Recently, we had the opportunity to help a sweet client organize her family’s RV. This was a first for us, but it quickly became one of my favorite client projects to date.
A little background- this client and her husband travel around the country in their RV for months at a time. Can you imagine? You might be thinking there is NO WAY that it could be comfortable or bearable. But, the more I spoke to my client about living small, the more I found just how much they love their space. From working to entertaining, they are fully equipped to do it all in their tiny space.
Today I am going to share some benefits of downsizing your home and living small and how to organize a tiny home/RV. Regardless if you’re moving from 3,000 sq ft to 1,400 sq ft or 350 sq ft, these tips will come in handy for you.
Benefits of Living Small
1. Smaller homes are easier to maintain. Anyone who has owned a house, especially with kids, pets, and more knows the amount of time, energy, and effort it takes to maintain. All things being equal, a smaller home requires less of your time, energy, and effort to accomplish that task.
2. Money Savings. Smaller homes are less expensive to purchase and less expensive to keep. Think cheaper electric, heating & cooling, taxes, and insurance!
3. Less temptation to accumulate stuff. A small home really forces you to keep only what you need and love. It cuts out the extra, and makes you think twice before going into Target or Home Goods and coming out with a cart full of stuff you really don’t need.
4. You have more time. In a small home you have less to clean and maintain resulting in more free time so pursue the things in life that really matter. Family, a hobby, whatever you want that to be!
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Tips for Downsizing & Organizing a Small Home/RV
While the process of organizing is generally the same regardless of the space, or size, there are some special tips & tricks below that are crucial for downsizing to a tiny home.
Take Inventory
Create categories of what you have:
Can’t live without
What are the items that are important to you that can’t be replaced? Think family photos & important documents that are not able to be replaced.
Can live without
These are things you can sell, donate or simply get rid of. Now these are not a must to get rid of, but it will be helpful for you to see the items you own that you could, if necessary, part with and be ok.
Limit Multiples
Consider how many you need of a certain item. For example, do you really need 3 spatulas or more than one hair straightener? These are items that should they need to be replaced, it’s not a huge investment.
Take Advantage of Multi-Use Items
While organizing our client’s RV we made sure to take advantage of any and all space. One way we did this was by utilizing her living room ottoman. The ottoman not only served as furniture for the family, but it doubled as extra seating for guests, and storage for blankets, computers, and other work items.
Technology is Your Friend
Technology makes it easier to live small now that there are small and faster devices. Try going paperless and switch to e-books. So many items now are controlled by bluetooth that it is easier than ever to get rid of annoying cords and cables.
Maintain
Of course with any space, large or small, maintaining order is important to enjoying your living space. Set a reminder on your calendar once a month to go through your items and declutter what you no longer need or want.
Have you considered downsizing?
Have you ever wanted to live in an RV or tiny home? There is no right or wrong size home to live in. The important part is to live where you and your family feel happiest, and that supports the life you want to live.
Need help downsizing your home? We specialize in just that. Take a look at our move management services, or contact us to schedule a FREE consultation.
Wandering if you need professional organizer? Get our guide here.
See you soon,
Audra
