How to Organize Your Apartment: A Complete Guide

An organized apartment will help you live an organized life. However, sometimes this can seem impossible, especially when living in a small space.

If you are the kind of person who finds organization a challenging task, you are not alone. This blog will give tips and tricks to organize your apartment and help you save floor space! 

 Before we turn you into a professional organizer, let's talk about why someone would want to organize their apartment. 

Why Organize? 

Keeping your apartment organized is vital for many reasons, but above all, it just makes your life easier. Staying organized can help you with the following: 

• Finding objects 
• Look cleaner 
• Maximizing space 

Let's take a closer look at these benefits and explain how building organizational habits can help you live your life. 

Finding Objects

Have you ever lost an object in plain sight and found it randomly about six months later? That might be a sign of an unorganized home. 

Organizing your apartment will help give every object a space in your home, so you never have to lose it again!

Look Cleaner 

Having a lot of clutter in your home can give the look of an unclean and messy house. Sometimes, when organizational habits are not adopted, you can lose control of your space. 

Maximizing Space

Once you declutter your space and designate an area for specific items, you will notice that your home feels larger. Remember, your stuff does not own the place; you do! So don't let random junk take control of your living space. 

The first step to a more organized you is acceptance. Now that we have analyzed key reasons to adopt organizational habits let's jump right into the tips and tricks that will get you organized in no time. 

How to Organize 

Organizing your apartment can be a difficult and daunting task, so above all, remember to stay patient and don't be afraid to gradually immerse yourself in the mission at hand. Then, tackle the organization little by little; remember, Rome wasn't built in a day. 

Now that we know what we're dealing with, here are some tips that will help you organize your apartment and maintain it organized. 

Utilize Empty Spaces

Empty spaces are everywhere in your apartment; it just takes a while to see them. 

Utilize the space underneath your bed as storage space; for example, use it to store out-of-season clothes. The underside of your bed can also be used as shoe storage. Be creative when creating storage solutions!

Empty wall space in your kitchen can be used to declutter your cabinets, so start hanging your pots and pans!

It is important to take advantage of all empty spaces not seen in plain sight. The more storage space you utilize, the better. 

Add Shelves 

Adding shelves to open spaces can help you get rid of clutter. A great example is adding bathroom shelf space to declutter your sink. 

Narrow floating shelves are very easy to install and are extremely useful; most importantly, they take up minimal space!

Also, consider adding hanging shelves when you use too much counter or table space. 

Create Space for Small Items

Small items can pile up on your counters or tables, especially in a small apartment. 

Make sure that every item, no matter how small, has a storage place in your home! 

Designate a Cleaning Day

As previously mentioned, Rome wasn't built in a day, and your apartment organization should follow the same theme. Designate one day a week to declutter and clean your precious space. 

Designating one day a week for cleaning and decluttering will help you achieve your goal and maintain your apartment organized. 

So overall, remember that this is a marathon and not a sprint!

Donate Functional Items

Okay, we've all been there, staring at a perfectly good item that we haven't used in 5 years but end up keeping out of fear of being wasteful. If you can relate to this, I have great news, you can donate these items to your local thrift stores. 

Donating valuable items to local thrift stores can give them another life. Also, it will benefit the community, the environment, and your closet space. 

So, next time you catch yourself in the same indecisive predicament, make a donation pile and send it to your local thrift!

Detach Yourself From Items 

We all have sentimental connections to certain useless items. However, we must let go of these objects as they cause clutter. That being said, don't discard your family heirloom that's been passed down for generations, but if it's a 2000s Easy Bake Oven that no longer functions, give it one last look and say goodbye, it's for the best. 

Remember, memories are what matter, not objects, so start making intelligent storage solutions. 

Wire Control 

Rogue wires are one of the most aggravating items in a home. Even in a perfectly organized home, rogue wires can completely ruin the ambiance by taking up floor and table space. 

If you have this problem, there are many ways to organize wires for a more seamless look. Wire control boxes are great options for hiding these cables. 

You can take many routes for wire control, so do your research and pick the one that works best for you. 

Make Your Bed, Every Day

Your mom was right all along! Making your bed is a vital organizational habit. 

Making your bed will get you in the habit of cleaning your bedroom and maintaining an organized space. 

If you don't make your bed every day, don't feel discouraged; start building a pattern until it eventually becomes a habit. 

Declutter Open Spaces

Although you should have a place for every item in your home, ensure that it is not in an open space. Storing objects on countertops or tables, no matter how organized, can create clutter. 

A great way to declutter open spaces is to designate cabinet space. For example, instead of storing your spice jars next to your stove, consider opting for a spice cabinet (stowed away from plain sight). This will give your countertops a more organized look. 

Organize Your Closets

An organized closet can ease your morning routine and make your life much easier. It will also allow you to declutter, thus, creating more closet space for your disposal! Also, maintain your closet door closed to keep a seamless look.

There are great videos on YouTube on how to organize your closet, so choose the method that works best for you.  

Closet organization can be time-consuming and draining, so take your time with this step. 

Store Items as You Use Them 

A big creator of clutter is not returning items to their designated places. Sometimes, returning things to their designated area can seem daunting, but it's for the best. 

Returning items to their designated place takes time to get used to, so try your best until it becomes an unconscious practice. Once you've mastered this, you'll notice that it is significantly easier to keep small apartments organized. 

Now that we've explained how to get better organizational habits, you probably understand that creating extra space is a huge bulk of the work. In the next section, we'll discuss a few items that will make your life easier when organizing small apartments.

Organizational Items

Having an organized space is not a costly task. However, some items will ease the process of getting organized; here is our list:

• Trash can
• Zippered storage boxes
• Container store storage bins
• Storage bed and Sofa
• Coffee table with drawers

Utilizing the above-referenced items will help you get proper storage space without getting too creative.

Bottom Line

Organizing a small apartment is all about creating efficient storage space. The key is to take your time and understand that organization and cleanliness are continuous practices.

Also, cleaning everything at once can be overwhelming, so do not be embarrassed to ask your friends and family for help. 

Once you have fully organized your apartment, you must work on maintaining it, which is why weekly cleanings are essential. You don't have to be real-life Mr. Clean, but you have to put in the work to enjoy a clutter-free home!

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