Surveys have found that the city of Southampton in Hampshire is one of the most expensive places to rent a room in the UK. A room in Southampton will set you back over £546 a month. This makes Southampton the sixth most expensive location in the UK, behind London, Glasgow, Bournemouth, Cambridge, and Leeds. The price continues to increase, with the rental fees last year having an additional 16 percent.
As rent in Southampton becomes more and more of a burden, space has become a limited and valuable resource. Residents in Southampton have to make creative and ingenious ways to make all of their items fit inside their homes.
Because rent is going steeper, many are left with no choice but to downsize. Downsizing is the process of moving to a house with cheaper rent, often with limited floor space. Residents living in the big cities are also no stranger to co-sharing or the concept of sharing one flat between two or more people.
The lack of space can make the quality of living very poor. Studies are linking living in a messy and cluttered living area to depression and anxiety. This is a big issue, mainly because students constitute a significant part of Southampton’s population. The stress of uni can already break someone.
Add to that the fact that Southampton is one of the most expensive cities for a student to live in and an environment not conducive to relaxation or learning, and you have a recipe for disaster. Are shared living places comfortable enough for students? Read here to find out.
In this article, we will discuss 6 Creative Storage Ideas To Make Your House in Southampton Spacious. If you have ever had a problem with storage, a full closet, and nowhere to put your new stuff in, then read on ahead.
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Storage Unit in Southampton
If storage is truly a big problem for you, then the best thing to do is to get more storage. Duh moment? For many residents, renting a bigger flat is not possible. Rental fees would bury them in debt. Studies have found that some UK residents are already spending almost 50% of their salary just on rent alone.
However, there is an affordable solution that will provide you with more storage without you having to shell out thousands of pounds a month: renting a storage unit. Finding self storage in Southampton is easy. There are multiple storage facilities nearby that you can contact. Discuss your storage needs with the on-site facility manager, and they’ll help you find the best storage unit for you.
You can rent a storage unit as small as 10 sq ft or as massive as 200 sq ft. Make your life easy by sending all non-essentials to storage. Often, Southampton residents store their winter clothes, power tools, old books, unused furniture, and the like so they can have a spacious home and almost twice the amount of floor space that you initially have.
Wall Sconce > Floor Lamp
Lighting is important when you’re living in a small space. You want to add as much light as possible to create the illusion of space. A dark and cluttered place gives off a depressing vibe. Avoid this by adding wall sconces as a permanent fixture of your apartment or house.
Wall sconces save more space than a floor lamp. A lamp will cost you some valuable floor space while wall sconces take none. Additionally, wall sconces add a certain flair and sophistication to the room.
Loft Beds
Take advantage of high-ceiling apartments by installing a loft bed. When you don’t have much space floor-wise, use height! A loft bed will clear up your space, and you can use the saved space to add a kitchen or a living room. Often, studio-type apartments don’t come with these parts of the house. With a loft bed, you create a completely functional home!
Overhead Cabinet
Again with using height. Store all of your kitchen equipment, towels, and appliances in overhead cabinets. Using overhead cabinets will allow you to reclaim your floor space. Take into consideration that cluttered floor space is not only bad to look at but also unsafe. You can trip and fall, putting you and your items at risk.
Wall Shelves
It’s essential that you use as much of your wall space as possible, especially if you live in a micro-flat. Floating shelves or wall shelves will make great use of your bare walls. If you’re a student living in Southampton, floating shelves are perfect for your textbooks and other uni-related items.
Space-Saving Furniture
Take advantage of every free space that you have. This means buying space-saving furniture. Instead of getting a regular couch, why not have that has storage at the back? An ottoman would look great in your living room. Bonus is that you can hide all sorts of stuff inside like magazines, books, and other bits and pieces that would otherwise just be lying around your house.
