How To Spot Wasted Space In Your Home And What To Do About It

Wasted space can be a real harmony killer. In the home, it can make your rooms feel overcrowded and empty all at the same time, which is something that doesn’t even seem like it’s possible! But when you look around you, so much is happening in one area and nothing at all in the other. There’s an imbalance that doesn’t look great, and above all else, there’s very little storage space to actually make use of.

Spotting the wasted space in your home is only half the battle, however. You then need to be able to make better use of it. That’s not all that easy a task and usually involves a good bit of rearranging. Unless you’ve got a free week when you’ve got nothing else on, the planning time alone can take up the best portion of your days.

That being said, we can make it a lot more manageable with a few top tips. Go through each room one at a time and see where the wastage is coming from, and then reference the ideas below to see if they can be the solution to your woes. We’ll help you get rid of that wasted space if it’s the last thing we do!

Nowhere to Put Anything? Store Up Instead of Across

If you have a bit of a smaller home on your hands, you’ve most likely been crying out for more storage space from day one. Because of that, unless you’re planning an extension to increase the rooms on offer, it’s best to invest in storage solutions that build upwards.

If you don’t have to store things horizontally, meaning you don’t need to try and fit another bookcase into the background of the living room, you’re going to have a lot more workable space on your hands. Nothing will be wasted and you’ll be much more satisfied with the amount of things that have a set home but are still in easy reach.

It’s why a lot of people like to build shelving units above the windows and door frames. More space for your books, plants, and various other clutter, but no need to clear a whole space to get more furniture in there.

Empty Area Under the Bed? Slot Some Drawers in

If your bed is raised off the ground, this is a great space to make some subtle use of. Think about it: your bed is probably at least double sized, and that means at least four feet of your bedroom’s floor space is being taken up.

If there’s no inbuilt drawers inside the bed frame, make your own and claim this space back! You could get at least two large drawers under there.

Plus, if you can buy a set of drawers that are on wheels, you can simply roll them in and out for super easy access. If you can imagine yourself sitting on the side of the bed at 6 in the morning, trying to tug out an overfilled drawer and failing, we offer this as a brilliant alternative.

Living Room Half Empty? Rearrange Your Seating

If your living room suffers from the curse of the dreaded couch set, we recommend rearranging the seating and seeing what you can come up with. Having multiple couches to a room isn’t necessarily bad; it’s comfortable, it gives you plenty of room to lounge, and it’s great for hosting a party or two.

But with that said, often these sets are more voluminous than the rooms we have to put them in. Oversized couches can be a lot of fun, but try to keep them to a minimum with the home. But if it’s too late for that, tackle the layout and see where your seating can be pushed too.

Try to expand outward here, rather than push them all closer together and make them snug. You want more room to move between the seats and the TV or other focal point they’re gathered round. The background of the room can be sorted later, especially if you take our vertical storage idea into account.

Got Space Under the Stairs? Maybe it Could Be a Mini Bathroom

If your home has an empty space under the stairs, or a prebuilt cupboard that doesn’t have anything better to do, why not think about converting it into a mini bathroom? This will mean your house has another toilet to it, and when you’re rushing to get ready for work but someone’s in the bathroom upstairs, that’ll change everything!

Of course, depending on the actual space under the stairs, the toilet you opt for may have to be on the smaller side. However, as long as you and your household can comfortably use it, it’ll be just fine. Remember, you’ll want to try and fit a sink you can wash your hands in on the opposite wall as well.

Is Your Garage Doing Nothing Right Now? Convert it for Use

If you’ve got a garage space in your home, but it’s doing next to nothing right now, it’s time to convert it for some proper use. Whether you want a guest bedroom or you fancy your own art studio or you simply want to clear the space so you can store the car, this will remove a massive portion of the wasted space in your home.

No matter what you opt for, make sure you’ve set up the garage in the right way too. Start with the floor, as there are various types of coatings for garage floors, some of which are more appropriate for your intended use. For example, natural stone or concrete won’t be very comfortable to slip a bed and dresser onto!

You’ll then want to focus on removing the door and sealing it over with another wall, if you’re going for a conversion that isn’t vehicle focused. That can take some time and money, but once you’ve got the new wall in place, you’ll have some prime real estate to add another room to your home. And remember, the total value of the house can shoot up by at least 10%!

Roomy Garden with Very Little in it? Get a Shed or a Summerhouse

A garden is supposed to be a private outdoor space you can enjoy. Head out there when it’s sunny to relax and recline, or spend some time out there around a firepit when it’s getting cold. No matter how much room you have out there, there’s usually a way to fit some furniture in that can be used all year round.

But if you have a spacious garden and there really isn’t very much else going on, install yourself a shed or a summerhouse or even both. This means you’ll have some secure outdoor storage for putting bigger bulky items in, as well as an outdoor room to escape to when you want some peace and quiet.

Both are great additions to the home, but if you want more storage and a bit more functionality, don’t skimp on finding the best shed and summerhouse sets. Measure up your space, make sure you’ve got firm enough ground to build them on, and don’t be afraid to decorate them in a way that makes you more likely to use them!

When Was the Last Time You Cleared Out the Attic?

The attic can be a forgotten room in the home. If you’ve got one, you probably opened it up when you first moved in, stored anything you didn’t want to use and/or decorate with up there, and then closed the hatch up again.

But the attic is a great location to convert when you’re worried about wasted space. A lot of attics are bigger than the items they’re left to store, so why not rip it all out and turn the room into something more practical?

Indeed, a loft conversion is the most popular home renovation for a reason! Squeeze an extra bedroom out of it, or turn the space into a lovely family room that people can relax and recharge in. Pop a skylight in the roof, wrap some fairy lights around any wooden booms, and make it super comfortable.

And if you’re worried about where your stored stuff is going to go, it can stay exactly where it is! You just need to pop a storage solution up there as well.

If There’s Wasted Space in Your Home, Let’s Do Something About it.

You don’t want to leave it for too long, otherwise you’ll get buried underneath the mountain of items you can’t find a home for. You may also find it quite difficult to move around the house in the end, and that’s just not conducive to happy living!

Spot the problem and come up with a workable solution. If you want more storage, move things around and make it fit the space in an unobtrusive way. And while we know that sounds hard, a bit of clever thinking is all you really need.