Feel like you are living in a dollhouse? Need more space? Photo via Jennifer Juniper mom on Flickr
Do you live in a small apartment and have more stuff than you have space? There are many reasons why you may love your small apartment and want to stay there. You can’t always just move to a larger place or get rid of everything, so it is important to make the most of the space you have. We have some small apartment storage tips and tricks for you.
Under Bed Storage: Your bed likely takes up a good amount of space in your apartment, and most beds don’t provide for much storage space underneath them. You have a couple of options. First, you can get a new bed designed for space-efficient storage. Some beds from that old standby Ikea have built in drawers. If Ikea doesn’t exactly fit your style, many furniture companies offer beds with built-in storage. If you are happy with your current bed, or are looking for a cost effective solution, then you should consider bed risers. For under $20 you can get 4 bed risers to give you enough height to store containers under your bed.
Closet Organization: Use all of your closet space. If your closet just has a bar for hanging clothes and you have a bunch of shoes and other stuff on the ground, then it could be much more efficient. You can find closet organizers in many stores. Even a simple shelf will give you more storage.
Shelves provide more storage space.
Shelves: Utilize your vertical space. Are you not allowed to install a closet organizer or put holes in your walls? There are many types of shelving units or book cases that are free standing and can allow for much more storage in a relatively small space. Add bins to hold your smaller miscellaneous items.
Lighten the Load: Ask yourself, when is the last time you used this stuff? If you have to think about it, or you know it has been a long time since you used it last, then you should consider getting rid of it. If you get rid of the things that you don’t really care about, then you will have more space for those things.
Self-Storage: Have you organized all you can organize and gotten rid of all but the necessities and still have more stuff than you have space for? A small self storage unit can let you stay in your current apartment but give you some room to breathe. The cost of a self storage unit in addition to your current rent may still be cheaper than renting a larger apartment.
Just because you are short on space doesn’t mean you have to be buried by all of your stuff. With these tips, hopefully your small apartment will seem a bit bigger.
How do you make you most of your storage space in your small apartment? Share your experiences in our comments below.
