Whatever size your home is, space is valuable, which is why it’s always good to make the most of what you have. Here we look at ways to increase the space in your home easily.

Whatever size your home is, space is valuable. And most people find that the more space they have, the more clutter they accumulate to fill that space, so there just never seems to be enough. Of course a nice solution would be to move to a bigger property, but that just simply isn’t an option for most people and it needn’t be the only answer to your spatial issues; well-designed storage is also very effective at making a home seem larger.

Here are some tips to help you make some space in your home:

Declutter

It’s the most obvious tip, but it’s not advice most of us follow. And more often than not a few months after one declutter, another one is desperately needed!

Decluttering simply means removing items that are not needed. That doesn’t mean your favourite ornaments need to be evicted, but it does mean thinking carefully about everything you have around you and deciding what actually needs to be there and deciding where you need storage and how much you need.

Which items are used every day? Is your wardrobe swamped with clothes that you ‘might fit back into one day’? Does your kitchen have more spatulas than even a pancake specialist could ever need?

This is what having a declutter means, simply taking away items you would not miss if they were gone. Use your garden shed, garage or a self storage unit to house items you do not need right now.

Get items that give you lots of spatial value

Consider getting rid of two items and buying one that serves the same purpose as the original two put together. Maybe this could be a sofa with storage pullouts underneath, or a bed with drawers rather than a huge chest taking up space in the room. Think about introducing items with lots of functions, this will save you lots of space.

Get rid of your office

This may send some of you into a panic, but we’re not suggesting you pack up your office and go travelling around the world (although if you can, that’s not so bad!). But there are ways to make your office portable, and easily removed if needs be. So rather than you having an entire room as your office, you could use the kitchen table and have one box you put all your ‘office items’ into when you’ve finished your work.

All space is precious

Floor space is precious, but so is wall space and in some cases ceiling space. When considering storage options consider innovative designs that use all of the space, not just the space on the floor. Some companies design incredibly versatile storage solutions that can fit storage into the wonkiest walled room. For example; ascending shelves up a wall could be a great practical and attractive storage solution.

Make this process and way of thinking; a habit

Don’t just dread the annual clear-out, embrace thinking like this all the time. The more regularly you sort out the space you have and address any issues, the happier you will be throughout the year in your well organised space. Clutter does affect the feel of a room and the atmosphere it provides to those within it, so by investing in a minimalist attitude towards your home you will be investing in its long term usability.

Remember that it’s never a good idea to just throw away items you do not want any more. If the items are still usable, donate them, sell them or reuse them where possible. And if you really can’t bear to let go of them, look into low cost self storage so you can use them again when you have more space.