5 tips for moving into a studio apartment

Moving into a small studio apartment will definitely present a number of challenges for you regardless of whether you’re moving into your first apartment or you’re downsizing from a one- or two-bedroom apartment.

No matter if you’re a renter or a buyer, living in a studio apartment may turn out to be NOT what you expected, especially if you’ve never lived in a small apartment before. Before long, space management will become vital as only one room will serve as your kitchen, living room and bedroom.

Moving into a studio apartment requires careful planning just because the living space is too limited. The truth is that you won’t only need to make the small space livable, but you’ll also need to know how to prepare for the move in the best possible way.

Here are some good tips for moving into a studio apartment that will help you make the tough transition quickly and painlessly.

Why move into a studio in the first place?

Studio apartments offer a number of indisputable advantages that can easily outweigh the major problem with living in a place with seriously restricted living space. In reality, moving to a tiny studio apartment may turn out to be a masterstroke in your particular situation – a smart decision that will prove to be hugely beneficial during that specific stage in your life.

Here are the major benefits of moving into a studio apartment:

• Saving money. Moving into a studio is a great way to save money on rent. In fact, choosing to live in a studio apartment over a one-bedroom apartment can save you between $500 and $1,000 on your monthly rent depending on the exact location.
• Money. Again. The utility bills of a studio apartment will most likely be lower. After all, a small space is much easier to heat and cool while the entire living space can be illuminated with one or two strategically positioned light fixtures. Also, inside a tiny apartment, there is no much room for too many electronic devices that consume electric energy.
• Great location. A studio apartment can give you the unique opportunity to pick a great location – for example, a good neighborhood in a big city where, apparently, you’ll be forced to trade living space for location and job opportunities.
• No roommates. Studio apartments are more affordable, which means that you should be able to live in a big city without having to share your living space with another person – often a complete stranger. The best part? You won’t have to constantly make sacrifices like if you were to live with roommates.
• Little maintenance. A tiny apartment is much easier to clean and maintain, and there’s little space for clutter either.
• Simplicity. All in all, living in one single room is pretty simple and can be an excellent choice for people who are used to having fewer items around them. Also, a studio apartment is often a good option for people who travel a lot, are constantly on the move and therefore spend too little time home.

See also: What are the benefits of moving into an apartment?

How to move into a studio apartment: 5 pieces of advice

Moving into a studio apartment often turns into a space management issue that you’ll need to address before and after you move in. If you can only find a way to deal, both physically and mentally, with the much-restricted space of a studio, you’ll definitely emerge a winner on multiple fronts.

1. Check several studio apartments before committing

One thing you should keep in mind is that not all studio apartments are the same – some are designed rather differently than others, so you should check at least several places before choosing a place to move into. For a number of reasons, some studio apartments will work better for you than others – you’ll just have to set your priorities right and start from there.

As you’re inspecting those studio apartments, think about the household items you’re moving with you and whether those items will fit into the tiny living space at all. And if they do, will they match the studio’s interior design?

Solid advice: How to move into a high-rise apartment

2. Declutter and purge: Take only what you absolutely need

One of the most fundamental things you’ll need to understand when moving into a studio apartment is that you just won’t have enough room for all the things that you have and want to keep with you. Even if you’re coming from another studio, you should still go through your possessions with the aim of reducing their number.

Bear in mind that a studio apartment requires a minimalist lifestyle and this is exactly why you should pare down your belongings before moving into a small apartment. It’s never easy to get rid of the majority of your possessions but it’s just something you just have to do now, especially if you’ve been living in a much bigger place.

Make a list of the must-haves – the things you’re taking to the studio apartment no matter what. Then, it’s all about figuring out what to do with the rest of your items. Be ruthless when reducing the amount of stuff you intend to transport to your new place:

• Don’t take any duplicates, outdated and outgrown things.
• Don’t take anything that you never liked anyway.
• Don’t move things that you won’t really need in the future.
• Don’t pack and move items you haven’t used in more than a year.

Sell, give away or donate everything you don’t use regularly.

Read also: How to declutter your home before moving

3. Don’t move any bulky furniture pieces, if possible

Without a doubt, the household items that take up the most space are furniture pieces. Think about how much furniture you’ll really need for a tiny studio apartment where you’ll only have one room. As a rule of thumb, you shouldn’t bother moving most of your current furniture pieces as 1) you’ll save transportation money by just leaving them behind, and 2) there just isn’t enough space for your regular furniture items.

The best furniture for a studio apartment is the so-called versatile furniture. So, get practical and multi-function furniture for your new place – pieces that will have more than one function. Examples of such double-duty furniture include a coffee table with storage space underneath it and a pull-out couch (foldout daybed) that will be a sleeping bed at night and a regular couch during the day.

Useful info: Move your furniture or buy new after the move?

4. Think about storage solutions that work

Moving into a smaller apartment means that you’ll need to get space management to another level. No matter how you look at it, you’ll just have to make the most of the restricted space of your new home, and the best way to do it is to maximize the small space by using clever space-creating tricks.

• Install floor-to-ceiling shelves or storage cabinets. In fact, the best way to maximize the storage space in a studio apartment is to use well its vertical space;
• Use the space above the room entrance: purchase over-the-door organizers for shoes or install cabinets or shelves over the doors;
• Store items in spaces that are often overlooked – under the bed, behind a couch, over the fridge, behind a door, etc.;
• Store rarely used items on the top shelves of cabinets.

Just do your best to keep your decluttered apartment… decluttered.

See also: How to deal with moving into a small space

5. Consider renting a storage unit

Moving into a tiny apartment may force you to deal with many tough questions in terms of what to do with some of your valuables items when there’s just not enough space to keep them in the new home. It’s a dilemma alright: you don’t want to get rid of them because they have a sentimental value and yet, you can’t store them inside the hugely restricted living space.

One possible solution to that dilemma may be to rent a storage unit temporarily until you decide what to do with those extra items once and for all, or you move again to a bigger apartment. Nevertheless, be mindful that the monthly fees you’ll pay for the extra storage will burden your budget and may nullify the financial benefit of moving into a studio apartment in the first place

Good info: How much does it cost to rent a storage unit?