If your new home is a little smaller than you would have liked but it is all you can afford right now; do not despair, as in this article, we offer some great space-saving hacks to help you make the most from what you have.
- Shelves above doorways – Sounds crazy right? Extending a shelving unit to reach over a doorway actually gives you more storage space; from books to ornaments, this is a cool hack that your guests will be impressed with.
- Invest in a sofa ottoman – Though it can’t be seen, the huge drawers under the couch can be used to store clean bedding, spare towels or even items you rarely use. This would work for your new home in Alam Impian and no one would ever know you have a few square metres of storage space concealed under the sofa.
- Install a small desk and chair under the stairs – If you do a lot of work online and don’t want to disturb the family, why not create a cosy space under the stairs? A local carpenter can add a custom-built storage unit that sits next to your desk.
- Corner shelving units – It might be a small hack but every little helps; of course, round off the corners for safety, banging your knee on a shelf corner is not funny! This might work at the end of a cabinet where there is a couple of square feet or space that isn’t being used.
- Hooks on the backs of doors – Not everyone’s cup of tea but it does give you a place to hang stuff; check out Google Images for a few pictures of how that looks. This works really well with doors that you normally keep open. Here are a few more hacks for smaller bedrooms.
- Underbed storage – One of the spaces that is always wasted, buy a bed with large storage drawers and you have a great place to store bedding, towels and clothing you rarely wear.
Similarly, a sofa that doubles as a bed is great for unexpected overnight guests (we all have them).
- Convert small spaces into storage areas – Walk around your house and make note of all the small spaces that you can see and that might lead to building small cabinets that blend into the layout.
- Shelving in the hallway – Review your hallway and there might be a few spots that can be converted; you could take a few images and ask an interior designer to take a look to see what the expert thinks.
- Wall-mounted cabinets – Reclaim some floorspace in the kitchen by fitting your cabinets on the wall, releasing much-needed space. Google Images can bring up a few great examples to give you some inspiration.
Whether your new home is in Malaysia, Thailand or anywhere else, we hope that these space-saving hacks help you to make the best use of your living space.
