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For anyone living in a small apartment, it is crucial to make use of every piece of square feet available. The longer you live there, the more things will likely accumulate and before you know it, you’re running out of space and wonder if the solution is to move into a bigger place!
Well, you don’t have to necessarily move, but instead just declutter your living space and remove anything non-vital to maximise the apartment. Organising and decluttering isn’t just good for your apartment, but also has several benefits for your mental health.
To ensure that you don’t feel overwhelmed just by the idea of decluttering your apartment, we’ll provide a few simple tips that will get you on your way and back into a tidy, structured, and beautiful living area.
Go step-by-step
Even in a small apartment, your best bet for quality decluttering is to take it in steps. This means starting in one room and breaking it into smaller assignments that are more manageable.
It’s no use attempting a bit of the bedroom, then moving onto half of the bathroom, then trying a few areas of the kitchen… you’ll be overcome too quickly!
Focus on one room, one area at a time. In the bedroom, for instance, move from the cupboard to the shelves to under the bed, but only switch to the next zone when you’re finished with one.
The three boxes
When you begin checking your apartment for things you might not want or need anymore, your best bet is to throw everything into three marked boxes (or bags) labelled, “junk”, “donate”, or “sell.”
If you’re considering an item, think of whether it’s completely broken and useless (junk), in good condition but not worth the effort of selling (donate), or in great condition and could get you a solid price upon return (sell).
Try not to get too attached
Once you start clearing out the cupboards and finding old things, it’s easy to get into the mindset of, “I’ll use this one day.” Well, it’s probably been sitting there for several years not being used or thought of, so chances are you won’t need it in the future.
Go in with a cold, cold heart and be ruthless in your judging of an item. If you really imagine that it can’t go into any of the three boxes and you’ll use it again, then that’s okay, but you’ve got to believe it 100%.
Think about furniture containing built-in storage
One thing that has two functions is perfect for a small apartment, such as a bed with drawers, a coffee table with two levels, and cupboards with pull-out shelves. You’ll be surprised at the number of furniture objects that have double uses, so consider these items for your home to create more space.
Get into good daily organising habits
Of course, it’s always easier to quickly fling off your shoes into the hallway or throw your jacket onto the back of a chair, but these bad habits quickly make clutter. A shoe cupboard helps your hallway look tidy, as all your footwear is hidden away. Hooks make your jackets look organised, and don’t forget about back-of-the-door storage options, as this is yet another way to hide clothing items.
Think about the one in, one out rule
We all like to buy new clothing or cosmetic items now and then, but if we end up keeping everything we’ve ever bought, the clutter starts to pile up and we’re back to square one.
A great idea is to consider one in, one out, so that if you do buy a new shirt or coffee mug, for instance, then get rid of an old one to ensure that the cupboards stay neat and clean.
Once you embrace the idea of minimalist apartment ideas and enjoy the notion that less is more, clutter won’t be a problem anymore. Start off slowly and soon you’ll wonder why you had so much stuff to begin with!