Don’t worry, you don’t need to go to the “tiny house” extreme to see the benefits of buying a smaller house with an efficient floor plan. The smart decision is to look for a home that is a comfortable size for you and your family, and only as big as you really need it to be.

A smaller, more efficient home makes a lot of sense for various reasons. A smaller home is typically cheaper to build, using less material for construction. Less square footage means less space to heat/cool and lower utility bills. A smaller home also requires less time and money to clean and maintain.

A home design with less square footage usually enables you to have smaller mechanical systems like furnaces, air conditioning units and water heaters; shorter water pipes and air duct runs, and fewer light fixtures, wall outlets and switches. The energy load needed to power those major systems is reduced because you have fewer of them, thereby lowering your electricity bill.

If you’re downsizing from a larger home, you may be trying to picture where everything will go in a smaller house. Let’s face it, most of us have too much stuff. The more we have, the more space we need to store it. Closets, pantries, built-ins, extra bedrooms … it all adds up to a larger house.

Before searching for your new (right-sized) manufactured home, purge your current home of clutter, excess clothing, and things you rarely use, and then see how much space you truly need. Need more motivation? Sell all of your old stuff and buy new. Focus on multi-purpose pieces that are space efficient like a sofa that converts to a guest bed, an ottoman with storage or multi-use appliances.

With a bit of planning, your new home can bring you everything you need, with less waste and less stress.