My parents have recently divorced and I chose to stay with dad. Our family home was quite big, with a yard, patio,… now my dad rents a studio - we have living room, kitchen, bedroom (1 room) + bathroom + balcony. I actually really love it, it’s very cozy, intimate, nicer location, easier to clean, less clutter…
Our home isn’t small (3 bedrooms, 1200sq ft) but with two kids that’s decently sized.
Getting something bigger would mean more surface to clean, a larger mortgage, more taxes to pay, and would require more stuff to not make it feel empty.
I like where I am right now, so no need to upscale.
Even my land isn’t very big, it takes me about 45 minutes with a manual push lawnmower and the grass trimmer to cut it all.
If I was living alone, I’d probably get one of those tiny house and optimize the shit out of it, like one of these (but not on a trailer) and with a bit more space for a washing machine & dryer, then try to make it more eco-friendly by using solar energy for some of the components inside.
It’s really funny that the person right above your comment says that their 1200 sq.ft townhouse is small. Just goes to show that it’s all a matter of opinion