) is pretty big but in a very narrow L shape, making it awkward to use, especially if more than one person is cooking at a time. I'd love to redesign it to make it a better flow when cooking, but I'm not sure how to do it without completely changing walls or doing other large expensive renovations.
Shop for groceries online and then just pick them up at the store. Many stores offer this. You then avoid the temptation to look at all the 'shiny objects' that catch your attention. You can usually check out your produce while they are loading your groceries to see if they are satisfactory and the store associates will get you a different one if you want.
Welcome back to the Chicago area.
I think it's great to be able to afford a temporary apartment as a launch pad before a more permanent place.
I do love your previous home and realize that it was a difficult but well thought decision.
I agree the consumerism in the USA is astonishing and debilitating at times.
Hi Marissa. We live in a 2450sq ft house. There are 5 of us. All our children are young adults. I think it's perfect amount of space, but really, it's about how the space it carved up. I think bedrooms don't need to be huge, but having spaces for quiet, work, etc is important. Especially if you work from home. I really appreciate your honesty about the challenges you face in such a big move. Best wishes on your future dwelling search. ❤
Oh nice! Chicago! The city where you began together!! Welcome back to the states. On the subject of square footage, we are a family of five in a 2000 square foot double-wide modular rental (aka trailer, but modlular sounds nicer). It's really is the furthest thing from the house that my husband and I dream of, like old homes with good bones and character, even squeaky floors 😉, but it is spacious and bright and we've made it look nice. We really don't need more space. I can't imagine taking care of more house than this. We'd just fill it with stuff if we did! We have two living rooms - one doubles as our school room and we can pack a whole crowd of people in for a dinner. A bonus is that it is situated 18 acres of wooded land as well. You don't really need tons of room to have a beautiful, peaceful home.
Our rental home just north of Austin is a two story 1,794 sqft home. It feels perfect for us right now with our two kids. They share the second largest room upstairs and the smaller room is a guest room/play room.
Clearly ppl who think you are moving for content didn’t watch your last video! I’m just so happy to see you on YT every Sunday😊
About 5 years ago, my husband and I retired and moved from 1800sf typical Californian suburban home to a 650sf permanently located mobile home in the Sequoia National Forest. It was only 1 1/2 hr away and in the same county, but also a world away. Small stores really help curb the draw to mass marketing. We tend to use a local hardware store and Grocery Outlet for household & food items. Once a month we do a “big shop down the hill” as the locals say and purchase more bulk items like pet food, paper products, and any needed clothing at a big box store. I hate going. The traffic, stores, and amount of people make me anxious now after 5 years in a rural community. Life is just simpler. People don’t care if your car is washed & spotless or if you have a nice front lawn or off-brand shoes - things like that. People here worry more about potential wildfires, water safety (our river is very dangerous), spay & neutering our pet population, and helping neighbors in distress. It’s just a whole different life, and we like it.
Years ago, we used to live in Valparaiso, IN in the countryside and would travel into Chicago regularly. We loved that season of our lives, too, with two little boys like yours 😊
Much love as you re-settle into life here. Love that your husband is enjoying his new job and the boys are enjoying their new school. Be sure that YOU try to connect to a small circle of people too, maybe a book group or community center. After you settle in, don’t just huddle in your home and work. It feels like connection to friends & colleagues will be easier for them and you might have a harder time finding that in-person tribe. For me, that lead to some depression & anxiety. I needed a few “real” people in my life, too. Just be sure to care for your mental health, too. 💛💐
1100 sq ft one level ranch for 2 adults. 3 bedrooms, 1.25 baths, decent garage and too large a yard per DH (dear husband). I’ve been very happy with simplifying and decluttering, 7 yrs after moving from 2400 sq ft house that we bought for babies that never happened.
Welcome back to the North Shore. Our home is a 1064 sq ft ranch with a full basement. We have a large yard to enjoy. We're very happy with a smaller space. The basement is useful during the colder months for indoor activities.
Our family of 4 live in a 2300 sq ft home and it's perfect.
I brought my house for my garden rather than the house, my gardens just under 1 acre and I’m slowly learning how to grow all my own fruit and veg to give my family healthier food that I know has no chemicals on it. That was so much more important to me than the size of the house. To me the house is to big but my husband thinks it’s the perfect size. But long as I have my garden then I’m happy ❤
That sounds incredible!
As an Australian- No to the plastic bags! Why are they still using them?! Such a massively populated country needs to stop using single use plastic bags! We found people very friendly when we visited the states, similar to here in Australia 🙂
Plastic bags are the worst. I live in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island and we've been plastic bag free for years (provincial bylaw), however the rest of Canada only adopted a plastic bag ban this past spring. Oh the moaning and whining! You'd think they'd been asked to cut off their right arm. It's not hard to have some reuseable bags in the car. You get used to it when there's no alternative.
Plastic bags are banned here in New Jersey, where I live. 😊 They still do have the little fruit bags, though...
I wish they were banned locally. I get so annoyed when I send my reusable bags down the conveyer belt only to find someone sticking them in plastic bags at the end of it. And if I say something about using my bags, they just take the groceries out of their bags and throw them away. 🤦♀️
They were banned in New Zealand a few years ago now. Though I think there was one foreign owned supermarket that has only just stopped having them available for fruit and veges.
I love to hear you speak 🥰 I relate so much with your experience because I was an emigrant myself since I was 3 years old... I move 7 times in 4 diferent countries (France Portugal Angola and Macao) so I know how difficult it is to move, leave people behind, restart every time.... my daughter was 4 months when we move to Asia.. boa sorte😍🍀❤️🇵🇹
CONGRATULATIONS on your move back to the midwest. Really happy for you and your family and glad you made the decision that is best for all of YOU! All The Best!!!
Congratulations. I am excited for you!! I am glad you kept your German home. I really liked it.
Our family of 4 live in 1500 square foot 3 BR/2 BR in CA. We have a 5k lot and love our outdoor space. We have enough space and feel grateful for it. I use reusable bags and have to work hard to avoid pre-bagged produce. It is heartbreaking truth. We strategically purchased near bus station, park, bike path and near shopping but still feel dependent on a car. Welcome to the USA!
I live in a 1.270 square feet house, three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Currently my adult sons live here with me and my husband, but they have just finished their studies and are about to move. I look forward to turn one of their rooms into my creative space and the other one to a guest/exercise room. I think the size is perfect for our needs.
I’m grateful for the missed connections and the rerouted paths. it made sense over time.
Including the basement, our townhouse has 1,200 sq. ft. We had six children when we were at our ‘coziest’. By the time our seventh arrived (adoption), we were down a couple of kids. We have always been grateful for our house; it’s been the perfect size from three to six kids!
It seems that you didn't really want to move, but you’ll get used to it and be happy, good luck!
We recently purchased a smaller home, it is 864 square feet on the main level and an additional 864 square feet in the finished basement. Our last home was approximately 4300 square feet. I have a strong preference for a smaller home; less to manage, less to clean. Our youngest child is finishing college and will be moving out in a year or two. When she moves out, our basement will be largely unused. I think 800 to 1000 square feet is perfect for my husband and I. We’ve been slowly working on downsizing our possessions and furniture. I like to live in the space for a bit. It helps me decide which items are most useful in the new home.
Your commentators get really rude; you’re very nice to them and yes, I’m excited to see how you guys adjust and what I can learn!