As more and more people begin to lean towards experiences over possessions, we’ve seen a distinct trend over the last five years for minimalist home décor.
People are looking to declutter, hone in on what truly matters, and make the most of the space available. Perhaps as a result of this trend, more and more Brits are downsizing. Having boiled down your home décor, it makes sense that you’d start to see the much larger open spaces as less necessary.
Then, seeing how you cash in on such space rather quickly, the minimalist just might opt to jump to a smaller build. Perhaps flowing from one trend into the other, minimalism and downsizing are certainly on the rise right now.
A Wave of Going Minimalist
Above all else, the core goal of the minimalist is to simplify life and their surroundings. Given the chaotic state of the world right now, an increased leaning towards minimalism certainly doesn’t come as a surprise. To get there, many will opt for budgeting over material possessions, swerving commonplace digital distractions, and opting for reusable purchases over single-use.
Helping people to get there, minimalist literature has certainly been picking up steam. Millions of people are looking to become freer but also needing some guidance on how to get there. After all, for many, switching in this way is a huge change. Among the top minimalist books to read, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo is one of the most popular. It’s sold over ten million copies by drawing its lessons and premise from Shinto tradition.
The premise from Shinto here is that, if we have fewer possessions, we have a greater capacity to care for those possessions. In this way, you can benefit from becoming more disciplined, having less clutter around you, and having more time for experiences. Having less to worry about and less to box you in lets you be freer.
Taking the Last Minimalist Step
A new minimalist living in a house too big for them will naturally start to explore smaller, cost-saving property options. Of course, many don’t because of the time-consuming and draining nature of the housing market, 85 per cent of property owners said that the main barrier to right-sizing is that moving home is always stressful.
Even when you’ve got solicitors and estate agents in the mix, the process of reviewing, listing, waiting, negotiating, and eventually selling is certainly an anxious process. So, many minimalists looking to get out of their big property, are now turning to guaranteed cash buyers.
Platforms operating we buy any house services will send a free cash offer swiftly after a user inputs their postcode and a few other details. With that offer comes a guarantee of sale. In as few as seven days after a deal is struck, the seller will get their cash for completing the exchange and sale.
With swift sales options like this that skirt around the usual lengthy process, it makes sense that the average age of downsizers has decreased to 40-years-old, and that 26 per cent of 26 to 35-year-olds also want to downsize.
While not all of these downsizers will be minimalists, there are inherent advantages to downsizing. Minimalism is on the rise, and with good reason, but having less to worry about also has many benefits. So, it makes sense that the two have become hot trends across the UK for homeowners.
With a Master in Architectural Studies from University of Pennysylvania, Marwa Haydar has pioneered living spaces since 2005. Her expertise, initially honed in a prestigious architectural firm, is evident in her approach to creating environments. Marwa became part of our team in 2019 and has since been a driving force in our home improvement section, known for her practical yet stylish solutions. She’s been spearheading our design workshops since then, infusing her passion for teaching into her work. In her leisure time, Marwa enjoys exploring historic architecture and is an enthusiastic pottery hobbyist, further enriching her understanding of form and texture.
