Downsizing is more than just a trend—it’s a conscious lifestyle choice that many individuals and families embrace. But even when we decide to make this move, one challenge frequently stands out: how do we ensure that our smaller space doesn’t feel cramped? The good news is that there are numerous hacks for maximizing space that can turn even the coziest of homes into a functional haven. As many are discovering, downsizing with ease is entirely achievable with the right strategies and a touch of creativity.

The Top Hacks for Maximizing Space in Your New Home After Downsizing

Downsizing, a choice many are leaning towards, offers many benefits. At the heart of this shift is the goal to reduce our environmental impact, with a smaller footprint often translating to a more sustainable lifestyle. Move management and home organizing services play a pivotal role in this transition. They offer assistance from creating home inventories to providing organizing services tailored to the client’s needs. Additionally, the financial benefits are undeniable. Reduced household expenses stem not just from a lower mortgage or rent but also from decreased utility bills. With fewer rooms to heat in the winter or cool during summer months and less space to upkeep, there’s a noticeable reduction in expenditure. This financial freedom can redirect funds towards more fulfilling experiences or ventures, truly enriching life.

On the other hand, the move to a more compact living space demands adaptability and creativity. Transitioning isn’t solely about making items fit; it’s ensuring each square foot is utilized to its maximum potential. Along the way, it’s easy to make organizing mistakes that can disrupt the flow and feel of a room. This emphasizes the importance of a meticulous approach to organization and an eye for decor that complements the space without overwhelming it. Steering clear of common pitfalls ensures that a thoughtfully designed smaller home doesn’t compromise comfort or functionality. Instead, it radiates a sense of calm and purpose, offering all the essentials without any of the excess. Here are the top hacks for maximizing space in your new home after downsizing.

The Power of Decluttering: Less Is More

There’s a liberating feeling in possessing fewer items. Reducing clutter frees up physical space and brings mental clarity and tranquillity. Starting the decluttering process can be daunting, but an effective strategy can simplify it. Begin with this straightforward guide:

• Keep: The indispensable items that form part of your daily life.
• Donate: Items in decent condition that others might find beneficial.
• Sell: Things that have value but no longer serve your needs.
• Toss: Worn-out, broken, or outdated stuff.

Think Vertically: Use Your Walls to the Max

Maximizing space involves changing perspectives. Instead of always looking around, start looking up. Engage walls with innovative shelving solutions, from unobtrusive floating shelves to rustic ladder types, turning blank spaces into storage masterpieces. Wall-mounted racks are brilliant additions for kitchens, bathrooms, and entryways, holding essentials while freeing up floor space. So, it’s high time we recognize and harness the potential of vertical spaces.

Multi-functional Furniture: Double-duty Wonders

Furniture that serves multiple purposes is a boon for smaller homes. Imagine a sofa that effortlessly turns into a bed when guests arrive or ottomans that reveal storage space. Extendable tables cater to daily needs and expand to accommodate gatherings while nesting side tables save space but are available when needed. Such furniture pieces are not just practical but are emblematic of thoughtful design.

Get Organized with Clever Storage Solutions

Beyond multifunctional furniture lies a realm of inventive storage. Home organizing services are invaluable during this period, helping homeowners avoid common pitfalls and ensuring comfort and functionality. The goal is to radiate a sense of calm and purpose in your new space. For those in urban settings like Los Angeles, sometimes external solutions like storage units in Los Angeles become invaluable. But even within your walls, you can delve into a plethora of opportunities:

• Under-bed storage: Slide-out boxes for shoes or seasonal items and vacuum-sealed bags for bulky clothes.
• Hidden nooks: Innovative ideas like staircase drawers or concealed built-in cupboards.
• Hanging storage: Functional over-the-door organizers and versatile pegboards.

Once you incorporate these organizing methods, you’ll marvel at the newfound flow and ease within your home.

The Magic of Illusion: Making Spaces Feel Larger

Altering perceptions can magically transform spaces. Mirrors are a decorator’s secret weapon; placed strategically, they bounce light around, making spaces feel airier and larger. Color plays a pivotal role, too. Light hues, soft creams, or subtle grays can brighten and give an expansive feel. When it comes to decor, embracing minimalism and ensuring unblocked pathways can significantly enhance the sense of roominess.

Opt for Compact and Foldable Items

Size can be deceptive. Compact items often pack the same punch as their larger variants. Kitchen gadgets, for instance, have seen a revolution with collapsible, efficient, and storage-friendly designs. Foldable furniture, such as chairs and tables, offer the luxury of space when you need it and tuck away when you don’t. Remember, these compact designs often come with the added advantage of modern aesthetics.

