This article, written by Brad Dorfman, was originally published on Citi’s Women & Co.
You look around you and feel like your home is bursting at the seams. Whether it’s an apartment, a condo, or a small single-family house, you see your stuff all over and know that you’re running out of space. But you may not be prepared to make the move to someplace bigger.
No worries: January is a great time to start anew and make the most out of the space you have. To help appeal to shoppers who have resolved to de-clutter in the new year, many stores offer discounts on storage systems and organization supplies. In cold-weather cities, contractors probably aren’t working on outdoor projects, so you might be able to catch one during a slow time and get a decent deal.
With a little planning and some creative thinking, your home may turn out to have more space than you think.
1. Look in the nook.
The alcove by your front door, or a corner or recess in a downstairs or upstairs hallway, could be a good spot to set up some prefabricated bookshelves. You can even buy the components for a home office space that hangs from the wall. Of course, if you live in rental space, you should check with your landlord before drilling holes in the wall. But small touches like these can move things—books, laptop, printer, CDs—out of your main living space. These also tend to be smaller projects that you can do yourself.
Vertical space is precious andoften-overlookedreal estate.
If the thought of a few hours of quality time with an Allen wrench isn’t your idea of fun, see if your building’s maintenance staff is looking for extra work. They may be willing to do it for less if you’re able to pay them swiftly, so consider using the Popmoney ® personal payment service which allows you to send money to virtually anyone’s U.S. bank account easily with your phone, directly from your bank account, using the Citi Mobile ® App.
2. Think up, not out.
Take a good look above eye level—vertical space is precious and often-overlooked real estate. Maybe install some small shelves high up in the living room, or put some taller cabinets in the kitchen.
3. What’s hiding under the bed?
A lot of us have space going to waste under our beds. Covered plastic bins are an inexpensive solution to make the most of it. Some of these containers even roll in and out, making access easier.
4. Get a closet organizer.
Many of the aforementioned solutions can also be used to great effect in your closets: higher shelves; shoe or other containers on the floor. There are many stores that sell all the things you need to redo a closet, and some will help you design the space before you buy. These projects can run up to a few thousand dollars, though, so you’ll probably want to get more than one estimate.