A self contained apartment is the ultimate living space for single people. Most people affectionately refer to it as a bachelor’s pad. Usually, it is the transition from your mum’s house and into your own independent, adult life. Lots of freedom and growing up come with this space and you should, therefore, make the most out of it.
Since space is limited, there is little space to work with and this calls for maximisation of the available space. The best part is, it can be minimalist but very comfortable. Here is a guide on how to make the most of your self contained apartment.
Make the most out of your self contained apartment
Less is more
Obviously, there is not much room for clutter and those huge L-shaped chairs will not have enough room in this house. So, be minimalist, go for the sensibly-sized furniture, a TV that takes up just enough space, a bed big enough for your comfort but small enough not to take up too much space. Moreover, do away with anything that you do not use because it will simply be taking up space, and making your tiny castle look like it is about to burst at the seams.
Customise your space
It may be small but you can make it homely. It should not simply be a place you go to spend the night. Make it homely. After all, a homely house helps you calm down and unwind at the end of a busy day. Therefore, incorporate some tasteful decor, you can have a flower pot or two in a corner, and most of all use accessories which make the space homely.
Tidy up regularly
People fall into the bad habit of assuming that since it is not a big space, then it probably doesn’t get too dirty. This is wrong. In fact, when you have a dirty cup lying in one corner, some food from last night in the sink, a stray shoe at the door, and clothes lying all over the floor, your house will look like a dumpster instead of a beautiful home. The worst part is, your house will look crowded and you will not truly feel relaxed. Get into the habit of tidying up on a regular basis. Take out the trash, clean the window seals, open up the windows and let fresh air in. you will be surprised at how this makes the house look and feel bigger.
Have some order
You don’t have much space to work with so if you are not careful, you might find your pyjamas in the sink! Well, this is why you need to have order. Get a laundry basket for your dirty laundry. Get a designated storage space for your clean clothes. In most cases, there will be a designated kitchen area complete with shelves so clean your utensils regularly and store them well in designated areas. Have a designated corner for your shoes. With proper organisation, you will realise that you actually have lots of space to work with.
It is obvious that you can make the most of the self contained apartment. So, what are the pros and cons of living in such a house?
Pros of living in a self contained apartment
It is affordable
The most obvious thing about a self contained apartment is that it comes at a fair price. An average self contained apartment in Lagos will range from N100,000 to N250,000. In a decent neighbourhood. It doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, which makes it ideal for a person who lives alone, one who is on their first job or a person who does not have a huge budget to work with.
You have to make a choice
With little room to work with, you don’t have the luxury of owning everything you love. The best part is, you get to make savings and be really creative with your space. You are forced to make choices and you can only have what is absolutely necessary and what you like the most. Discipline will become a lifestyle.
You can multitask
You want to catch up on the latest episode of Game of Thrones, but you need to clean those dishes and wouldn’t a mug of tea go down well with that episode of GoT? Well, since everything is in one space, you can actually get to do a lot of things at the same time since you do not have to move from one room to the next.
You have all you want within your reach
Imagine you have come home so tired and you just want to relax while catching up on the news so that you can go to bed. But, with so many rooms, you can only do one thing at a time and moving around is not exactly enjoyable when you feel like you want to collapse with fatigue. Well, with a self contained apartment, you get to have everything in your self contained apartment and this makes it easy to quickly fetch for what you want without moving around too much.
Cleaning is a breeze
You probably hated general-cleaning weekends as a child because there were so many rooms to clean and it took you half the day to get it done. Cleaning is not always enjoyable but with a small space to clean, it takes minutes and before you can even finish dancing to your favourite song, you are done!
Cons of living in self contained apartment
No room for everything you want
While this is an advantage in that you get to only have what is absolutely necessary, it is a disadvantage in that you cannot have everything you want. With such limited space, that cushy sofa set that can accommodate all your friends will have to wait until you can move to a bigger house. Of course you can have furniture but your options on size are limited. The exception to this would be if you are fortunate to find a really large self-contained apartment. Such an apartment would afford you more space to explore.
No room for many people
A self contained apartment is designed for one person. That said, the idea of having your friends over will not go down well with the limited space at your disposal. Having too many people gets your apartment crowded and that is not something you really want.
Messes are often glaring
Let’s say you never really internalised those lectures about making your bed every morning and so, your bed is never really made. Or, you just don’t feel like doing the dishes so you let them lie in the sink as you laze on your bed. While having a bigger house means having things in different rooms so you can compartmentalise your mess, living in a self contained apartment doesn’t give you the same luxury. So if your bed is messy, your entire house looks messy.
Living in a self contained apartment can be great when looking to move out and start life on your own. It has just the right room for you and you need to be organised. It might not have enough space to accommodate that wall-to-wall TV or that huge sofa, but you will enjoy your own personal space. Find your ideal self contained apartment today.
