Living in a small home can be quite easy and comfortable, but it also has its challenges. These include a lack of space, the feeling of being squeezed in, frequent chaos and not having enough room to move around. Probably everyone living in a compact home has at least once been in the awkward situation of having to part with some of their belongings to make room for new ones. This type of home often looks cluttered with items, and sometimes even untidy.
One of the challenges owners and tenants of small homes face is managing to store their belongings in the limited space they have. If you need some inspiration on how to do this, you can check out our small apartment storage ideas.
Functionality: A key to furnishing a small apartment
Although at first glance small apartments seem easier to arrange, this is not always the case. You may find yourself struggling with how to store your belongings - how to arrange them so they don't fill up your already limited space and keep the conveniences your compact apartment offers. Thus, one of the most important factors when arranging a small home is its functionality. You can ensure it by having the right furniture. The market already provides numerous creative solutions. All you need to do is just look for them. Some good ideas are:
- A sofa bed that converts into a bed and has a chest in it;
- An armchair;
- Side table that turns into a dining table;
- Stools with storage inside them;
- Dining table with built-in space for crockery and cutlery
- Bed with lifting mechanism for more storage space
- Wall mounted bed, etc.
However, your budget may not be large. We have prepared a few ideas in this regard as well.
Small apartment storage ideas on a budget
Very often people decide that they can make do with their current lifestyle in order to save for something else. However, it's good to know that there are affordable options for maximizing space in a small apartment.
You don’t always have to buy big furniture
You can use the walls of your home to make it look more spacious. Instead of buying huge cupboards and wardrobes to take up space, just think about how much space you need and install a few extra shelves. Even though the weight they can take is limited, they are still suitable to hold a bunch of stuff and make the home tidier. Use them to store books, collectibles, decorations and finer items. Installing a few shelves would also be beneficial in terms of electronics and plants. An option is to also place beautiful boxes to hold your smaller belongings.
Make optimal use of the space in your furniture
It turns out that very often in large furniture there is space that is not properly used. Manufacturers don't always design wardrobes according to their customers' needs. That's why you can look for unoccupied empty space and install a shelf or two. This way, you'll provide yourself with another place to store clothes or boxes.
Don’t forget door organisers
They are made of different materials such as wood, metal and textiles and are able to add comfort and neatness to small homes. They are one of the most inexpensive and affordable small apartment storage ideas. You can mount them easily and thus provide yourself with a lot of extra space. They are not particularly suitable for interior doors with glass windows, but they do an excellent job for closets and bathrooms, and with more creativity even for the living room. You can easily use them to store bags, accessories, beauty products, toys, flowers and even food.
Life hacks for a small apartment for when your free time is limited
Sometimes it's not about buying furniture and installing shelves. You need other types of small apartment storage ideas related to habits.
Return your belongings to their place
Very often the home looks untidy because in the dynamics of everyday life people rush around, use an item, and then leave it on the first convenient place they see. It's a good idea to designate specific places for particular types of belongings and only store them there. After reading, the book goes back on the bookshelf. The screwdriver used for repairs goes in the toolbox and the cup from the morning coffee goes in the dishwasher. This way, you won't waste time searching because you will always know where your belongings are.
Create a habit of getting rid of unneeded belongings
Organizing and tidying your home certainly depends on the amount and volume of your belongings. Sentimental feelings often cloud judgement and at some point, the home ends up overflowing with unnecessary things. At other times, it's more about our unwillingness to spend all day rearranging shelves, dressers and closets.
That's why it's a good idea to get into the habit of weeding out the unnecessary in a timely manner and not overfilling your cupboards with things that are only taking up space and will never be used. If you get this habit into your daily routine, things will happen quickly and easily, and your home will look much more spacious.
Sustain and be eco-friendly by using old boxes
Another idea is to use boxes you already have as a sort of organiser. This way you'll save time on shopping by making the most of the items you have, while also bringing order to your home.
Storing belongings in a small apartment when you don't have permission to make changes to the home
There are cases where the home you live in is not yours and you do not have your landlord's consent to make substantial changes. In this case, we come up with a few ideas.
Equip yourself with suitable boxes
Boxes in which to store your belongings would not only contribute to your tidiness. They would also create more space in your home, as you can easily place them either in the closet, under the bed or in drawers. If you have wider space in which you can place more boxes, measure it and make a careful selection. Ideally, the boxes will be able to be placed steadily on top of each other and will compact the space. Get clear ones or label them so you know what's in them and thus, not waste time looking for what you need.
Keep only season clothes in your wardrobe
Storing only seasonal clothes in the wardrobe is recommended in order to optimise the space available there. This way, you can pack currently unusable clothes in bags or in suitable clothes organisers and store them outside the apartment - for example in a dedicated closet or common space in the building you live in.
By using a clothing rack, you could keep your clothes neat and tidy, allowing yourself to move them as needed. It is a good idea to have it close to the wall or corners of the room.
Think about the shoes too
Proper shoe storage is also among our small apartment storage ideas. Shoes often occupy the narrow space of the hallway. This visually reduces its space. The use of under-the-bed storage organizers and hanging door organizers would help in solving the problem of stacking extra pairs of shoes.
Provide more space by reorganising the furniture
More space in your home is also possible through more radical changes. These include re-arranging your furniture, completely redecorating by purchasing multifunctional or folding furniture, and making custom furniture.
You can take your problem and ideas to an interior designer who can assist you in the process. In case you are not able to afford an expert consultation or you simply don't have the time for one, you can always swap your furniture and try different options yourself. When rearranging a home, it is advisable to make changes in the direction of increasing the free floor space at the expense of the vertically occupied space.
Often, to create more space in your home, you may have to part with some of the non-functional, rather decorative, pieces of furniture.
Now you have a complete set of small apartment storage ideas. Indulge in the process and you are sure to achieve great results in optimizing space and creating more comfort. Taking care of your home requires different kinds of help. Check out Movega Removals services and contact us for assistance using our contact form or chatbot feature.