Moving from a house to an apartment? Moving from an apartment or home with roommates to your own studio? When you’re acclimating to a smaller space, it can often feel cramped or cluttered from all the items you’ve brought from your old home that just don’t fit anymore. However, there are plenty of ways to make the most of your new space and maximizing even the tiniest of areas.

 

– Declutter before you move. The most obvious way to maximize the use of your smaller space is to eliminate anything unnecessary or unused before you even get there. Prior to moving out of your larger space, go through all of your things and choose what to keep and what’s essential, and sort through things to donate or give away. If it’s just going to clutter and take up space at your new place, get rid of it.

Plan out one room at a time. When unpacking and visualizing what goes in each room or in what part of a room, it can be easy to get caught up and wind up rushing yourself and throwing things everywhere. Go room by room, or in a studio, area by area, and think of what would go best there and test out multiple options. Start with the easy stuff, like putting away and organizing clothes, and move on to wall hangings, decorations, and other things that can easily clutter homes if they’re in excess. Get rid of or give away anything that doesn’t work in the space. Sell or donate non-sentimental items, and give sentimental ones that you can part with to friends or good homes.

 

– Visualize your new space. Moving into a new place gives you the chance to completely reinvent your home’s style or look. Don’t feel pressured to try and fit all of your old things into your new space – if anything, this could be the start of something new. Get rid of anything that doesn’t work in your space and merge your old items with some new ones that are more suited to your new place.