Big families take up lots of room, not only in individual space but with all the furniture and personal items they need. As kids get older they start to take up even more space, demand more privacy and while they might become more and more absent from the main living area their personal items are scattered around the home. If your family is ever growing, but the space you have to live in is disappearing at an alarming rate, here’s how to salvage it:
1. De clutter
Start by going through each room in the home and removing items you no longer need or want. Donate them to a charity shop, sell them on eBay, or if you think you might need them again in the future consider placing them in storage. You should be able to find a reasonably priced storage unit anywhere in the country – from Fareham to Edinburgh – that you can keep your items safe in.
2. Invest in multifunctional furniture
Ottomans that double up as spare seating, dressing tables that can be used as desks, kitchen trolleys that stores spare food but also works as a moveable dinner cart that can be used when guests are over. Bunk beds are also a great option for kid’s bedrooms, as well as sofa beds and futons if the space is really small.
3. Move outside
Your garden is a great extension of your home and if you’re looking for more space for the kids to play in or to use an office it might be a good idea to consider investing in a large shed that can be insulated and connected to the house electrics to feature as a functional extra room. The Mum and Dad behind the Larger Family Life blog have purchased their own 7’ x 5’ shed and are planning on turning it into a dedicated playroom.
4. Make the most of storage
You’d be amazed where you can find storage options – under beds, under the stairs, vertically hung on the 
back of cupboard doors – there’s no limit on where you can find places to store your worldly possessions. Start by tackling that under the stairs cupboard. Could you make it larger? Could you organize what’s in there in a better way to maximise the space available? Could you rip it out completely and make it into a nook big enough to fit a small desk and chair to create a home office? Look at what you already have before going out and buying more storage furniture that could just add to the problem.
5. Have a home for everything
If you find your kitchen sides are cluttered with kids’ toys and the space near the front door is being used as a dumping ground for shoes and bags, then it’s time to ensure everything has a home and everyone knows where to put things away. Not only will this tidy your space up but it will create more.
6. Go vertical
Unused wall space and cupboard doors as mentioned before are great for additional storage. Shoe hangers can be used to store all manner of items and free up drawers – many people use them for make up and nail varnish.
