Why smaller houses can make us happier

为何小屋能让我们更快乐

Post Reports

2026-01-29

23 分钟
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Houses in the United States keep getting bigger, but the people in bigger houses aren’t necessarily happier. Bigger homes often come with higher costs and more maintenance and can pull people further away from the places and relationships that matter. For some, choosing a smaller home can actually make life feel easier, more connected and more satisfying. Elahe Izadi speaks with climate coach Michael Coren about the joys that come with living in a smaller house and what to prioritize when deciding where to live.  Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Dennis Funk with help from Ariel Plotnick and mixed by Sean Carter.  Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
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  • I live in a small house, like 900 square feet small.

  • That's less than half the size of the average American home.

  • And I feel it.

  • When my mom stayed for a couple days,

  • she kept talking about how the kitchen was too small for her to cook in.

  • And whenever I have more than seven people over,

  • it feels like playing Tetris trying to fit them all into the living room.

  • Sometimes I wonder if I should upgrade.

  • Especially when I go online, and it feels like everything there is telling me

  • I need more of whatever I already have, including living space.

  • But I've been resistant to sizing up.

  • There are positives of a small home.

  • Like, I can't really hoard too much stuff.

  • And I love that I don't have to spend a lot of time or money

  • furnishing my place or keeping it clean.

  • And turns out, there is research to back me up.

  • My colleague, the Post’s Climate Coach, Michael Coren, has been reporting on this

  • and discovered something surprising:

  • that actually, smaller houses can lead to happier lives.

  • From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports.