Looking for ways to better organize, design, and live well in your apartment? With a small space, every intentional action you take to make it easier to navigate, appealing, and useful matters. Whether you’ve moving into an apartment for the first time, downsizing from a larger abode, or just looking for ways to improve the day to day, apply your favorite of these apartment living tips.
1. Choose double-duty furniture options.
Definitely one of my favorite tips for living in an apartment; think of a coffee table with built-in drawers or combination kitchen island bar-height table to free up your floor’s footprint.
2. Buy a taller bed frame for maximum under-bed storage.
These allow for more storage, but shorter bins fit under regular beds, too.
3. Let no floor space go to waste.
Tuck storage containers under couches, desks, and in the bottom of closets.
4. Go high – add storage containers on top of cabinets and on high closet shelves.
Invest in a sturdy step-stool to avoid breaking your chairs (or yourself.)
5. Hang racks with variable hook set-ups.
Store items on walls so they’re up off the ground.
6. Make a list of what you want before purchasing anything new.
Plan before you shop, getting clear on a furnishing’s purpose, style, and price tag before you bring it into your apartment. This mindful consumption exercise takes a bit longer, but keeps clutter down and gives you time to play with what you already have.
7. Use your computer monitor as a TV.
Set up your nook of a home office with a better monitor that doubles as your living room TV.
8. Let a designer or artist choose your colors for almost free.
Pick out beautiful throw pillows or a piece of art to hang on your wall. Now copy two or three colors from it and repeat these as often as possible throughout your apartment.
9. Fill in with a metal finish, a wood choice, white, black, and clear.
Add these color freebies to create a visually cohesive space.
10. Rearrange on paper before buying or dragging furniture around.
Use a retractable tape measure and some graph paper to draw a scale blueprint of your apartment. Mark doors and windows. Use this when arranging your own furniture – cut out mini paper versions – and any you buy.
11. Decide for yourself when comfort needs to beat out design.
Think of the cushy, if dated, couch your friends all gravitate to, or the recliner your Dad gave you. Modern angles and metal surfaces look sleek and clean, but inviting elements turn an apartment into a home.
12. Hang your keys, towels, and artwork on wall hooks.
Hooks take up virtually no space and display your things where you can easily find them.
13. Use 3M Command Strips if you need to keep holes out of the walls.
Find hooks and shelves and picture hangers, but follow all directions to keep the adhesive clinging tightly.
14. Arrange some belongings in sight so you remember to use them.
Nothing’s worse than knowing you have the tool for the task at hand but just can’t find it.
15. Avoid visual distraction by putting others neatly away.
The caveat to out-of-sight-out-of-mind proves just as functional when you can open a drawer or door to see bins and dividers, stacked with similar things and labeled for clarity.
16. Tuck tall narrow bookshelves into corners.
Use these light-footprint storage solutions to display books, tiny sculptures, and small plants.
17. Install nails on the walls of your lower cabinets for pots.
Large, lower kitchen storage becomes more functional by using its vertical surfaces.
18. Find uses for over-door storage in your bathroom, bedroom, and closets.
Store shoes, rolled towels, or cleaning supplies in slim racks or fabric pockets that hang behind your door.
19. Document damage before you move in.
Make a detailed list, along with photos, of any damage or wear when you move in to be able to prove your case when you move out. Give it to the landlord and keep a copy.
20. Read your entire lease.
It’s boring but important and states who bears responsibility for what – you need to know this before problems arise.
21. Google and print out your state and city rules on landlords.
Beyond the lease itself, different laws and regulations spell out your rights and where to go for help if any are breached.
22. Ask your landlord to install a strong deadbolt on your entrance door.
You might consider asking for permission to add a second one as well.
23. Introduce yourself to your neighbors.
Don’t forget those who live above and below you, too. Talk to each other first before complaining to a landlord about issues like noise.
24. Document criminal activity.
If people coming and going at all hours lead you to suspect something nefarious, do not confront those neighbors. Instead, call the landlord and, if necessary, the police. Document what you see, chat with non-affected neighbors, and explore what options may be available.
25. Each roommate gets a Golden Rule.
HighlandAve on Reddit shared the success of choosing one must-have guideline per roommate that others agree to follow, like no-dishes-in-the-sink overnight or no-noise-after-midnight.
26. Expand counter space with a stand-alone baker’s rack or work space on wheels.
Find one that fits your space and rolls out of the way when needed.
27. Use your kitchen.
Cook meals from scratch to save money and your health.
28. Do your dishes every night before bed.
Greet your morning self with a clean kitchen.
