Apartments generally cost more if they have more closet or cabinet space than apartments that may have even more square footage. This is because most people are fed up with not having enough room for their stuff. Everything gets cluttered and disorganized making you feel like your living space isn’t big enough. But if you learn a few tricks, you can get away with living in smaller and smaller places, saving you money.

If you plan to live in an apartment forever, then you really should invest in space saving furniture. There are lots of different options when it comes to this. Many items, such as ottomans, coffee tables, and end tables come in a wide variety of styles that offer storage. Coffee tables and end tables, along with the arms of couches, ottomans and chairs, can open up to reveal storage. You may find a bed with drawers underneath to store your out of season clothes. Furniture like this makes it easy to store things outside of the closet.

You can also decorate with items that give you storage. For example, a trunk is an attractive decorative piece that gives you a place to store linens, blankets, and other bulky items. A bench that opens up to reveal storage is great for a front entryway because it gives you somewhere to stash things that generally clutter around the front door. A rolling garment rack can give you a place to hang bulky items or help you to manage laundry. Inexpensive shelves can be hung all around the apartment for knick knacks and photos, leaving your table tops free for organizers.

In your closets, you can use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to give yourself extra room. These slim hangers are great for allowing you to hang items close together. They also have attachments and hanger accessories, such as cascading hooks and clips. Specialty hangers allow you to hang multiple pants, skirts, ties, scarves, and belts on one hanger. Using hangers like this will help you to triple the space in your closet.

Once you’ve given yourself a lot of storage options, you can concentrate on limiting what you allow into the apartment. When you buy something, ask yourself if you need it or if you simply want it. Do this and you can be happy in your apartment for many years without feeling cluttered.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Choose furniture and decorations for your bedroom that also double as storage areas. A trunk is a good example of an inexpensive item that looks nice at the foot of the bed or underneath a window. You can use it for out of season shoes, blankets, pillows, extra clothing, holiday gift storage, or whatever you need. This small item can help you to take a lot of the clutter out of your room and make space in your closets and underneath your bed.

2) Speaking of under the bed, this is an often neglecting storage area. You may think that things under there would be hard to get to. However, if you use boxes or drawers on casters, you can store a lot of things under there that are easily pulled out for access. Many containers are designed to fit under the bed and they don’t cost much. You don’t really need anything fancy because your dust ruffle or blankets will cover them when they are pushed underneath for storage. You can also add risers to many beds to make even more space underneath.

3) Another way to create storage areas in your bedroom is to better arrange your closet. We all have a little extra square footage in there that we don’t realize we have. If you go in and add or move shelving around, you can usually make some more space in there. Check out the corners, front wall and ceiling of your closet. Is there unused space? Would it be better used by maneuvering your hanging bar or top shelf around? Experiment with your closet arrangement until you figure out a better use for the space. Sometimes just hanging your short items on one side and the longer ones on the other will create extra space below the shorter items.

4) The easiest way to quickly make space in your bedroom closet is to use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers. These hangers don’t only hang closely together, but they can also cascade from each other creating up to three times the space you had before.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Take measurements of the spaces in your closets that you are not using. There may be room between your top shelf storage items and the ceiling. There may be room in front of these items between the shelf and the front wall of the closet. There may be a foot or two free underneath your hanging clothes before you get to the shoes. Most people are surprised when they find out that they have around one hundred square feet empty in their seemingly packed closets.

2) Figure out where space is being wasted and learn how to utilize those spaces. An additional shelf may be added to the top of the closet. Make sure that you avoid the light by at least twelve inches in all directions. You may be able to add a shelf or two over the closet door, inside and out. The front and back corners of the closet may be prime places for shelving to go. Doubling up your hanging bars is an easy and inexpensive way to double closet storage fast. If you still have longer items that don’t work well with a double bar, hang a third one on the empty sides of the closet.

