Ways to organize a small home?

Question

I have a rather small house and no closet space (just a little one in each bedroom.) I am really running out of places to put things and I hate having to throw stuff in my bedroom before company comes. Since I have two kids downsizing isn't really an option. I can't stand a bunch of clutter, but organization just doesn't come naturally to me. I would love any ideas!

Answer 1

Take a look at www.flylady.net. It is a free service that helps you declutter and organize your house. It has worked wonders for me. Even though you say organization doesn't come natural to you, you would be surprised at how organized and clean your house will be with this program. Try it. It is free so you have nothing to lose...except clutter. This program helps you keep your house so it is just 15 minutes away from company. I can say my house is 15 minutes away from company thanks to flylady. By the way I have 3 kids and have only been in the program for 2 months.

Answer 2

We have small house (very old) with 2 useless closets.

Instead of buying an expensive armoire, I saw a very clever idea in a publication called Creative Home (published by Better Homes and Gardens). It showed how to use a bookcase for alternate uses.

I was desperate for more space in my drawers and the closet was a nightmare and the space I had was really, really bad. Not enough room, couldn't find anything.

We bought a book case (many to choose from) or buy a you-paint-it. It has doors, lower have wood, upper glass. Perfect for everything I need. Put in nice storage containers to hold fiddly stuff like lingerie, socks, perfume, whatevers. Sweaters and slacks on another shelf.

I can find everything readily - similar to a clothing store idea, can see everything from the side. Also nice and airy and things don't have a stuffy scent.

This takes up less space than dresser, but has so much more room as it uses vertical space. Its very pretty.

Good luck.

Answer 3

Try getting some different storage units such as a chest or trunk that could work as a coffee table or at the end of your bed or maybe in an entry way.. End tables with drawers and cupboards are great. Boxes that slide under the beds work. Add more shelves in closets, basements or garages. Garage sales can be good places to find unusual furniture, or look online for a web site that offers storage ideas.
The other option is to really go through your items and get rid of anything you really don't use or need. Have a garage sale or donate to a shelter or other charity.

Finally you rent an inexpensive storage space for anywhere from $60/month and up to put seasonal items or things you can't part with but don't really use.

Good luck, I know it's tough but once you get it under control it will feel amazing!

Answer 4

We live in a very small home , no closets in any rooms . I have to go through things a lot & get rid of as much as I can . There are things we need to keep no matter what . The things we use less often go in to containers behind things , under beds . I just ordered bed risers so I can put higher boxes under my beds . I put things we use most up front in cabinets , drawers , baskets & any storage unit I use . The only way I can keep ahead of it is to sort , sort , sort & get rid of things ..Not easy when other family members keep bringing things in to the house . I keep reading decluder books hopeing for some new ideas . I read & reread & always find some thing that helps .
I really feel for you
God Bless

Answer 5

Hello there. Just because you have a small home doesn't mean it has to be cluttered, however, I know that smaller houses have less space and it is difficult to find room for some items. What I recommend that you do is empty out one room at a time by sorting out from need/uneeded items. All of the needed items return to the room, and the clothing items that are too small, no longer used, etc... throw into a junk pile (one to sell, one to donate)... You also need a "to throw away" junk pile too :) The donate stuff you can easily get rid of by calling your local thrift store (many times they have pick-up days where they are willing to travel to your home free of charge). The "to sell" pile is stuff that you might be able to sell on Ebay or take to a consignment store. A trusted consignment store is great if you really want to get certain items out of your home. A good rule to go by is "Out with the Old, In with the New"...
A way to keep up this habit of tidiness is by creating 2 large boxes to put in your garage. One box that says "To Donate" and another that says "To Sell". Tell your children that these boxes are for everyone in the house to help keep House tidy. Tell them that if there is something they no longer want or need, to put it into one of the boxes. If you child repetitively leaves something on the floor that should be put away, tell them that it goes in one of those boxes if it does not get picked up. So, they must clean up their mess after they make one or else it gets put in this box.
By doing this, it will help you to keep your house a little bit more organized and it will be easier for you to find things too. When things get misplaced or buried under clutter, it is easy to go to the store and buy another. By keeping things tidy, you won't be buying needlessly.

Hope these ideas help :)

Answer 6

I have a small house, too. Get under the bed storage boxes...good ones (cheap ones wear out quickly) Get large trash cans. Put old stuffed animals or underused toys and swop them out in the summer. Unless you need them, don't store old kids clothes or stuff...find a consignment store and sell them. Find nice larger bureaus and use them in livingroom and dining room--even kitchen to replace t.v tables or case furniture...lots of drawers..no show. Buy those space bags to squish blankets...
put large baskets with pretty fabric as covers to store stuff under tables and in corners. Use space above kitchen cabinets for un-used larger stuff...seldom used, still takes up space. Luck!

Answer 7

may i suggest armoirs. i have just moved out of a small place with no closets. i managed to survive by getting a couple of armoires. i had one in the living room and one in my bedroom and they were great. i also bought nice baskets to put extra clutter away on top of the armoirs, there is also under the bed storage, shelves for the kids' rooms. i went to www.ikea.com for my armoirs and stuff.

Answer 8

any thing you dont want dont love or dont use has to go so sell it on boot sales garage sales ebay give to charity,dump it if its broken.get storage solutions.if you have nt worn something for 12 months you prob never will.