I am no stranger to living in a small(er) space. Three years ago, our family decided to sell our 2,400 square foot home and downsize. Our goal was to homeschool, and to do that, I needed to quit my full-time job, and therefore lose a source of income. This ultimately meant we would need to find a smaller, more affordable home.
After months of looking, we finally found the perfect home for us, and it was indeed considerably smaller! Mission accomplished. We went from 2 living areas to one. From 2 bathrooms to one. From a single car garage to no garage. From spacious closets throughout the home to 3 tiny bedroom closets total. From 2,400 square feet to 1,400. And to top it all off, we also gained another little girl along the way!
It seemed a little overwhelming to downsize so drastically, but I have learned a few things through the process. If you have found yourself in a similar situation, or maybe you feel you have “outgrown your home”, here are some quick tips that might help you rethink your space!
1. Minimize. Minimize. Minimize!
This is an obvious first step, so I won’t harp on it. But the less you have overall, the less you will have to find a place for. Be ruthless and get rid of things you don’t need.
2. Use the Walls
Try to think of ways to DISPLAY the things you use. For example, if you need to make extra room in your kitchen, try hanging your cutting boards on the wall. It doubles as decoration and easy access. You can also hang your pots and pans on the wall or above an island. Need to save closet space? Lean a decorative ladder against the wall for all your blankets to hang on! Have an excess of kids’ artwork you don’t know what to do with? Hang it as decoration! And don’t underestimate a simple shelf mounted to the wall. They can be inexpensive and very handy!
3. Look Down Low
Under beds, dressers, chairs, etc. There is space under there that you can utilize! We have a large furniture piece that has an 6ish inch gap from the floor to the bottom of the piece. 2 square rolling carts fit perfectly underneath! They are easy to pull out and work great for my girls’ Legos and art supplies. I use plastic totes under beds for out of season clothes/shoes. I keep a small basket of baby toys under a chair in our living room. The thing about using storage underneath furniture is that it doesn’t take up any additional square footage. It’s space that’s already there and free for the taking.
I hope these few tips help you see the space you DO have in a new light. You probably have more space than you realize. It’s just all about using it to its fullest potential!
