Big Houses Big Egos

For a long time now I have wondered why somebody would want a big house. What does it really serve? Is it our ego? Is it a statement? Keeping up with that ego can be very challenging and damaging for some.

Growing up in an environment where symbolism plays a huge role has led to huge debts. A big house would symbolise a person’s status. Either they are rich or are high income earners this could justify their bigger than average house. Unfortunately, irrespective of whether individuals are financially sound, they are demanding big houses which come with the cost of excessive mortgage. This behavior is widely common across the globe, especially within small societies. It has left people with nothing but debts and empty houses because they can’t afford to furnish it. 

People have forgotten the initial concept of houses and what their purpose is. Over centuries the concept of the house has evolved just like everything else. However we have been misguided by our surrounding environments of how they should look and be. Like everything else people focus on the exterior rather than the interior. We need to rethink certain choices and consider the primary purpose of having a house.

The question we should ask ourselves is; why would anyone want a big house anyway?:

1. Love cleaning all day long.
2. Like spending time in different rooms to avoid boredom being in same room.
3. Have big parties regularly.
4. Easily spot the house from a distance, saves time explaining to people how to get there.
5. Spending money on cooling it down, heating it up and maintaining it.
6. Love shouting, as fellow household member(s) can’t hear you when they are on the other side of the house.
7. Want people to know that I might be rich.
8. Like sitting down and paying a cleaner to keep it clean.
9. Boost your ego.

See the below list which may explain why people prefer a smaller house:   

1. You are able to have more time for social activities since you will not waste time cleaning.
2. People will be more physically capable of keeping it clean compared to a big house when they get old.
3. People will have more money saved in the bank so that they go on more than one holiday every year.
4. Avoid huge stressful unmanageable mortgages.
5. Easier to warm it up or cool it down, saving on money due to lower energy consumption.
6. Less money to decorate it and fill up space.
7. No real need for a cleaner.

8. Building a small house has less negative impact on our environment compared to bigger house.

When building your house or even buying a house, you need to bear in mind the future. Houses don’t get smaller when we get older. So unless you will be changing homes later on in life, you might need to take this into consideration.

We are all aware of these points, but still we get influenced by what we see. We need to start thinking realistically, and how our choices today might affect us negatively in the future.

Think smart, small is the new big.

Standingapart.com will be posting an article soon on some basic tips to consider when building your house. This will help you to save on money by avoiding doing things that don’t need doing.