Families in Apartments: The Surprising Benefits of Apartment Living
Towards the end of Q2 in 2017, house prices increased by 11.1 percent in Australia's major cities. For those who rely on living in such cities for work or prefer an urban lifestyle, this means getting property in key places is an ever-growing challenge. One way around this is to live in an apartment.
If you currently live in a house, shifting to an apartment may seem daunting. Fortunately, with the minimalism trend growing, everyone is waking up to the benefits of apartment living. Not only can you thrive as a family in small spaces, but you can also maximise local features to generate an exciting lifestyle.
Ways Families Can Live Together in Smaller Spaces
It's natural to worry about bringing a thriving family into a place where noise may cause concern for others. If you live above or below childless residents, they might not appreciate rambunctious playtime. However, there's an easy way to remediate this: thick carpeting. Whether it's a rug or a full installation, it'll soften some of the noise.
But, loud sounds likely aren't your only concern. Therefore, it's necessary to address some of the other worries you might have.
How to Adapt to Small Space Living
In other countries, such as Japan, small-space living is the norm. Your children can still enjoy accessing all their usual toys and books, providing you utilise all available areas. For example, make sure your storage space is vertical by hanging bags from hooks on the wall.
Realise the Benefits of Living on One Floor
If your children are young, the idea of them sleeping an entire floor away can cause anxiety. If you're all on one floor, you can ditch tools such as baby monitors and stair gates. Suddenly, not being able to hear them cry or the threat of falling down stairs isn't an issue. If you have a balcony, however, make sure you secure it.
Make a Bedroom Sacrifice
How much time do you spend in your bedroom? As an adult, most other living areas become your domain. If you want your kids to have freedom, let them take the bigger bedrooms.
Saving Space When You Live in an Apartment as a Family
Depending on your children's ages, living in a small space as a family can feel logistically challenging. For example, young children have far more toys than teenagers. This is where taking a ruthless approach to decluttering comes in. Here's how:
- Approach each room at a time. Make an inventory of the items in it.
- Note which items you haven't used for three months.
- Throw them away, place them into storage or sell them.
Once you remove unnecessary items, you're winning most of the battle. But, you still need to exist with the essentials. Doing so is easy when you take an ingenious approach to storage.
Start Using Bookcases
Accept that your bookcase isn't just for books. With rattan baskets and other storage solutions, you have extra areas for placing essential items.
Choose Furniture That is Multipurpose
Your furniture doesn't have to serve one purpose alone. Your TV cabinet could double up as storage space. Or, you can use your vanity table as an in-bedroom desk.
Making the Most of Local Amenities, so Your Apartment Feels Like a Home
Finally, try not to worry about losing out on gardens, pools and terraces. One of the biggest perks of apartment living is that you're in an urban area. As such, you can access beautiful botanical spaces that you don't have to maintain yourself.
Similarly, you're never short on activities. And, if a pool is a must, find a complex where one is present or join a local gym. None of these options involves thinking outside the box, but they do open you to a world of fresh possibilities.
As a family, outdoor time is important. Schedule walks at your local parks, take your pets there, and ask your kids which museums they want to see. Eventually, you will become so familiar with your locale that you will love apartment living.
If the idea still worries you, it's always worth contacting a real estate professional to see if they can find solutions that match your needs.