Whether you're living in a condominium or are just looking at buying one in the future, one of the biggest considerations to make when living in a condo is where you're going to put all of your belongings so that they don't take over your home. While it is true that living in a condo can have a lot of similarities to living in a small house, there are some definite differences as well.
Houses, however small they may be, tend to have closets, garages, and attics to store your belongings in when you aren't using them. Many tiny little vintage homes have all kinds of architectural strategies for creating extra room to store away things that you just aren't going to see in a condo. The majority of condos have a small number of""often inadequate""closets and possibly a small storage room elsewhere in the building.
While living in a condo is often not a problem if it's your first residence after leaving home or your college dorms, it can be a real problem for anyone who's downsizing from living in a house. It's a good idea to be prepared to cut down on the amount of belongings that you have if you can't fit them all into your condo.
If you approach the problem room by room, in a systematic way, you're more likely to survive the whole endeavour and it's easier to tackle the issue by theme. So, pick a room to start with and decide what items that you actually need and which ones you're just keeping because they're there. We're all guilty of hoarding items away out of habit, but if you take a good look at what sort of things that you're holding on to, it might be easier to see that there's a lot there that you don't really need or want.
Another good strategy for condo living is to use furniture with storage built into it. Many items can be found that have storage space in them, like beds, end tables, benches, and even couches. These pieces of furniture are great for storing away items that you might not use all the time but don't want to store down in your storage locker.
Some condos also might lend themselves well to building in more storage space. Interior walls that don't lend themselves well to having a shelf placed against them can benefit from having the drywall cut out between the studs and having shelves built into the wall to make a built-in bookshelf. Some condo kitchens have enough space to put in short cabinets on top of the kitchen cupboards to add some storage space there; others might have space to put in a small pot rack.
Condo living can be very comfortable if you organize your belongings and reduce the amount of things that you need to keep in your living space. If you take the time to create a organized environment, your new, smaller living space will feel larger and more welcoming.
Houses, however small they may be, tend to have closets, garages, and attics to store your belongings in when you aren't using them. Many tiny little vintage homes have all kinds of architectural strategies for creating extra room to store away things that you just aren't going to see in a condo. The majority of condos have a small number of""often inadequate""closets and possibly a small storage room elsewhere in the building.
While living in a condo is often not a problem if it's your first residence after leaving home or your college dorms, it can be a real problem for anyone who's downsizing from living in a house. It's a good idea to be prepared to cut down on the amount of belongings that you have if you can't fit them all into your condo.
If you approach the problem room by room, in a systematic way, you're more likely to survive the whole endeavour and it's easier to tackle the issue by theme. So, pick a room to start with and decide what items that you actually need and which ones you're just keeping because they're there. We're all guilty of hoarding items away out of habit, but if you take a good look at what sort of things that you're holding on to, it might be easier to see that there's a lot there that you don't really need or want.
Another good strategy for condo living is to use furniture with storage built into it. Many items can be found that have storage space in them, like beds, end tables, benches, and even couches. These pieces of furniture are great for storing away items that you might not use all the time but don't want to store down in your storage locker.
Some condos also might lend themselves well to building in more storage space. Interior walls that don't lend themselves well to having a shelf placed against them can benefit from having the drywall cut out between the studs and having shelves built into the wall to make a built-in bookshelf. Some condo kitchens have enough space to put in short cabinets on top of the kitchen cupboards to add some storage space there; others might have space to put in a small pot rack.
Condo living can be very comfortable if you organize your belongings and reduce the amount of things that you need to keep in your living space. If you take the time to create a organized environment, your new, smaller living space will feel larger and more welcoming.
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