Tammie's Take~

Maximise Your Home Space Without Losing On Comfort

Reviews · May 3, 2018

As the world’s population grows, the size of homes, unfortunately, shrinks. IN fact, as it stands now, the world’s population is over 7.3 billion. According to the UN, it’s expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, which is only a little over 30 years from now. Needless to say, the space available in your home then will be even smaller than now. The UK is especially hit by the shrinking tendencies, as the British homes are the smaller in the whole Europe. In fact, you need to go to Japan to find homes that have an even tinier square footage. What does this mean?

Well, firstly, it’ll be even more difficult to find a parking space in town then. But, more to the point, it means that the homes of the future will be space-efficient. The idea to maximize your space, by either making sure you don’t waste any inch of it or by ensuring that you create the most valuable design for the available space, is not new. But it’s only in the last few years that the general public, people like you and me, have started to understand how crucial space management skills are in your everyday home life. As space is precious, it’s essential to treat it as a luxury while at the same time preserving it as an endangered species. Having a large garden can really change the look of your whole home. But what use is having a large garden if you don’t use all of your extra space, projecttimber.com have a number of different summer houses and sheds for you to choose from, this can really transform your garden and obviously is a great source of storage.

Modern, space-saving flat

The micro-apartment for Millennials

Young adults from the Millennial generation have already been confronted with the latest space saving solutions on the real estate market. In Japan, the pod hotels are more than a popular trend; they’re the ultimate option to provide the necessary comfort to travellers within the physical limitations of space. As surprising as it sounds, these pod bedrooms are not only a hit for the locals, but many young travellers have made sure to put them on their bucket list. It’s easy to understand why. Millennials who are looking to buy their first home have discovered the children of shrinking housing units: micro apartments. In fact, for a lot of new architects, the Millennial approach to an on-demand lifestyle where everything is available at a click of a button changes the square footage value. When companies such as Google have their own chefs to prepare free or subsidized meals, having a fridge at home becomes almost a waste of space. In fact, the micro trend has even redesigned the way architects think about homes, forcing them to remove the living room from the flooring plan. Millennials, as they say, don’t need to entertain. Their small home is focused entirely on functionality and practicality where every placement is studied at a granular level. However, there’s no denying that the satisfaction of the residents is very low, indeed. In fact, when everyone lives in a small cube, and when every cube is the same, Millennials are looking for an opportunity to exist and express their personality and creativity at home. We can only hope that the home of the future will be nothing like the micro apartments.

Small family house in town

If you are not ready to make the move in a small urban cube, you are probably one of many homeowners looking for the practicality of being in town with enough personal space to create your own decor. For families, the best choice is to buy a townhouse, as it offers the advantage of a private and individual space where you can still create a unique interior style. Micro apartments, in comparison, are granularly designed and furnished. Townhouses, however, are among the smallest houses in the UK, and naturally, need special attention to storage facilities to work. When a family with one of two children lives in one of those properties, they need to become space-savvy. The wall becomes your best friend to keep your belongings stored. Wall-mounted shelves can save significant space at home, and you can even add a wall-mounted seating area for when you entertain guests. Additionally, you can also use a raised platform in rooms with high ceilings or in a child’s bedroom, as an additional storage option. This could be great to keep all your bedding gear, for instance. If you can’t build a platform, you could consider floor cabinets, where you could store your winter wardrobe during the warm season.  

Efficient family house outside of town

For families who prefer to live in a bigger home, the space formula needs to be amended. The value of space suddenly becomes more important than the practicality of the urban life. In other words, if you want a big home, you need to leave the ease of urban life behind you. You need to move to the countryside, or at least, pick a property on the outskirts of town. Don’t be fooled by thinking that living on the outskirts guarantees you easy access to the urban environment. In reality, you can count 60 to 90 minutes commute just to get in town, as anybody who lives outside of London or any other big town can testify. Admittedly, you improve your home satisfaction in the process, as you gain a large garden and large bedrooms. There’s no need to worry about storage availability anymore. But, if you choose to make the most of your space, you need to choose furniture and appliances that respect your new environment. You need an eco-friendly interior. Space is, after all, a luxury. So it’s essential that you treat it with the utmost respect, ensuring that you keep as clean and clear as possible.

Cheap DIY home

The problem with living out of town is that space, while it is available is larger quantities than in an urban centre, remains an expensive investment. For young adults who don’t like the idea of buying a cube unit in town, the purchase of a home on the outskirt is out of the question. The property market has been steadily exploding for the past few decades, making it almost impossible for anybody to settle down in their own home before the age of 30 – although there are exceptions. As a result, more and more Millennials who are unhappy with the micro apartment offering have taken it upon themselves to build their own property, the tiny home. You can also find pre-built tiny homes to buy, but it’s fair to say that first-time homeowners prefer the excitement of making the property themselves. Living in a tiny home teaches you an important lesson in a minimalist interior. Not only is no inch wasted, but the household tends to be a lot more energy-efficient and eco-friendly than other properties. However, it’s not an option for everyone, as downsizing can be difficult for families or dynamic career people.

Get your tiny home

What makes your home yours?

Last, but not least, making the most of the space in your home is key to adjusting to the evolution of the world’s population and the housing crisis of the future. However, as the tiny apartment experiment demonstrates, it can be extremely challenging to find small spaces satisfying in you can’t create your personal touch. Ultimately, the space you live it can only become comfortable is it reflects your personality. For instance, a small bedroom is only an issue if you don’t work to make it comfortable. Sometimes, all it takes is the addition of elegant and cosy bedding to change the atmosphere in the room. Ultimately, it’s not a matter of how much space is available but of how you choose to fill it.

The bottom line is that, as housing space is shrinking, it’s important to ask yourself whether you’re making the most of what you’ve got. From introducing smart storage units to choosing to downsize with a tiny home, you have many options to respect and value the space you’ve got.