29. Cook ahead.
Freeze single sized portions of soups, casseroles, and muffins.
30. Quick-pickle bits of veggies for next week’s salads.
Garden veggies, farmer’s market haul, or half of the supermarket onion all last longer if you refrigerate them in a cup of water, half a cup of vinegar, a teaspoon and a half of salt, and spices.
31. Use your fan every time you shower.
Keep your bathroom and kitchen surfaces dry to avoid mold and mildew.
32. Clean your bathroom every week or two.
Impress your friends.
33. Store extra toiletries in a rolling bin.
Tuck it under the sink or in a corner.
34. Hang up your towel after you shower to avoid mold.
Let it air out between uses.
35. Close your shower curtain.
A dry curtain stays fresh longer.
36. Light up your corners.
Inexpensive lamps, strings of lights, and uplighting make your apartment feel warm, appealing, and cozy in the evenings and winter months.
37. Display clothes on a rack like your favorite boutique.
Show off your capsule wardrobe, made from your current clothes.
38. Store clothes in tall skinny bookcases, too.
Fold and store sweaters, t-shirts, sweats and other workout clothes in vertical bins or shelves.
39. If you work from home, create a small home office hub.
Prioritize a tiny desk, wall shelves, drawers for office supplies, extra cords, and an external monitor. You might wander to the kitchen table, a local coffee shop, or the rooftop patio but you’ll feel more grounded if you have somewhere to return your laptop to after its travels.
40. Use headphones and virtual backgrounds for Zoom.
Maintain some division between work and home.
41. Don’t work from home?
Use the same small nook ideas to consider adding a personal retreat space.
42. Have the USPS hold mail and packages when traveling.
Use their apps to do similar tasks for Fedex and UPS.
43. Swap check-ins with a neighbor.
Choose one you feel comfortable with to let you know if anything unusual happens and to grab anything left on your door if you’re out of town.
44. Check your video doorbell feed if you’re not home.
Notify a friend or neighbor if something seems off.
45. Pay your rent ahead of time or set it up on autopay.
Plan ahead if you tend to forget tasks while on the road.
46. Throw away perishables and take out the trash before you leave for a few days.
Small spaces fill up quickly with the smell of bad food and garbage.
47. Consider offering a two-year lease if you love the place.
If the landlord saves money on cleaning and showing it, you might be able to negotiate a deal or no rent increase.
48. Make a budget and buy things slowly, as you can afford them.
For new furnishings to build out an entire one-bedroom apartment from scratch, you’re looking at around $600. Thrift shop first – lots of people move in and out of places and donate what they no longer need. Facebook marketplace, estate sales, and even Craigslist can fill in, too.
49. Plan ahead to move in.
It takes about 12 weeks from first-idea to first-night in your new place.
50. Consider a garden-style apartment for a view of nature.
You’ll probably also get a bit of space to play outside in a pool or garden.
51. Do your own personal deep cleaning right when you move in.
Make it shine, paint it, wax the floors, use carpet freshener, burn candles or sage, hang up any hooks and organizers. Then unpack. This will give you a set point to return to and make you feel happy to be there.
52. Line kitchen drawers and shelves.
Do your bathroom drawers, too.
53. Pick a day and clean every single week.
If you truly don’t have time, clean something anyway, so you don’t skip it. It’ll start to feel like brushing your teeth – something you just don’t feel right skipping.
54. Reuse first.
Before buying anything, reconsider whether whether you might repair or revitalize the old version.
55. Decorate boxes to use as storage.
Cut them to size and cover with gift wrap, sticky paper, or paint.
56. Shop used craft supply and thrift stores for storage items.
Look for interesting options in just the right size.
57. Change the password your wifi came with so your neighbors don’t steal it.
Unauthorized users slow it down and make your network less secure.
Have fun with your new digs and share your own tips below.
If you loved these tips, check out these articles
Live in a loft with brick walls? Read: How to Hang Things on Brick
Wondering if reed diffusors are safe? Read: How to Use a Reed Diffuser & Are They Safe
Looking at apartments with pools? Read: Your Apartment Pool: How to Maximize Your Fun in the Sun
Looking for ideas and tips for the kitty litter box? Read: Where to Put a Litter Box in a Small Apartment – List of 26 Ideas
Wondering about renter friendly curtains? Read: How to Hang Curtains in An Apartment
How about shower curtain ideas? Read: Shower Curtain Ideas for Small Bathrooms
Does your guest room double as your office? A daybed or sofa sleeper may be the multipurpose piece of furniture you need. Read: Daybed Ideas for Small Spaces