3) Getting rid of as much as possible is a great way to quickly and easily make some closet space, but it often isn’t enough. This is especially true if you share your closet with a spouse or need space to store your off-season clothing. You can use flat, space saving hangers, like velvet hangers to make your clothes fit closely together without getting tangled or wrinkled on the bar. Cascading hooks make it easy to pair up outfits, coordinates, and other like items. Combining hangers like this can help you double or triple the space that you had available on your closet rod.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Getting rid of as much as possible is a liberating feeling. Think about how much you pay for the space that you have. Now think about how much your storage space is worth. If the clutter is not worth the price of the area that it is consuming, then maybe it’s time to rethink how much that junk is actually worth to you.

Storing clothes that you might fit into one day is generally a good idea if you actually think that you’ll get back into them. However, it is generally not a good idea to save the entire wardrobe of that size. Not only do clothes quickly go out of fashion, but the space they rob you of makes keeping them too much of an investment. Keep a few items that mean a lot to you or that are particularly “timeless”. Get rid of the rest and reward yourself for losing weight by buying new clothes when the time comes.

Creating storage for other items around the home can help you to get the clutter out of sight and out of mind. Clear out cabinets of dishes, pots and pans that you never use. Give them away and make room for storing things that you actually need. Use cabinets and closet shelves to help you make room for containers that can hold chargers, computer equipment, photos and books. Scan documents that you need to keep and put them away so that you can access them without having to dig them out of storage.

Make extra room in your closets by using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to consolidate clothing and minimize the space that they occupy. You’ll be amazed at how you can double or triple space in your closets simply by using cascading and specialty space saving hangers.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

People choose to simplify for a multitude of often personal reasons. Sometimes it’s just necessary to reduce because larger living spaces are so expensive. Living in a small apartment, condo, or efficiency can make it seem hard to keep down the clutter. You may be feeling like the tight space is closing in on you simply because you don’t have anywhere to put the belongings that you need to keep. Use these tips to learn how successful simpletons manage and love their smaller, more simplified lives.

1) First, start simplifying by reducing the stresses that occupy your everyday life. Something as simple as paying bills can be turned from a dreary task to a quick and paperless endeavor. Most banks offer online bill paying options that can be set up to automatically pay your bills for you, or you can go on and pay them yourself in only seconds. No paper bills, no stamps, no checks, no errands to the post office, and you are just blissfully done with a super minimal amount of effort.

2) Getting rid of excess in your home can be liberating. Before you buy something or decide to keep an item, always consider whether it is something that you need, if it could be replaced with a smaller or more efficient model, or if it is simply something that you want? Many people are able to get rid of a lot of sentimental clutter by keeping a scrapbook documenting items instead of the actual items that can take up space. If you’re keeping things because of the memories that they possess, then you will be just as happy reminiscing while looking at a photo of the item. The freedom and control of your surroundings that you feel is very addictive and will help you to keep things simple in other aspects of your life.

3) Storage is a problem for many people living in small spaces. Utilizing furniture that doubles as storage is a great way to hide storage items around your home without taking up any extra space at all. Installing a good closet system is another way to make the best use of the storage space that you have. You would be amazed at the volume of space that is wasted in most people’s closets. Vertical space should be utilized all over your home, but in the closet, it can make and enormous difference. Another way to make a difference is to use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to double or triple the space in your closet. Simplify the process of getting ready for work or to go out by cascading your hangers to coordinate outfits. No more searching for that shirt that goes with the pants you want to wear. Use these and other space saving strategies around your home and you can have a simply organized living space before you know it.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

The best way to be successful is to set aside time to organize. Depending on your project, it may not be a good idea to tackle it all in one day. Getting your whole home organized can be an ongoing process, so try to be patient. Your diligence will pay off. As you discover what works for you in one area, you should be inspired to carry on the techniques that have paid off to different areas of your home.

