Big houses are adorable; they are spacious and can accommodate a lot of people and property. I admire them a lot, but I will settle for a small house, even though it costs more, for different reasons.
Living in a big house comes with different challenges, but we choose to ignore them since we attach so much importance to size. If I had written this post some years ago, I would have chosen the big apartment that needed renovation because I had the mentality that anything big is better.
My mentality changed after adopting minimalism, and size doesn't influence my choice anymore. My parents don't own a big house, but I have lived in one for a short period, and the experience wasn't as pleasant as I imagined. We spent more time cleaning in the morning, which was the opposite at my parents' house, where I can singlehandedly clean everywhere within 30 minutes.
Cleaning took time despite the fact that we were three, and I was wondering how the family coped with cleaning daily. I discovered they have someone who comes every three days to help clean the whole apartment, and I can imagine how much money that costs.
Another thing I noticed was too much furniture because they didn't want to leave spaces empty. The distance the family kept within the house is not something I signed up for; everyone has a room and sometimes texts each other on the phone to communicate, unlike my house, where I can hear mom speaking from the living room if I am anywhere in the house.
Frankly, I prefer to have less furniture, fewer properties, and still have a lot of space for myself. I don't want my house to be cluttered, and a small house can restrict me to having a simple space. It can also restrict me to having a small family like I have always wanted, probably two bedrooms and at most three, so we can have space for guests.
I also wouldn't want a situation where members of the family are scattered around in the house. I love that physical connection, communication, and togetherness family experience in a small space, like snuggling together on the couch, eating, and watching TV together; it improves family bonds a lot.
What I need in a house is somewhere to call a home, somewhere safe and warm to retire to after a stressful day in an environment where love and nature thrive. Getting a big apartment that would demand renovation isn't necessary when I have a small place that is everything I want.
That doesn't mean I can't own a big house too; I can because it's a trend here, but it won't be for me. I can build it and rent it out at lucrative prices for people who like it big; the real estate business pays off a lot here.