When Downsizing Buys You Freedom — A Mortgage‑Free Lake Home
A pair of retirees traded square footage for exactly what they use: a right‑sized, lake‑facing home designed around cooking, gathering, and having the people they love within reach. The payoff they describe is lighter days, easier living, and room for everyone without a mortgage weighing it down.
Kitchen & Dining — Big Island, IKEA Fit, and the Lake View
This kitchen is built for real life: big island, big pantry, full‑size appliances, and a work triangle that keeps everything close. It’s the kind of setup where you can cook, keep an eye on the grandkids, and still steal glances at the water.
They’re in a third IKEA kitchen.
The dishwasher hides behind a matching panel so it reads like another cabinet door.
A regular microwave lives in the island with a trim piece to make it look built in.
Quartz countertops came through IKEA, too.
And yes, there’s a true 10‑foot island — plenty of counter for meal prep.
From the stove forward, everything was a deliberate call. A propane range was the pick since a propane tank was already going in for the on‑demand water heater.
The layout keeps movement minimal, and cooking comes with a lake view over the sink . When it’s time to sit, there’s a 10‑foot dining table that easily fits about ten, with the grandkids lined up along a bench.
Open Living & Mid‑Century Furniture (Cozy, Not Crowded)
Walk in and it’s a single, open sweep from living to dining to kitchen — just enough walls to do the job, no more. They mapped out furniture on paper (and with a tape measure in an apartment) so the room would hold everyone without feeling crammed.
The main space is 18 feet wide and 55 feet long.
The goal was one large room with as few walls as possible.
They literally measured couch and chair sizes to be sure everything would fit right.
There’s a Harry Bertoia chair from the 1950s in the mix, plus pieces gathered from modern‑leaning shops.
The vibe aims for hygge — cozy and secure, especially in winter — and this smaller footprint delivers that feeling.
Bedroom, Closet and Loft — Practical Sleep Zones
Down the hall, a closet hides a stacked washer and dryer with a cabinet for cleaning supplies right beside it.
The bedroom isn’t big, but shifting from a king to a queen made it work without a fuss.
Each room runs on ductless mini‑split air conditioning, which keeps everything nice and cool.
Mornings come with that elevated, leafy lake view — it feels like a treehouse through the sliders.
Clothes live in the closet, not the bedroom — designed with measurements sent to Container Store for a tailored layout and shared drawers for both of them.
Up the ladder, the loft is the grandkids’ spot, with three IKEA twin beds and movable trundle bottoms on rollers so they can rearrange as they please.
Main Bath, Plumbing & Country Utilities
The main bathroom is built for two, with double vanities using IKEA cabinets and counters.
Like the kitchen, everything is drawers for easy storage, and there’s even a freestanding furniture piece for extra stash space.
Country systems keep things simple and efficient. They chose an aerobic septic tank — disposal welcome — and the sprayer field sits in a corner of the property.
Hot water is on‑demand, and a circulator serves the guest house so winter showers don’t waste water waiting to warm up.
Out here, utilities run low: electric averages about $100 a month, climbing to roughly $150 in peak summer, and water runs about $80 . They’re on municipal water piped in from a tower across the lake, and while a curbless shower wasn’t possible with the pier‑and‑beam foundation, they added a shower bench with aging in mind (un-timed detail from 12:01–12:24).
Outdoor Life — 71‑ft Deck, Breezeway and Guest House
The deck runs 71 feet across the lake side, with sliders into the living area and the primary bedroom — plenty of space for a crowd and every sunset.
It’s the kind of setup where some folks hang outdoors, others lounge inside, and the flow just works.
Most days gravitate to the breezeway — a true dog‑trot moment — where a sitting area with a fire pit and a dining table pull everyone outside.
Facing west means those Texas sunsets are on full display.
Across the way sits the guest house, set up like a hotel room with an entry, a coffee bar, a queen bed, an office nook, and its own bathroom so family can stay safely after a longer drive.
Out here, community happens naturally — neighbors cook out together, kids play without fences, and the to‑do list is lighter than a big‑house weekend.
- Deck: 71 feet along the lake - Breezeway width: 16 feet (southern dog‑trot style) - Guest house: approximately 18×14 with a bathroom (and room for a kitchenette)
Budget, Build Process & Why Mortgage‑Free Matters
The lot was one of three and was divided so they could buy just what fit their life — about $100,000 for roughly three‑quarters of an acre.
They chose a less‑expensive prefab route with Kangaroon Systems and opted for a shell instead of a turn‑key interior.
Exterior done, deck stained, and the builder out, they finished the inside themselves or hired it out as needed over time (un-timed detail from 09:16–09:43). The numbers landed around $175,000 for the exterior shell about three years ago, plus roughly $50,000 to complete the interior.
Selling their last house in one day with multiple offers allowed them to pay cash for this one.
Being mortgage‑free took pressure off retirement — exactly the kind of relief that makes the days ahead feel wide open .