Transitioning from house to apartment living

Renters have taken over the real estate market across the U.S. Increasingly it’s become harder and harder to find rental homes, so many families are making the big transition to apartment living. The big dilemma here; homeowners typically have a lot of stuff!

Never fear, living in an apartment does have its perks too! Most apartments offer carefree amenities, like that pool you always wanted to cool off on those hot summer days but never had that huge chunk of change to dig out.  When it comes down to it, the adjustment to apartment living means you’ll just need to maximize the square footage of your new place and get creative with it. There’s no need to be tacky about it either. The transition from home living to apartment living doesn’t mean your new place has to look like a bad episode of “Hoarders”; there are certainly a few tricks to stay organized, keep your items accessible and not feel cramped.

 Tip #1 – Hang mirrors! Mirrors always make a room feel more spacious than it really is. This visual trick will also brighten up often-dreary apartments by reflecting sunlight more effectively around the room and opening it up.

 Tip #2 – Maximize hidden spaces.  File away infrequently used items like old family heirlooms or holiday decorations in giant plastic containers under beds, in the high shelving of closets and in those small extra spaces if your unit has a laundry.  The key here is to stay organized!

 Tip #3 – Shelves, shelves, shelves. This may require a quick trip to the renter’s haven, IKEA.  Mounting shelving on unused wall space safe from head space, are great spots to store your breakables or all of those great knick-knacks you likely had around your house to maintain your style.  Replace a gaudy armoire with something more practical like an expanse of stylish shelving to hide away all of the stuff you can’t quite give away but don’t quite seem to have the room.

 Tip #4 – Get crazy organized. Stock up on over the door shoe organizers. Probably more than you think you’ll need.  These are great not only for de-cluttering the closet floor but they also come in handy to organize various bathroom products, pantry items and kids toys. Install wall or door hooks where wet towels can be hung or things like extra purses, belts or ties. Install a key rack or special shelf by the front door to keep important items like your keys, wallet or purse right where you’d expect them to be.

Realistically unless you’re willing to spend extra on a storage unit every month you’ll have to sell off furniture or make well appreciated donations.  Take this opportunity to reprioritize, organize and start fresh!