There are a number of good reasons why you may wish to move into a studio apartment.
You may be downsizing from a larger home because you can no longer afford it – or maybe you no longer need that extra space.
You may be moving into your first apartment and you’re looking for something really affordable until you can save enough to move into a bigger place.
Or maybe you’re moving into a studio apartment just because you need to be closer to your workplace.
Whatever the specific reason in your case, one thing you should keep in mind is that you should expect multiple space management issues simply because your living space will be too limited and restricted. Also, you’re going to have to prepare well for the house move itself.
To help you have a smooth and painless transition, here are the top 7 tips for moving into a studio apartment.
1. RECOGNIZE the advantages of living in a studio apartment
Before moving into a studio apartment, the very first question you’re going to have to answer is whether living in a studio apartment is something you really want to do. Is it the right choice for you under the current circumstances? How do you see yourself living in a tiny studio apartment 5 years from now?
Without a doubt, studio apartments offer several advantages that are hard to dispute. If you can look past the obvious drawback (severely restricted living space), you should be able to recognize all the benefits you’ll likely to get when you move into a studio apartment.
- Affordable rent. Moving into a small studio apartment can help you save money on the monthly rent. Generally speaking, the difference between the rent of a one-bedroom apartment and a studio apartment can be anywhere between $500 and $1,000, or more, depending on the location and the type of apartments.
- Lower utility bills. As a rule of thumb, the utility bills you’ll have to pay when living in a studio apartment will be lower because of the restricted living space – that is, easier to cool in summer and to heat in winter. Also, fewer light fixtures will be needed to illuminate the place.
- Minimum maintenance. Moving into a small apartment automatically means you’ll be spending less time and money on maintaining the new place.
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Location is a key factor when choosing a studio apartment.
Excellent location. More often than not, moving into a tiny apartment will be a compromise that might work great for you. Basically, you’ll be trading living space for a good location and better job opportunities, usually within the limits of a big city. Will the trade-off be worth it in the end? Only time will tell.
- No roommates. Arguably, the best thing about moving into a studio apartment is that you won’t have to share the living space with a person you’re not crazy about – a complete stranger, for example. Thanks to the affordable rent, it’ll be the sole master of the new residence – your place, your rules.
2. SELECT your studio apartment really carefully
Studio apartments can differ greatly as far as location, price, and interior design so it’s important that you choose one that will meet your needs and satisfy your preferences.
- Location. The location of the studio apartment you wish to rent or buy should be one of the first things to consider. Is it located in a good neighborhood? How far is it from your workplace? You may have specific requirements about the new residence too – to be close to green areas, for example, or to be fairly quiet (away from any busy streets, for instance).
- Price. Of course, the cost of the monthly rent or mortgage will influence greatly your choice of a studio. According to real estate experts, its price should not be more than 30% of your disposable income.
- Interior design. Not all studio apartments are the same, naturally, so it’s important that you check several apartments before you decide on one. Do consider the specific layout and floor plan of each place in terms of how the things you’re taking with you will fit and match the new apartment.
Is there enough closet space (one big closet or several smaller ones) where you can store your items? Are there enough windows that provide abundant natural sunlight? What about large electric appliances and furniture such as built-in shelves?
DON’T GO with the very first studio apartment you find, but look around and check out a few studios before you decide to move into one.
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3. MOVE only the must-have items to your small apartment
Moving into a small studio apartment is all about understanding that you’re going to live in a place with very restricted space. As a result, you just won’t have the physical space to fit all the things you’d like to fit in there.
Living in a studio apartment will force you to switch to a minimalist lifestyle – something you may not know how to do. Not surprisingly, the first thing you should do once you’ve selected a studio to live in is to reduce the number of things you’re moving. This is something you just have to do even if you’re moving out of a small place too.
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Your new apartment just won’t be big enough to fit all the things you want to take with you.
INVENTORY your current place to get a good idea about the number and type of things you own. It’s possible that you’ve forgotten about the existence of some possessions over time.
- MAKE a detailed list of all the things that you’re moving to the studio apartment at all costs. Insufficient space or not, there will be possessions that you just won’t leave behind.
- DECIDE what you’ll do with all the items you won’t be moving with you – duplicates, outdated belongings, and outgrown clothes and shoes. Don’t move anything that you don’t plan on using in the future or things that you never really liked.
- DO NOT MOVE items that you have not used in more than 12 months – it’s obvious that you don’t really need them.
- SELL, GIFT, or DONATE the household items you’ve decided to leave behind due to insufficient space in the studio apartment.