Start with the areas that are really bugging you. These are generally junk piles that just seem to accumulate no matter what you do. You get it clean and through the course of one day, it’s junky again. This is usually due to the fact that your family is in the habit of tossing things into the areas that are already junky.

Identify the problem areas and see what types of items are always ending up there. Whether it’s newspapers, mail, homework, lunchboxes, hats, shoes, keys, cell phones, or just trash, you should create a space to manage it. If backpacks are always landing in one spot, then install some hooks and label them with each person’s name. If shoes are a problem, get a large bin or shoe rack and put it where everyone takes off their shoes.

You can put organizers for mail, keys, wallets, purses, and cell phones either in your entryway or kitchen, wherever they tend to pile up. It’s easiest for everyone to stay organized if you provide the organizational tools and install them in the area that the family already uses. People are really creatures of habit and our routines are soothing. Changing the area too much just about ensures that no one will use it after the first few days. The junk will be piling up again and the organizers will be empty.

Once you get your key areas straight, think about your closets. Closets are great for storing items and keeping them out of sight. However, you need to use your closets for your clothing, too. So, you need to find a way to save space so that you can do both. One trick is to move your top shelf up closer to the ceiling. This moves your storage items up and leaves you more space to organize your clothes. You can use things like space saving hangers, such as velvet hangers, to make the most of your hanging space.

When you get your home organized in a way that works, it is more likely that it will stay that way.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) Hanging shelves are great for closets and other areas where you might be able to make some storage happen. It’s usually not that you don’t have space available; it’s that you haven’t thought of how to most effectively use the space that you do have. Vertical space is often ignored and shelves are often too shallow to store everything that you need to.

2) Find spaces that you didn’t know you had. Sometimes a unique or creative arrangement of shelves inside of your cabinets can give you more space than you imagined. Look around the house and determine the spaces that are not being used efficiently. If shelves are too far apart, there will be empty space above your bins, books, boxes, or whatever you have there. Try adding shelves or hanging an undershelf basket from the higher shelves. These are great for storing smaller items, computer paper, baseball caps, socks, magazines, or toys.

3) Look up! You can install shelves above doorways and around the ceiling. This is a modern way of creating storage or display space without cluttering up the room with big shelves. A shelf above a door that displays your favorite things or stores your cookbooks is not only an easy clutter solution, but it can give your home a unique feel.

4) Corner that clutter. Have you ever considered adding corner shelves to the bottom corners of the room, the front corners of the closet, or up the kitchen corner? You can create spaces for canned foods, pictures, books, knick knacks, and more. A lot of times we use our shelf space for displaying things like art or mementos. If we can get these things away from our larger storage areas and onto smaller shelves, we can make a lot of space with very little effort.

5) Utilize products that make space happen. There are many closet accessories that can be used all over the home. Make storage space in your closet by using velvet hangers, which are thin, space saving hangers. You can piggy-back them, use clips, and cascade clothing from them tripling closet space in minutes. Using tricks like this can help you to discover just how much hidden space there really is in your home.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

1) First you have to determine what you need to find a place for. If you have heaps of clothing, mail, craft supplies, and general junk lying around, it may be difficult to know where to start. This is why we suggest starting off by using the “divide and conquer” approach. You can separate things into boxes, laundry baskets, or just piles to get started. Try not to make any category too big or too small. When everything is divided, you can better tell how many areas you will need to create.

2) If you feel like there’s just no way that you can ever make space for everything that you own, it might be time to get rid of some things. Charities accept usable home items, such as office supplies, clothing, and toys. Donate and throw out what you can so that you have less to deal with. When you get rid of excess things, you’ll be ready to go.

3) Now that you see what you have left, determine the dimensions of space that you will need for each pile. It’s helpful to determine the actual square footage or inches of space that you will need. This way, you won’t be constrained to an actual measurement, and can adjust the dimensions of space needed to fit where you want it to. For example, you may have a 2’x2’x2’ stack of sweaters. Instead of storing the sweaters in a cube, you may be able to roll them and store them in a shallow box underneath your bed.

