What is something you'd give up to simplify your home?

[redfox]

The house for me too! Once the market picks back up, I want to sell... it's fun having all this space for just 2 people (1600 sf, 3 bedrooms AND an art studio, hot tub & garden house out back - sheesh!), and I have definitely loved converting the extra rooms into a textile studio and a media/guest/hang out room. But it feels rather ostentatious. Not to mention cleaning 3 bathrooms (5 sinks in all!) is absurd. Good thing the bathroom that was the kids' and is now the guest bathroom gets very little use.

[Kathy WI]

I'd give up my yard. We live on a corner lot, and it's not a huge lot but still bigger than most in this neighborhood just because it's on the corner. We don't hang out outside, we don't like yardwork or gardening, and we don't keep up with the yardwork as much as we should.

[Mrs-M]

I'd love to give up our basement for a ranch style home. (All one level). I've never cherished having to go downstairs to do laundry, and the older I get, the more I dislike having to do it. It was even worse when I had kids in diapers and had to lug the big awkward diaper pail down and up the stairs twice- three times each week. Everything all on one floor, one level, simple, easy, convenient.

[mira]

I live in a rented flat that has a BAR occupying about a third of the kitchen. I'd gladly rip out that useless eyesore and put in a dining table or extra storage or something.

Also, in an ideal world, I'd be able to lower the ceilings, since they're about 15ft high.

[herisf]

My mother's figurines! I'm currently in the process of eBaying her collection of figurines, so my 2nd bedroom/office is chock full of boxes - boxes of figurines, mailing boxes, packing peanuts, tape... you get the idea. As time allows, I'm also starting to digitize my photos, so eventually the photo albums will go. Since I already scan most of my documents, I no longer have a filing cabinet. Once the photo albums and figurines go, my office will be fairly simple - if I can keep up w/ the paper!

Since I already live in an 860 SF house, 2 bed 1 bath w/ easy-care yard w/ 2 small dogs, I have what some of you have been wanting! It is nice - or would be if I can empty out my 2nd bedroom and have more time to enjoy it!

[Jonathan]

We sold our old house with two car garage and a car to get our new house, with one garage, and the ability to walk to work and most of our evening activities. In the process, I gained a long list of things to fix up and improve. Current projects: wiring, insulation, and now the dryer...

[catherine]

I think I'm going to be forced to simplify our kitchen - we've gone thru 3 dishwashers in 18 years. Our hands have a better track record than that. I think it's time to just remove the latest one that broke during christmas and use that space for additional storage - which my kitchen lacks as a small galley style.

Our dishwasher broke this winter also, and when we got the repairman out, he told us that these days dishwashers are made to last about 3-4 years!!! We were amazed and appalled! However, we did buy another one at Home Depot's Black Friday sale for $298. That's the most I'd spend now, knowing it might be dead in 3 years. I'm willing to pay $100 a year for the labor-saving and also they say that if you keep the water running while you wash dishes, your dishwasher uses less water.

[Spartana]

I live in a rented flat that has a BAR occupying about a third of the kitchen.

When I first saw this I thought of the kind of bar where they serve you drinks! I thought "Why would she want to get rid of that?!"

[clear water]

I am planning to give up our currrent home. Now that the kids have grown up we can easily downsize. So were painting and updating a bit and hope to sell next year. I've loved it here but its time to move on . A huge house on 5 acres has less appeal to my husband and I now that were nearly 60. I would like a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom no basement, at least one covered parking spot. I love to garden so a small yard would be good. I am not taking a lot of stuff with me. What my kids don't want is going in a garage sale! Downsizing garage sales are well attended in our town.I can hardly wait. WE want to travel more, and have time for grandkids and friends family etc.

[Zzz]

Ohhh I thought of something. I'd gladly give up most of the grass in my lawn. Happily. In a heart beat. However, I can't spend to xeriscape it right now, nor can I physically do it myself right now. I would maintain a small area of grass just because the dogs love to roll around in it. However, it would be about a ten minute job to mow that amount of grass with a reel mower.