Perla IrishYou may be a first-time buyer or someone who has just a downside because you are getting older. A small home can sometimes be a blessing as you have less cleaning up to do, which allows you to enjoy your time doing activities you love.
A small home however can also be problematic and can cause problems such as trips and falls, make you feel depressed, and can have the opposite effect on your cleaning routine as you constantly feel like you are tidying up.
In this article, I will explain some of the best ways to make the most of small home so it’s safe and enjoyable for everyone who lives there.
1. Make Smart Furniture Choices
All too often I see people who buy furniture that is too big for their home. Yes, the furniture may look good but if it’s too big it’s going to make your room look smaller and it could cause injury too with your family members tripping and falling over it.
When purchasing furniture, measure your home and then measure it against your furniture. One tip I like to do is to get some old newspaper and lay it down on the floor in your home to the same shape and size of the furniture.
If you can fit all of your furniture in comfortably then buy it, if not look for smaller pieces of furniture or look for different shaped furniture.
Furniture such as tables, chairs, settee’s and benches all come in different shapes and sizes so combine them all for the best layout.
I know it can be tempting to buy your favorite items, but trust me, making sure your items fit into your rooms in your home will save you headaches in the future.
2. Invest in Storage
For some of us with lower budgets, we may not be able to go out and buy new furniture to fit our homes. In this instance we only have two options, the first is to sell our furniture and buy new ones.
This can be an option because if you sell two items of furniture you can simply buy one back and keep the profit.
The second option you have is to put your items into storage. Storage companies used to be very expensive but as competition has increased the price of storage has gone down and now you can get a self storage unit for cheaper than adding another bedroom to your home.
When investing in a storage unit be sure to check out the terms and conditions as they can lock you into long into a long contract.
Most storage companies won’t do this but it’s worth checking out. It’s also worth checking if the company has any new offers for new clients.
The self-storage industry is very competitive so try negotiating a better price on your unit too as most companies are happy to have an extra client.
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3. Add Internal Storage
Small homes usually lack storage space, so your job is to get creative and add more. Storage can be added in many places so take your time to look around your home for places that could work.
Shelves can be added to blank walls, in nooks, and crannies and you can even get furniture with storage inside.
Beds that can open up with storage under them are a great way of keeping your linens and bedsheets safe and stored out of the way.
You can add baskets in your bathroom to hold your towels and you can even get mirror cabinets to keep all of your cleaning items out of the way. These tips while only being small can make a huge difference in your home.
In the kitchen, you can add rails to your walls so you can hang your saucepans up freeing up more cupboard space.
Conclusion
When making small changes to your home you can make a big difference in how it feels and how it functions.
The changes mentioned above will not only allow you to enjoy your home more but will also keep you safer while at home, especially if you are an older person.
Trips and falls are responsible for most household injuries, with over 60% of 55-year-olds and older being injured by falling at home. Anything that can be done to improve on this is worth doing.
