You’ve reached the coldest months of the year which probably means your spending more time than normal inside.  While you are keeping cozy in your warm rental space, you may find the rooms are feeling a bit tighter. Caroline Overstreet from Overstreet Organizing has joined RentalDiaries in providing tips for making the most of your rental space.

We all know the famous saying ‘life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get’ and probably have applied it to our lives in some way. Unfortunately, as a “renter” this saying can ring true when it comes to the rental homes we live in. Tenants don’t have much of a say in how the home is laid out.  If your rental’s layout is making you feel like the walls are closing in, you have to take control of your space.  When life ‘gives you lemons’, it’s time to make lemonade. Today I am going to share my very best lemonade recipe! These simple steps will help maximize your space and bring you closer to a life at ease!

The simplest solution is often the hardest one.  Keep only what you need.  I feel this will always be the common denominator for maintaining a “clutter free” home! Household items that you haven’t used in 5+ years are a waste of space (and money). Let it go! 

There is a price tag attached to every inch of space in your rental home.  Ask yourself, “How much am I spending to keep unused items?”  If you are keeping them to save money in the future, how much are they costing you right now by having to store them?

Reduce the amount you have by simplifying what you own. If you have clothes that do not fit/you haven’t worn, why keep them? Have your kids outgrown toys/baby gear? Truly ask why are you keeping these items.  We do not need as much as we think we do.

Wall space will help you to eliminate the clutter left on the floors.  Expand your storage options and consider utilizing over the door racks and baskets, hooks and hangers, and wall shelves that compliment your space.  Once you have tailored your belongings to what you need, tapping into your vertical space will give you more of your rental space back.

If you find yourself in need of additional storage find furnishings that offer concealed storage options.  An ottoman or a coffee table that provide a hidden storage space for blankets, books and toys are easy options. Dressers provide a chic design aesthetic and tons of storage options.  Instead of using a traditional TV console, consider repurposing a dresser and use the drawers to house movies, games, books, etc. 

Kitchens are Grand Central Station for our homes, not ideal if you have a tiny rental kitchen. As we tend to gather here the most, so does our kids’ homework, paper/bills, in addition to all the kitchen tools. I am a big fan of using a Lazy Susan/turntable in the corner of the counter to make the most of your counter space. Place items such as your knife block, paper towel holder, napkin holder here. 

Over the door baskets on the inside of your lower cabinets are a way of using hidden vertical space.  They provide storage for under the sink cleaning supplies or aluminum foil/wax paper boxes.

Rental spaces that have you feeling like you are living in a box require you to think outside the box.  While you can’t move walls, you CAN create space!