Johnson said that downsizing has brought her family closer together and helped her and her husband become better communicators.
“A lot of times as a married couple with kids, you’re like, ‘We’re gonna go argue about this privately,’ but we really can’t,” she said. “We figured out ways to speak to each other that are very respectful, and it shows them we disagree, but everything is OK.”
Plus, it’s been great for her sons to be so close to their grandparents, and Johnson said it’s made her family more appreciative of their belongings and aware of what they need and don’t.
In fact, instead of moving to a bigger space, the Johnsons are now renovating their current home so they can live there for another five years, largely to provide their kids with stability.
Adding onto the house will also be more affordable for the Johnsons than paying rent at a different property over the next five-year period.
“We look at it as an investment,” she said. “What we’re spending to add on is what we’d spend in rent in one year somewhere else.”
Staying at the house also ensures that the Johnsons don’t have to rush to buy property, allowing them to purchase the land and build the home of their dreams.
“If we find property and things line up, we’ll be prepared, and we will build a home,” she said. “But now we’re not pressured.”
“We have time,” she continued. “We can search for the perfect piece of property. We can save for every feature and thing that we want in our home. Or if we want to stay, if we still love it in five years, we just won’t leave.”
Read the full article here