4) After you find places to store items that you don’t use all the time, you can begin to make the most of the hanging space that you have in your closet for your everyday wardrobe. You can use space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to make your clothes fit closely together. The velvet hanger coating will keep your clothes from slipping or being damaged by cheap metal clips. You can cascade these space saving hangers to coordinate outfits and double or triple your space. Using inexpensive solutions like this can have you organized in no time.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

Make a plan for yourself and follow these rules:

1) Get rid of everything you possibly can.

2) Give clothing, shoes, purses, belts, ties and coats to a charity that accepts clothing donations. These items are often tax deductible.

3) Items that are in good enough condition can be sold to consignment shops or put out in a garage sale. If you have trouble selling or giving away clothes that mean something to you, go shopping for new items. Set a goal for how much money you need to make to replace the old items with new ones.

4) Commemorate heirlooms. Take photographs of important articles so that you can enjoy them after they are gone. If they are very important to you, then you should have them sealed in an acid free box so that they will last for generations to come. Otherwise, keep a scrap of fabric or just the photo.

5) Get rid of shoes, belts and purses. Many people keep shoes, belts and handbags for many, many years. These items may still be good, but they gave you a blister, or they don’t match anything. Maybe they are just out of date. Give those items to a charity, or have a swap party. Friends can get together and bring all of their gently used purses, belts, hats and shoes. Use dice to determine who goes first and take turns swapping items. When everyone has what they want, you can donate the rest to charity.

6) Sometimes we just want to keep those cute clothes that no longer fit. If it is possible for you to get back into them, keep them. Just store them outside of your every day closet. Large containers can be labeled with signs that dictate the size or weight you need to be to get into them. You do not have to get rid of them if you get them out of the way for a while. Then it will be so exciting when you are able to take down that box and swap out the wardrobes.

Save space in your closet with space saving hangers, like velvet hangers, to complete the task of organizing your closet. It will give you great joy to see your closet spacious, neat and uncluttered. Getting organized does not take long and it is well worth the effort.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.

First, find the clutter. Even if you’re surrounded by it, chances are there are some areas that are harder to control than others. Most people end up creating clutter by putting their things down when they come in the door. If you don’t have a good plan, your keys, wallet, cell phone, laptop, backpack, mail, and other daily use items can end up in a heap.

Digging through heaps of things is not the way to start out your day. The stress that comes from living in clutter can be a very real health hazard. Starting off your organization process with the front area of your apartment will get you off on the right foot. Use an end table, a trunk, a locker style organization shelf, or whatever you can think of to hold your daily use items. Use hooks for bags, cubbies for shoes, a wall mount hanging bar for coats, and a small table for charging phones while organizing wallets and keys. Make sure that you make a place for other things that commonly pile up, like mail.

If you’re lucky, you have a coat closet in your apartment. This can be a great place, not only to hang coats and stow shoes, but also to hold shelves, bins, buckets, and other small items. Things like scarves, hats and gloves can get scattered if they have nowhere to go. Use door organizers to keep these things organized and out of sight.

Now that the living area is organized, spend some time on your bedroom. The bedroom closet can be extremely useful, even if it leaves something to be desired. Creating space for bulky storage items may seem like an impossibility. However, you can make the most of the space that you have by using space saving hangers, like velvet hangers.

Velvet hangers are flat and hang close together, much like wire hangers. But, they are much sturdier and won’t bend under the weight of the clothes. The velvet coating keeps clothes from slipping off while the curvature of the hanger is perfectly shaped for specific sizes and types of clothing. Cascading hooks and specialty styles can help you keep your closet organized while revealing more space than you may have imagined.

About the Author: Rick Miller is on the staff of Only Slimline Hangers, a leading online resource for velvet hangers which are space saving hangers, non slip hangers and slim line hangers. For more information, please visit http://www.onlyslimlinehangers.com.