Staying in your small home longer than anticipated?

It’s no surprise that more home-owners are staying where they are longer. With the recent home price increase over the past few years and higher mortgage rates, lots of people are staying where they are longer than anticipate.

So what to do if you find yourself in a home that is getting cramped?

Here are some organization tips to help maximize the space you are in currently.

1. Declutter, you don’t have to wait until the spring time to do a deep cleaning of your home. Every so often, decide if something is worth keeping or worth donating. We all slowly acquire lots of “things”, decide what you need in your space and what you don’t use often or even at all.
2. If you have kids, a great way to keep your home from looking like a play center is to keep extra toys in the basement if you have one, or garage. Every couple of months, rotate those toys, as you’re doing so, this gives you a great opportunity to  get rid of toys your kids may have outgrown, toys that are broken, or toys that your kids just don’t play with anymore. This is also a great time to organize when storing them and keeping them accessible to your child in the play space. Pro tip: My kids love when we do this and get excited to play with these “new” toys that they may have forgotten about!
3. Swap some bulky furniture pieces for sleeker, smaller ones to optimize the space you DO have. “
4. If you are entertaining or anticipating an upcoming gathering at your home, again, a great opportunity to look at your things and see if  its something you can part ways with to give you more space, or maybe theres a better location for it. Put away things that are just taking up space for that gathering so there is optimal room for your guests and the home will appear less cluttered.
5. The dreaded basement and garage! Has it been long since you really went through whats in your basement or garage? You may have forgotten whats even is  in there. On a rainy day or when you have time, donate and get rid of things you may have been holding on to and just don’t need anymore. Opening space here will allow you to bring things here from inside your home that you don’t use often and it will keep you organized.

If it’s not the ideal time for you to move, try optimizing the space you do have, and believe me, it feels great to get rid of things!

Sheena Alescio

RI & MA Realtor

https://www.bhg.com/decorating/small-spaces/strategies/space-solution-every-room/

https://food52.com/blog/25181-small-space-decluttering-tips