6 Eco-Friendly Tips to Move into a Small Apartment

With the minimalistic trend enjoying more popularity than ever before, many are looking into simplifying their lives. A lot of people are adopting the belief that simplicity is key to a stress-free and peaceful life. And since the idea is to incorporate simplicity in all aspects of our lives, our homes were naturally a great place to start. No matter their level of income, young people nowadays are preferring efficiency and functionality when it comes to their space over needless extravagance.

Quaint little apartments are in high demand and it is actually unsurprising. A single adult does not need a 4-bedroom duplex with huge hallways if he/she lives alone, such a place will take time, effort, and money to maintain and upkeep.

So, if you are planning on making the change yourself and moving into a small apartment, here is some advice for you to consider:

1. Take Furniture Measurements

If you are planning on taking your old furniture along with you, you will need to make sure that it will fit in your new place. Take all necessary measurements and compare them to the new apartment. Otherwise, you can treat yourself to some new pieces custom-made for perfect fit.

If you live in Austin or Texas, and basically sleep away the hot summers, do yourself a favor and get a mattress that attunes to your sleeping habits like the ones boasted by Liberty Furniture as the best from distinguished brands. Just because you are moving into a smaller apartment, it does not mean you have to give up the simple-but oh so essential- life pleasures. Opt for creating your cozy little space that has it all!

2. Donate Your Extra Stuff

Generally, when you move out, you will find tons of things that are no longer of use and you need to get rid of. However, when you are moving into a smaller apartment than the one you used to live in, you will need to be even more selective on what makes the cut and moves with you.

You will definitely find lots of clothes, toys, and furniture that are still in good condition that you won’t be able to take. Find a local goodwill charity and donate them. This will free you of unneeded items and make people happy with this generous gesture.

3. Seek Compact or Multipurpose Furniture

Now that you are limited with the size of your new apartment you will need to get creative with how to best use every single inch of space. Manufacturers are now coming up with interesting combinations of multipurpose pieces put together for ultimate efficiency.

You can invest in a bed equipped with extra storage units. Or you can go for a daytime couch that can comfortably turn into a guest bed for when your friend is sleeping over. You can even apply the same concept to your kitchen utensils; seek multifunctional furniture to save space that you cannot afford to waste.

4. Use Colors and Textures to Maximize Space

Using light colors is a great way to create an illusion of spaciousness. Choose whites and neutral colors for wall paint in all of your rooms, and also for your furniture and textiles. If your apartment is well lit, go for airy curtains in transparent materials to benefit from the natural light’s effects.

Follow interior designers’ advice in best-utilizing home accessories, for example, mirrors are well-known to make a room seem bigger than it actually is. Make sure you use the right sizes strategically placed and angled.

5. Whenever Possible, Get Rid of Doors

Ok, maybe not for the bathroom! But, once you move in, you will notice the huge space that gets eaten up by opening and closing extra doors; instead, use stackable partitions or fabric room dividers. These can be part of your décor while serving their purpose as door replacements.

6. Keep it Organized

Compared to your current bigger place, organizing and cleaning your new smaller one will feel like a walk in the park. But, in your small apartment, you cannot get away with shoving any clutter away of sight when you’re having company; you will actually have to clean up. Or, to make your life easier, try to put a simple organizing system to follow and don’t wait until there is no space for you to even walk from the mess!

Regardless of the reason behind your move into a small apartment, think of it as a new adventure. It takes creativity and imagination to find ways to fit the same life you have in a smaller place. Embrace this as a chance to let go of things that no longer serve you. After you get used to it, you will prefer to skip nights out and stay in for some cozy indoor time.

Recommended Reading: Why Hire Eco-friendly Cleaners For Your End of Tenancy Cleaning

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About Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder of EcoMENA, and an international consultant, advisor, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. Salman is the Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA, and is a professional environmental writer with more than 300 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability in different parts of the world. Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com

3 Responses to 6 Eco-Friendly Tips to Move into a Small Apartment

  1. To plan the whole household material pack needs some good ideas for that. Your 10 gorgeous tips are extra benefits for me, please keep it up.

  2. Jesse Ford says:

    I like how you mentioned that a lot of people are looking to simplify their lives due to the minimilistic trend. My cousin is thinking of looking for low-income housing because her husband lost his job a couple of weeks ago and they’re considering cutting back on some expenses. It seems like a good idea for my cousin to think about moving into a reputable place that can help provide shelter over their heads while her husband looks for a job.

  3. Lana says:

    Think of all the dead space that exists in your average closet, where all you’ve got may be a single rod and shelf. That space between the ground and therefore the bottom of your clothes goes to waste, and inevitably items like shoes and accessories just find yourself in one big pile.

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