Organizing to Live Tiny

This guest post was contributed by Real Estate Unlimited, a real estate agency in Los Angeles, California with over 30 years of experience and a focus on customer service.

With the tiny house phenomenon in its prime, living tiny and sustainability is more popular than ever. A minimalist lifestyle can be freeing and exhilarating. Imagine living in a simple, organized, and zen space.  Even if you aren’t planning on living tiny in the near future, these steps for organizing, downsizing, and decluttering your home are helpful for anyone, regardless of the size of their home.

The first step to organizing to live tiny is to declutter! Go through every item in your home and every item you own; ask yourself if you have used each item in the past 6 months. Have you used it at all in the past year? If not, it’s time to think about letting it go. We tend to accumulate stuff we think has future use in our lives, but oftentimes we end up adding to the amount of stuff we pile up.

Do you have a bunch of clothes in your closet that you haven’t worn in months? Do you have decor you no longer use or have recently replaced? Another big source of clutter in people’s life is books. Try selling your used books and going digital. Once you’ve cleaned out your storage areas, have a yard sale. You’ll make money, and your items will go to use elsewhere.

The next step to organizing to live tiny is to plan out your organization strategies and storage spaces. You need an idea of the big picture you’ll be working towards before you can decide how you will arrange your home. This will also help you make purchasing decisions if you buy new pieces of storage or furniture to fit your new lifestyle.

Photo Credit:While picking out new pieces or deciding what to toss, make sure that you keep or obtain items that have multiple functions. We often end up storing items that only have one specific use, even though we don’t use them very often. Kitchen gadgets are a great example of this organizational problem. An electric sandwich maker looks great in the store, but how many times do you really use it in your day-to-day life? Instead, hang on to items that have multiple uses. For example, if you have an ottoman that doubles that storage, that can be a handy to hang onto as you declutter.

Look for any space in your home that has been going unused. A big one is the space under the stairs. This is often underutilized but could be turned into a variety of amazing spaces. Some homeowners turn this space into an extra closet for coats or for off-season styles. Others turn it into a reading nook, complete with a cushion and bookcases surrounding the space. Dog owners enjoy using the space as a recessed area for a dog bed. Use your creativity, and you’ll be surprised how much space you could take advantage of.

Another space that typically goes unused for storage is the backside of cabinet doors and closet doors. It’s easy to turn the back of a cabinet into a space for cleaning products, plastic bags, paper towels, etc. Just stick some hooks against the back of a cabinet and hang items there. You can buy hooks that hang from the top of a closet door for storing scarves, hats, and gloves there. Remember, every space has the potential to be hacked into storage to make your home more organized.

When living tiny, it’s extremely important to try to avoid piling up messes, since your space is limited. The best way to avoid this is by preventing it. First, figure out a space for each item you own. If everything has its own place, then you’re less likely to leave something lying around. When you get home, you know exactly where to place your shoes, your bag, your possessions, your keys, etc.

Coming home to a clean, organized space is relaxing and will help cut down on stress in your life. These steps to living tiny are time-consuming, but they will pay off in the end. You’ll be amazed at how much you don’t need once you go through it all.

About the Author: Real Estate Unlimited is a real estate agency that specializes in the Los Angeles area and other areas of Southern California. We know buying or selling a property can be overwhelming, and that’s why we pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service. Contact us today, and we will be happy to share our years of experience with you as you explore and discover Los Angeles.