Streamline Your Wardrobe

An overflowing wardrobe can be more chaotic than chic. Embracing the capsule wardrobe concept can change this. It involves curating a selection of clothing that’s both versatile and timeless. These pieces can be paired in numerous ways, ensuring you always have something stylish to wear. Furthermore, as seasons change, so can your capsule collection. Incorporating smart storage solutions and rethinking your organization can lead to a more functional closet, maximizing the space you have. This combined approach of a curated wardrobe and optimized storage ensures your wardrobe is not only space-conscious but also fashion-forward and efficient.

Embrace Digital Solutions

Physical collections, be it books, CDs, or DVDs, occupy a lot of space. In this digital age, it’s practical to transition. Digitizing music, movies, and books can free up significant shelf space. Moreover, cloud storage solutions offer safe and accessible storage for photos and essential documents. With these digital alternatives, it becomes evident that technology, when harnessed effectively, aligns perfectly with minimalist living.

Conclusion

Embracing the liberation of living with fewer possessions brings a sense of tranquility and purpose. The joy lies in the reduction and discovery of innovative hacks for maximizing space and turning constraints into opportunities. Consider working with home organizing services or relocation specialists to streamline your move and truly harness the transformative power of thoughtful organization.

Why wait? Start implementing just one of these hacks today with the help of A Clear Path professional organizers and witness the transformative power of thoughtful organization in your living space.

Images:
https://www.pexels.com/photo/anonymous-black-girl-lying-on-stack-of-clothes-in-bedroom-4545965/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-crew-neck-t-shirt-sitting-on-brown-couch-4568697/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/concentrated-woman-carrying-stack-of-cardboard-boxes-for-relocation-3791617/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/crates-mounted-on-wall-1090638/

The first clue you might need help is that you have a junk drawer. It might be in the kitchen, or maybe it’s in the laundry room.

“Everyone who calls has a junk drawer, maybe two or three,” says Regina Lark, a de-clutter expert and professional organizer and speaker — she spoke on “Spring Clearing” at the Ebell of Los Angeles last month via Zoom.

She is also an author —“Psychic Debris: Crowded Closets: The Relationship Between the Stuff in Your Head and What’s Under Your Bed” is in its third edition — and she is a productivity coach.

She was helping a client move when COVID-19 stopped us all in our tracks in mid-March.

While moving is an “essential business,” and her business specializes in residential, estate and corporate moves, the virtual organizing side of her business has risen exponentially.
Read more…

This wonderful thank-you note for the organizing/clutter removal services that our team provided Compass Realty is greatly appreciated. 

“Regina, I can’t thank you enough for the superb job both you and your crew did for my client.  Throughout the week I visited my client’s old unit, as well as the new one and each time, I was amazed at your staff’s kindness, composure and compassion. They were totally engaged, professional – respecting his needs and wants. I was very pleased and so was he.  Please thank each and everyone involved…They should be very proud of themselves.” 

– Ken Shields, Compass Realty compass.com

The proper storage of comic books is not complex. After all, artifacts made of paper and ink are among the most durable objects ever devised by humanity. If a comic book is a physical object designed to transmit important information through visual media, then it is surely among the most indestructible forms ever made. Practically nothing that you can do to a comic book would significantly impact your ability to read it. However, that is probably not the only value that you were thinking of. You are probably thinking of the value to collectors, and as everyone knows, the more pristine and unblemished a comic is, the more money it might be worth to the very richest collectors. Read more…

Vacations require a lot of planning and list-making. It’s not just you that must become ready for your trip, but you’ll want to prepare your neighbors, deal with the mail, leave instructions for co-workers, and make plans to board your animals or arrange for house sitting. Whether you’re away for a long weekend or a month-long trip, pre-planning can take the anxiety out of preparing for some fun!

So if your summer plans give you an opportunity to get away for a while, here are our Top 10 Tips to get you on your way!

Happy trails to you!

1. Tell friends, family, and trusted neighbors where you are going and for how long. How might they can reach you in case of an emergency? Have the post office put your mail on hold if you will be gone for an extended amount of time. Be sure to contact your credit card company if you are traveling oversees. It is not uncommon for charges made in other countries to be “flagged” due to increasing credit card fraud/theft.

2. Make sure everything is up to date, specifically your passport and ID card. Confirm your reservations, pet or house sitter, the person who will water your plants, etc. Pay your bills or set up an auto-pay so you don’t have to pay late fees when you return.

3. Organize your home before you travel. In addition to cleaning as you normally would, clean out the refrigerator, take out the trash, do the laundry, spray for bugs, etc. Think of chores that are typically a hassle to do and need to be done only occasionally such as sharpening your knives. Take this time to take care of it.

