Consumerism- Is Your Home Bursting At The Seams?
Consumerism, very generally, is our predisposition toward buying and owning a lot of “stuff”.
Consumerism
We buy a big home and then we feel the need to fill it. Buying household goods, toys for the kids, sports equipment, yard tools, furniture, decorations and on and on. What ends up happening is we end up with a large collection of “things” that we may or may not need and eventually they consume our homes, our garages, and our sheds. Owning all these material things can even squeeze you out of your home and into storage lockers.
Storage
It’s great to have a nice home and feel comfortable with the décor, the furnishings etc., but when personal belongings overflow to the point of needing a storage locker, it may be time to re-evaluate. Storage lockers can cost a lot of money so think about the true value of anything you plan to store. Are you ever going to use it again? Do you really need to hang on to it? If you can live without it now (and you can because you’re putting it in storage), is it really worth paying for storage? Storage fees become another monthly obligation like the mortgage or utilities and add to the cost of owning your home.
Organization
Sometimes all you need to do is organize the items you already own. This allows you to really get a sense of what you own. Helping you to easily see what can be given away. You may even find things that you forgot you owned and finally be able to put them to good use! For some helpful organizing tips click here.
Do you need a bigger home?
One solution is moving into a larger home where these items can be used. The mortgage on the new, bigger house may not be any more than you’re already paying for your current mortgage plus storage locker costs. However on the downside, it continues the cycle of consumerism – you have a bigger home that needs more stuff, so you spend more money on items you may or may not truly need.
Whatever decision you and your family make, try to make sure it’s what best suits your needs. Don’t just buy a bigger house so you can use the things you have in storage. Take a look at scaling down by reducing on consumerism and how it can simplify your life.
If you’re in the market for a new home, call the Parker Team at (250) 751-1223 and speak with one of your well qualified real estate agents.
Whether you’re looking for big, small or something in between, we can help you find the perfect new home!