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4. DON’T TAKE bulky furniture pieces with you
While you’re in the middle of figuring out what things to take and what things to just leave behind, you should definitely keep in mind that furniture pieces are not only the most expensive items to transport to the new home, but they will take up the most space inside the apartment as well. And space will soon be a luxury you can’t afford to waste just like that.
Think about this: moving into a studio apartment means that you’ll only have one room after the relocation – therefore, space management (see below for details) will become a crucial factor for you. In most cases, you shouldn’t move any large and heavy furniture pieces due to the insufficient living space in the destination room. As an added bonus, you’ll save money from having to transport those bulky items to the new home.
On the other hand, if you happen to own versatile furniture – practical and multi-functional furniture items like a pull-out couch that will be a sofa during the day and a sleeping bed during the night – you can choose to move those double-duty furniture items that will help you maximize the space in the studio apartment.
Inventory the furniture pieces you own and go carefully each one to figure out whether it’ll be worth the money and effort to move any of them into an apartment that only has a super-limited space to fit them. In the majority of relocation cases, you’ll be better off selling or donating the big furniture items prior to the move.
How to get rid of unwanted things when moving
5. MAXIMIZE the space in your studio apartment
A tiny studio apartment will not give you much room to work with so you’ll have to come up with some brilliant ideas to maximize the space in your new home. You can’t afford to keep the studio too cluttered so you’ll need to resort to effective space management ideas.
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Get creative when it comes to finding extra storage space in your tiny studio.
USE the vertical space available in your new home by installing floor-to-ceiling storage cabinets or shelves.
- PLACE storage boxes on top of kitchen cabinets and wardrobes that offer some space between their top parts and the ceiling.
- KEEP specific items in spaces that most people tend to overlook – under the bed, behind the sofa, over the fridge, and more.
- HANG various items on the wall – including your bicycle!
- USE multi-purpose furniture like mentioned above – coffee tables and couches that have extra storage room inside them, or a bed that has multiple drawers inside it.
- CREATE more visual space by positioning large mirrors on key places around the small apartment to make it look more spacious.
- PAINT the apartment walls in light colors so that the room can seem bigger and brighter.
- USE sufficient lighting (layered lighting techniques) to create the illusion of a big and open space.
- DON’T USE heavy curtains that will eat up some of the room space. Instead, opt for high-quality blinds on the windows.
- HANG framed art above eye level to make the new home look a bit larger than it actually is.
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6. RENT a temporary storage unit, if necessary
Despite the space-saving tips and tricks described above, it’s possible that you still find the studio apartment too small to fit all your possessions. This is usually the case with antique furniture pieces – you don’t want to get rid of those valuable and sentimental pieces but the new home is just too tiny to have them all.
Unfortunately, moving into a small studio apartment will force you to make some tough decisions so that you can actually make it work in your new tiny living space. And whenever getting rid of valuable items (that also prove to be large and heavy too) is out of the question, then one possible solution is to rent a temporary storage unit until you get a clearer idea about what you will do with all your belongings, or until you decide to move, again, to a bigger place.
Renting a storage unit to store some of the household items that just won’t fit into your studio apartment can be a good temporary solution. However, you are expected to find a good long-term solution to the insufficient space problem because the monthly storage fees can quickly become a financial burden that you’re not ready to carry.
After all, remember that the financial benefits must have been one of the reasons you have decided to move into a studio apartment in the first place.
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7. ORGANIZE a stress-free move from start to finish
Our tips for moving into a studio apartment end with something you’ve known all along – regardless of how big or how small the destination home is, you’re still going to have to organize a smooth move to get there.
The recommended way to move to your new home, especially when that new place is located hundreds or thousands of miles from where you are right now, is to hire a good moving company to handle the toughest aspects of the long distance relocation. And by a good mover, you should understand licensed (by the U.S. Department of Transportation), reputable (good online reputation), dependable (positive reviews left by customers), and affordable (competitive rates compared to other local or long-distance moving companies).
Before you know it, you’ll be busy unpacking your stuff and arranging your studio apartment to your taste.
Trust experienced movers with your belongings – this way you’ll get more free time for other important tasks such as saying goodbye to your friends or visiting your most favorite places one more time before moving away for good.
- USE a quick moving quote to get in touch with top-rated moving companies in your area.
- HAVE the moving experts visit your home for an in-house inspection, followed by the issuance of accurate cost estimates. That is the best way to learn the cost to move into a studio apartment.
- COMPARE the professional moving companies and the moving quotes they have given you so that you can select the mover that fits your budget and meets your expectations. /How to compare movers/
- BOOK your house move without delay after you’ve made up your mind – the sooner you reserve a move-out date, the better your chances are of keeping the move price low.