4. Make lists. You should make a “Before We Leave” Checklist and a “To Pack” checklist. You don’t want to end up paying $8 for toothpaste at the Walgreens on the Las Vegas Strip. If you are not sure what you need to do before your leave or what to pack, click HERE for a for a “Before We Leave” checklist and HERE for a “To Pack” checklist to get yourself started.

5. Prepare your vehicle. Get the oil changed, fill the tires with air, check when the last time a major service happened and when it is needed again (found in the vehicles manual), etc. These kinds of checks will ensure you are not stranded on the side of the road. Bring jumper cables, a first-aid kit, flares and emergency supplies just in case that happens. I like to wash my car before a major road trip so the inside is clean and smells nice.

6.Fully charge electronic devices and don’t forget to bring the chargers. For some reason, chargers seem to be the easiest thing to forget and one of the more expensive items to replace when you are visiting a different area.

7. Create an itinerary. Itineraries are great tools because you know/decide what you’re doing and when you’re doing it. You can get the most out of being a tourist, or being on time if you’re on a business trip. Some important information to keep on your itinerary is:

• Flight numbers/times and the confirmation numbers
• Emergency contacts
• Airport transportation information
• Subway/bus maps
• Local contacts (rental car companies, hotels, airlines)
• Addresses of places you want to visit
• If you are out of the country, the embassy number and address, and photograph your luggage, passport, and credit cards to keep on your cell phone.

8. When you travel, you should be sure to carry some essentials with you. Bring some snacks, drinks, and entertainment (tablet, book, magazine, crossword, knitting, playing cards, etc.) to help make the adventure fun. Take this time to not work, avoid email, and indulge in some hobbies you never really have time to do.

9. When you come back to your clean home, unpack immediately. Who knows when you will “get to it.” The easiest place to start is emptying all of your dirty clothes into the hamper and starting laundry.

I hope this makes vacationing less stressful!

Thanks for reading,

— Regina Lark

Spring is a good time to donate your un-used and unwanted items that take up valuable space in your home. You will lighten your load, reduce your carbon footprint, and feel better about your surroundings, and your donation is tax deductible! Others will benefit from your desire to clear your path of unwanted stuff! At the end of the Top 10 Springtime List below you will find a link for suggestions about where to donate darned near everything you no longer need or want. 

The Top 10 Springtime List of where many people store or stash and what is in those places, the stuff they probably no longer need: 

1. Kitchen: donate duplicate appliances, gadgets, pots, pans, coffee mugs and glasses to women’s shelters or thrift stores.

2. Bathroom: women’s shelters need unused soaps and shampoo (travel size from hotel stays, etc). 

3. Living room: Pack up those videos, DVDs, or CDs that no longer suit your listening or viewing tastes. Your multi-media boxes may be donated to thrift stores or GreenDisc.com 

4. Bedroom: in a word, clothes. Go through your closet and dresser drawers. Donate what you haven’t worn for a year or more, or what no longer fits, or you never really liked. Thrift stores will take your unwanted clothing. On the donation list below you will find places that want women’s business attire for poor women entering the job market. 

5. Kids’ rooms: Toys! Ask your children for input about toys and books they have outgrown, never played with, or otherwise will never use and donate to local shelters, churches, or thrift stores. 

6. Hall closets: empty hangers, suitcases and backpacks may go to thrift stores. Unused linen and towels to animal shelters

7. Dining room: napkins and tablecloths; wine glasses, decanters, water pitchers, salt and pepper shakers, platters and serving bowls. Unless these items are seasonal, choose your best and donate the rest to your local thrift store. 

8. Backyard: planters and pots, gardening hand tools, lawn ornaments gathering cobwebs near overgrown plants to Goodwill or similar place. 

9. Garage: sports equipment, sneakers, dust-collecting household tsotchkes that you will never use again but which never quite made it to the Goodwill. Board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, checkers and Backgammon remain popular thrift store items (just be sure you have all the pieces). These things can be donated to a thrift store. 

10. Book shelves: clear your bookcase of novels, “how to” books, or any book that you are certain you will never read again. Public libraries appreciate your donations. 

11. Bonus! Here’s a great list for where to donate and recycle a whole lot of stuff! https://aclearpath.net/resources/ 

Regina Lark
A Clear Path
www.AClearPath.net
regina@aclearpath.net 

Images used are from the following sites
serenehousecleaning.com/index.php/2016/06/10/organize-the-garage/
designsponge.com/2016/11/10-well-organized-kitchens.html
closetamerica.com/how-deep-clean-your-walk-closet-organized-look-year-round