Even a small amount of clutter can be overwhelming when you live in an apartment. Clutter in the home has been linked to anxiety, depression, stress, and difficulty concentrating, according to an article in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. 

If you’re ready to declutter and are all for organizing a New Jersey Apartment but aren’t sure where to begin, these simple steps will help you keep clutter under control. So read on to learn our Country Classics rental team's best decluttering tips, including storage solutions for small apartments.

How to Maximize Space in a Small Apartment: 8 Decluttering Tips

Apartment living is incredibly convenient and cost-effective, but it can be challenging, especially if you have a lot of things. Fortunately, there are storage solutions for small spaces and decluttering tips you can use. 

To help give you a kick start, we’ve shared how to declutter a small apartment below. You’ll want to add these tips to your future decluttering checklist for apartments: 

Create a Catchall Spot Just Inside Your Front Door

Keep clutter from spreading throughout your apartment by placing a small table near your front door. Once you arrive home, drop your keys, mail, shopping bags, backpacks, laptop bags, and other items on the table. Although you probably won’t want to permanently keep these items on the table, designating a drop-off space can help you contain the clutter.

Make Sure All of Your Belongings Have a Home

Remember the old saying “A place for everything and everything in its place”? The phrase has helped countless people embrace minimalist living in apartments and keep their homes neat and tidy over the years. 

Your apartment can quickly become cluttered if you don’t have a designated spot for keys, shoes, or sports equipment. So think of where these belongings can reside and ensure they are always placed there because when every item in your apartment has a home, it’s easy to keep clutter from overtaking your apartment.

Sort Your Mail Everyday

Figuring out how to downsize clutter in an apartment can be challenging, but something as simple as sorting your mail daily can make a difference. Like most people, you probably receive a never-ending supply of junk mail. Recycling or disposing of mail you don’t need the day you receive it is the best way to prevent a mountain of mail from accumulating on your kitchen counter or dining room table. 

You can even go so far as to use a box or bin to store mail that requires your attention, such as bills, an invitation to your cousin’s wedding, or letters from friends. However, whatever you decide to discard, don’t forget to shred or tear up, as credit card offers, bank statements, and other mail with personal details could be dangerous in the wrong hands. Unscrupulous people could use the details to steal your identity or open credit card accounts in your name.

Clean Out Your Closets and Cabinets 

Freeing up a little space in your closets and cabinets is a simple way to keep clutter under control and one of the best apartment decluttering tips we can share. Although experts have their opinions regarding when you should get rid of seldom-used things, we think you should create your own criteria for your purge. 

Getting rid of unused belongings after 60 days or a year may be a good solution for some items, but what about your ski equipment or tuxedo? Although you don’t use those items often, hanging on to them and other seldom-used things may make sense, particularly if they would be costly to replace. 

If an item of clothing is out of fashion, uncomfortable, stained, damaged, or too small or too large, it’s generally safe to dispose of it. The same principle applies to kitchen items. If you haven’t used your bread maker in three years, your dishtowels have holes in them, or your blender no longer works, getting rid of them is a good choice. Toss items in bins labeled “sell,” “donate,” and “trash” to make cleaning and organizing easier.

Think Before You Buy

When looking into how to organize a small apartment, you need to learn how to think before you buy because newer isn’t always better, and you might not need everything you want to buy. 

For example, if you have perfectly good dishes, towels, or shoes at home, ask yourself if you really need an item before you add it to your collection. Buying something unnecessary will just create clutter and lead you back toward looking at storage ideas for small apartments. 

Some people find the “one in, one out” rule helpful and only buy something new if they’re prepared to donate or sell something else to make room for the new purchase.

Use Multi-Purpose Storage Solutions

Maximizing storage is important when living in an apartment, and choosing furniture that doubles as storage can help keep clutter under control. Multi-purpose furniture is one of the best storage solutions for small apartments. 

Consider an ottoman with hidden storage for blankets, a bed frame with built-in drawers, or floating shelves for books and decor. By making the most of hidden storage, you can keep your apartment looking tidy without sacrificing the things you love.

Put Extra Items in Storage

Are you looking into unique storage solutions for small spaces? Why not consider renting a storage unit if your apartment seems too cluttered? Renting a local storage unit for items you don’t need every day can help you avoid a clutter problem. 

Some apartment communities, like Fairway 28, even rent on-premise storage units. Storage units offer a good place to store holiday decorations, out-of-season sports equipment, extra furniture, and other items you don't want in your apartment year-round.

Maximize Vertical Space

When floor space is limited, think vertically! There are many different vertical stylish storage solutions for small spaces like apartments. 

For example, you can use wall-mounted shelves, over-the-door organizers, and nifty hanging racks to make the most of every inch of your apartment. Then, there are hooks that you can install near the entryway that can keep coats and bags from piling up, and kitchen pegboards that can organize utensils and cookware. 

By using vertical storage, you’ll free up surfaces and keep your apartment feeling spacious and clutter-free.

Speak with Country Classics Today about Our Spacious Apartments

Do you have a storage problem in your current apartment requiring you to look into the best ways to organize a rental? Older apartments were built when people had much less stuff and were perfectly happy with small rooms and tiny closets. Fortunately, that’s not the case with modern luxury apartments. 

In fact, Country Classics’ Central New Jersey apartment communities offer generously sized living spaces and large closets, including walk-in closets in some bedrooms. We hope that the space-saving tips for renters we shared, and easy decluttering hacks for apartments will help you when you rent with us. Contact us for information on current availability in New Jersey.