How To Make The Most Of Your Square Footage

How To Make The Most Of Your Square Footage

Special article contribution by Sam Gillian 

Spring cleaning time is just around the corner. It’s time to think about what we’re going to keep, what we’d like to throw away or donate, and what we’re going to do with the things we do keep. And one of the important aspects of spring cleaning –– apart from vacuuming up dust bunnies and getting behind the fridge –– is finding out how to make the most of the space we live in.

Maximizing square footage is important for numerous reasons. If you’re in a new home or looking to reorganize your current one, it will help you get the most out of the property. If you’re staging a home for sale, meanwhile, it’s an important strategy for increasing appeal –– and as Chelsea Hamre’s recent video emphasized, strategy sells!

With this in mind, we want to look at a few handy strategies for how to make the most of your square footage.

Stylish Organisation

With stylish organization, you not only maximize storage but do so in attractive ways so that you might be more likely to stick with it. In “The Home Edit”, the book that spawned something of a reality show, countless readers learned about and adopted the idea of maximizing space in style, to the point that it's now something of a philosophy with the fan base. The main idea is that your organization method should leave you with a clean, tidied-up space that’s actually functional and attractive; it's not about clearing space so much as making use of it and making it look as nice as possible.

Organization by Category

This is another sort of "viral" strategy, in this case widely popularized by Marie Kondo’s beloved book “The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up." Kondo's theory (which pretty much swept the world) is that once you completely organize your home, you won’t have to do it again. Sure, daily and weekly cleaning routines are still a thing, so be prepared to dust every so often –– but your home shouldn’t become truly messy or cluttered again. Be ready to go

through every single thing you own, decide if it “sparks joy,” and toss it if it doesn’t. Stick with the belongings that you truly cherish, and you'll find a burden lifted –– and a lot of square footage cleared.

Storage Totes

Storage totes are perfect for those items that you’ve decided to keep, but you still don’t use every day. Some totes are wider while being short enough to fit under your bed; others are stackable and perfect for that unused closet space way up top. Also, consider investing in a folding step ladder that will fit comfortably in your closet while being accessible enough so you can easily pull it out and access those totes above your head when the need arises. (Please don’t try to muscle down a 20-kilogram tote that’s stored above your head!) This way, you can truly stash things away without any inconvenience, and free up the lower shelves and more practical spaces in your home.

Functional, Multi-Purpose Furniture

This is a little more involved, but if you want to revamp your space and free some of it up, new furniture is also an option. For instance, an ottoman or a bench that you use to rest your feet on can double as storage space if it opens up. Some beds have drawers underneath them, while others have mattresses that lift up to reveal a whole bed's worth of storage space. You might also look into some of the adjustable couch and loveseat options that have gotten popular of late. With these pieces of furniture, you can rearrange cushions and layouts as needed, either to accommodate guests or give the appearance of more space when needed.

Vertical Storage

Making use of vertical height is absolutely essential in any home. In hallways and other narrow spaces, having hooks, shelving, or any other type of storage is helpful. You can choose to show off your book collection on a bookshelf, or hide things in a cabinet with high shelves. And if you like to keep some plants indoors, you can free up tables and countertops by investing in vertical shelves and pots, to keep that touch of green (or floral colour!) without taking up useful square footage. Plus, Stylist contends this sort of indoor garden can make your space healthier!

Ultimately, there are all kinds of ways to maximize your square footage, either for your own comfort or to show off the space in real estate dealings. But we hope the suggestions above will give you a nice head start on the effort.

Content intended only for the use of weknowottawa.com By Sam Gillian