Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by freelance writer Brooke Faulkner about how to have a smooth transition when moving into a small apartment.
There are many benefits to living in a small apartment, including affordability, minimalist aesthetic options and being near your belongings all the time. However, moving into a small apartment does require a few organizational changes from larger spaces, like getting rid of bulky furniture and emphasizing the importance of tidiness. Here are a few things to consider as you transition into a small apartment to make your move more efficient.
Choosing the Right Small Apartment
Before getting into the organizational advice, it’s important to recognize whether a small apartment is the right decision for you. While they can be very practical, small apartments are best suited for a certain demographic — typically people who live alone without any large pets. It’s also important to know that you’re okay with small spaces, because they really aren’t for everybody. If you enjoy accumulating lots of possessions, you may want to reconsider your decision to move into a small apartment, as you will be forced to downsize.
Small spaces are ideal for people with a minimalist approach to life, as organization is the key to living in a small apartment. Small living spaces do not do well with clutter; they can be organized to contain a reasonable amount of decor, but you can’t really leave anything lying around without a proper home for it without the apartment quickly seeming messy and cluttered. Therefore, if you have hoarding habits, it’s a good idea to work on creating new habits and taking steps to declutter that will help you keep a tidy space.
You don’t have to be completely detached from your belongings to live in a small apartment though. There are many instances in which a small apartment is the best decision for an individual, even if you have clunky furniture and lots of belongings. If you’re moving to a new city that you’re hoping to settle into, but aren’t ready for a large home space quite yet, bring all your belongings with you and store them until you are ready for a larger space. It can be refreshing to change up your environment for a short time, even if you want to hang on to your furniture.
Organizing Your Small Apartment to Maximize Space
Once you’ve narrowed down the possessions you’ll keep in your new small apartment to the essentials, it’s time to figure out where to put them. Luckily, many people have figured out how to maximize space in a small apartment, so we can learn from them and adjust to meet our own needs.
Before bringing your things inside your new place, take a moment to look around each room and mentally plan how you’ll organize the space:
- Tall bookcases or furniture that take up vertical space rather than horizontal space can help utilize your space more efficiently than furniture that takes up a lot of floor space. Think Tetris!
- Another key element to small spaces is to have some proper storage space where it’s needed. This is especially important in areas like the front door, where people often remove their shoes and jackets. A few simple hooks and a small shoe rack are enough to accommodate and organize this area and will keep your front entrance from being covered in shoes and jackets.
- The bedroom is another important area to have some storage space; a simple ottoman that doubles as a bench is perfect for storing clothes or other items you don’t want to leave lying around.
One of the best (but most difficult) parts of moving in general is getting rid of belongings you haven’t had the time to analyze whether or not you need. It can be time intensive and mentally consuming to think about how much you want and need all your possessions, but the process opens the door for a clean start wherever you go. Take some time to make those decisions and clear your space for a fresh new beginning.
With these tips, the process of moving into a small apartment can feel much more manageable and less stressful.
Special thanks to Brooke Faulkner for contributing this piece to our blog. You can view more of her work here.