The Overlooked Tip You Need To Know If Your Small Home Lacks Storage Space

Living in a smaller home can be a great chance to pare down the things you own to only the essentials and occupy only the space you need. Contemporary life, however, demands a lot of stuff, including everything from clothing and toiletries to décor and cookware, all of which can easily overwhelm a small space much faster than a larger one. A helpful tip to stem the tide of clutter is to live a more carefully curated lifestyle. How much of a curation you require will depend on how much space you have to work with, but it can be a great way to make a smaller space work for you while still keeping the belongings you need and love close at hand. Preventing clutter can make your home more functional and enjoyable, as well as make it seem larger than it may actually be.

Begin by taking an inventory of what you have and how to size it down. This is particularly important when moving from a larger space to a smaller downsized one. Small closets, limited cabinetry, and too few drawers are much easier to fill with less items than to subtract after the fact. You can always use the famous tidying method from organization guru Marie Kondo of determining what sparks joy and discarding the rest. If that approach feels too overwhelming, begin by separating items into three piles: keep, discard, and unsure. Place the unsure items away from the storage area for a limited time. If you wind up needing something, keep it. If not, after a designated time, discard or donate it.

Once you have your belongings pared down to fit your home, you'll need to be careful about what you bring into it going forward to prevent overstuffing cabinets and closets, as well as continuing to carefully curate what you have. This helps to discard clothes you haven't worn, appliances you haven't used in your years, and expired toiletry items and cosmetics. Set aside some time each month to tackle one area of your home that is accumulating too much or feels overly full.

Another approach is to re-evaluate your lifestyle and possessions in regard to the limited space. This might mean formatting a capsule wardrobe of basics to organize a small closet that can be styled together in different combinations. Or by using a no-fold wardrobe system in your space or storing off-season items somewhere other than your closet. Prevent kitchen clutter by switching your cookware to multifunctional pots or pans. Keep your bathroom well curated by simplifying your skincare and haircare routines to just a few key products and tools.