Tiny Living: the Art of Living in a Small Space

With no ease up in the spiralling cost of living it's no wonder people are being forced into ever more cramped spaces, especially in a sought-after location such as London, where rental prices are going through the roof and demand is far in excess of supply.

However, while living in a shoebox of an apartment can be a challenge, with the right kind of 'can-do' attitude there's reasons to be positive.

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To be fair, it's always been the case for those on a tight budget that they need to compromise on the size of their living quarters if they want to reside in a nice area of London.

The difference these days is there are way more people on a tight budget, and it's not just the 'nice' areas you need to compromise on, but let's not get all doom and gloom and instead try to focus on the task in hand, the art of living in a small space.

Embrace Minimalism

If this is your first place after leaving home, you probably haven't yet accumulated a load of stuff and moving into a cramped bedsit type of apartment is going to be a lot easier. On the other hand, if you're a bit older and having to downsize from a more spacious abode you're likely going to have to make some serious changes.

The first thing you need to do is go through all of your belongings and get rid of what you don't need. This can be traumatic, but if you do it with a ruthless attitude and don't let sentimentality get in the way, chances are you can offload 80% of your stuff. Maybe you can recycle or sell it if it makes you feel a bit better but the bottom line is it has to go.

Get Creative with the Storage

You don't want piles of stuff all over your floor space so you need to be inventive when it comes to finding a little place for all your bits and pieces. If you're living in a self-contained studio flat or even just a room, then you'll probably want to go for a bed that has storage space under it. Get some cheap plastic boxes to slide under your bed and keep everything organised.

Shelves and hooks are another great way to keep the place uncluttered, so take a trip down to your local B&Q or whatever homeware shop is nearby and see what's going to work. The main thing is you want to be able to move around your small space without tripping over piles of mess so keep it off the floor as much as possible.

Cooking in a Compact Space

If you've got your own small kitchenette work out exactly what you really need in terms of utensils to prepare your meals. Think about getting just one good medium-sized pan that will basically do everything, instead of that 'nest of pans' you haven't got space for. You probably only need two plates max, in case a friend pops around, so limit cutlery and everything else according to your basic needs and available space.

Final thoughts

Okay so you're not going to be throwing any major parties or having a house warming, but you've got somewhere to call home, where you can rest up, sleep, re-charge your batteries, store your basic necessities and feed yourself. It's most likely at some point you will move somewhere bigger, but for now just focus on the positives.

It's all about the right attitude, and if you embrace living lean there are definite benefits to tiny living. If you need some 'space' just take a walk outside there's loads of it, but your home doesn't have to be that big if you manage it the right way. Happy tiny living!