We’ve just got back from redecorating our studio apartment in the mountains. This tiny indoor space has taught us so much about what is truly important for happiness.
Let me take you on a quick tour …
As you enter the apartment you have a fitted cupboard and bunk beds on the righthand side of the hallway. On the left is the bathroom – just enough space for a bath with shower above.
At the end of the hall is the main room which includes a small kitchen along one wall, a table with seating for four, a sofa-bed, and access to the balcony. Here you can enjoy views of beautiful snowcapped mountains with a glass of wine.
All of this is packaged into a tiny 26m².
This is not a big indoor space. But it’s so well designed that it works perfectly for our vacations as a family of four.
The storage easily takes all our clothes, books, toys and equipment.
The apartment is always tidy, easy to clean, and encourages minimalism.
Since it is in the middle of the building it benefits from shared heat with all its neighbours.
The balcony effectively gives three rooms out of those 26m².
We head to this little studio apartment in the mountains a few times a year for skiing, climbing, and hiking trips.
I feel so content when we’re living there.
Small spaces lead to minimalism
Minimalism is the natural consequence of living in a small space and life is better for it.
Living in the apartment has taught us how little we need to be happy. We’ve brought that lesson back home, helping us to tidy and declutter, so that life flows effortlessly there as well.
Homes are shelter above all else
The apartment has taught us that a home is primarily shelter. It’s main job is to protect you from the elements. To provide somewhere for you to rest after adventures in the world.
Life is exhilarating when it’s lived outside in the mountains, in the woods, on the trails, on the slopes, amongst the rock faces and the waterfalls; then when you’re done adventuring you come home into the warmth of your perfect space.
Our society has wrapped up so many ideas into our thinking about houses that move us away from the simple fact that they are shelter:
Homes are seen as investments, as storage for an ever-increasing collection of things, and perhaps more than anything as indicators of wealth and status.
Think twice before buying that mansion
People strangely overvalue size. Larger properties in the same stunning location in the mountains are on sale for ten or twenty times the price of the little apartment. But the much cheaper apartment offers exactly the same access to the beautiful mountains.
The larger the house the more time and money you’re going to have to spend to keep it maintained. To keep it tidy and warm or cool enough. The more the house is going to own you, rather than the other way around.
But since you only use one room at a time; how many rooms do you actually need?
People will borrow as much as they can (and keep going back to borrow more) to move into increasingly large and expensive houses throughout their lives. Often without considering whether this is actually making them any happier.
Each move up brings more things to think about, more space to decorate and clean, more tasks to outsource. Each move increases on-going spending.
Spending on housing is often your largest expense, so realising you can be happy in a smaller house can massively reduce your time to financial independence.
Assets vs. Liabilities
The asset vs. liability mindset shift is also key in order to reach financial independence. Real estate can be either:
A second home with a mortgage, taxes to pay, and other running costs can be a significant liability – continuously taking money out of your pocket.
A second home, let out when it’s not in use, can be an incredible asset. Giving pleasure to many and providing you with a stream of passive income.
Enjoy living with just enough house
A small space frees up your time to enjoy living.
In those 26m² of perfectly packaged shelter the genuinely fulfilling moments of life become clear. Life is lived outside on the mountain trails. And when the adventures are over, we return to our always clean, always tidy, perfectly equipped space.
Always available hot water refreshes. All the music and movies you could ask for are available via streaming services. Take a kindle with you and you have access to all the books in the world. A laptop enables learning, writing, creating, and sharing via a fast internet connection. Shops, restaurants, and bars are just outside.
The apartment is always tidy, always comfortable, always warm or cool enough. The running costs are negligible and the whole thing can be redecorated in two days.
Living there is easy.
This extreme minimalism feels so right.
Having exactly what you need – enough – and not a single thing more.
This is the joy of living in a tiny apartment.
Though I could live happily-ever-after in those 26m², I am aware that it would not be ideal as a family of four. So we haven’t sold our home to move into a tiny apartment just yet. We have, however, been cured from continually browsing for bigger and more expensive houses.
I hope you’ve found your perfect place and are content and happy there.