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If you find your home in New York or London, then chances are you’re not living in a sprawling manor. For most of us, a smaller home is a natural part of living in a cultural hotspot, and it’s not a bad thing. As trite as it might sound to your wealthiest friends, small is cosy, and it can provide you with the challenge of expressing a lot within a limited space. Exactly how to go about this can be tricky, however, which is why we decided on this list. Follow the below tips, and you’ll be sure to get more from less.

Address the Fixes First

You never want to build on a poor foundation, and this concept applies to modifying faulty homes too. Understanding this, your first step should be to take preventative measures and engage in maintenance to make sure your home is up to par. We know this can be a little intimidating at first, but it can also allow you to get closer to your living space.

Having a smaller home can be a big advantage when it comes to DIY because you’re not going to have to spend years covering an enormous space. Replacing plasterboard, for example, can be a simple process in a small house which can be accomplished without stress or enormous cost. Simply follow a few simple steps with the right equipment, and you’ll be able to complete a project that adds another element of you to your home. It’s not just where you live, your living space can reflect what you’ve accomplished.

Add Shelves Where You Can

Storage space is going to be at a premium in a smaller home, which can prove a challenge. To address this, installing extra shelves can be a great way to keep objects from ending up under food. This is best achieved on larger walls, but it can also be a fit for the awkward unexplored areas we tend to avoid. Under stairs and inside the corners of walls can be great places to insert storage, giving you more space for what’s important. Don’t forget that you can also hang storage in appropriate rooms for even more bang for your buck.

Use Tricks to Enhance the Feeling of Space

While you want your home to feel comfy, that doesn’t mean you want to make it feel claustrophobic. Luckily, there are some simple tricks that you can use to extend the feeling of space. Recessed lighting is one way to accomplish this feat, as is painting with neutral colours. A mirror can also give the illusion of extended space, proving opportunities to reflect further light if placed opposite a window.

Get Useful Objects Out of the Way

You don’t want to be bumping into things, so you want to ensure everything you use is as out of the way as it can be. Exposed leg furniture is one way to accomplish this, to give you more room to move your legs around, especially if we’re talking about coffee tables in front of the TV. Speaking of the TV, consider mounting it to the wall rather than placing it on a table if you can, which can easily grant an extra few square feet of moving space.

Experiment First

Rather than jumping right in, consider planning out what you want to try first with paper, or mark out objects with cardboard boxes. This can give you a good indication of what it will be like to move around your space and can help you spot anything you might have missed.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to try something new. With a smaller home, a little mistake usually isn’t going to be too expensive to change, so as long as you’re careful, you have room to try new things. Whether you’re looking to get ideas when you expand or permanently live a more humble lifestyle, there’s a lot of room for exploration, where the limit is up to you.