We're a family of six in a two-bed house – these are my top space-saving hacks

If you walked into my two-bed terrace – home to two adults and four kids – you might expect to trip over shoes in the hall and find bedrooms bursting at the seams.

Instead, you’ll find a living room surprisingly clear of kids’ toys, appliances that can multitask and a bunk-bed system that gives the Tardis a run for its money.

It's a common assumption that square footage needs to grow as your family grows but, as a family of six, I know that a bigger family doesn’t necessarily require a bigger floor plan.

Here are my top tips for optimising family living space when your headcount exceeds your room-count.

Implement a one-in, one-out rule

I’m not talking about the kids (although that would solve a lot of problems!) – I’m talking about stuff. 

To avoid 'stuff-creep' resulting in crammed cupboards that you’re afraid to open, balance every new arrival with a departure. For example, if a new pair of shoes comes into the house, an old pair has to go. If you buy a new kitchen gadget, get rid of an unused one.

And if you want to go beyond maintaining your home’s current level of clobber, try a one-in, two-out policy to actively reduce the unwanted accumulation of clutter.

That way, you can thrive and not just survive in your family's living space. 

Read our expert advice on 

Invest in flexible furniture

When every inch counts, furniture needs to work hard to earn its place – and the more functions a piece of furniture has, the better. 

Here are some of the flexible furniture pieces we've invested in:

Bunk beds with built-in stairsExtendable bed framesCube storage units Folding desksStackable seating For more space-saving and 

Master the art of ‘zoning’

Zoning is not only key to giving rooms clear functions, it helps everyone feel like they have their own space. 

These are some of the methods we use in our home to help keep the peace:

Create 'zones' using paint colours or rugsCreate office, study or reading nooksCube storage units Lighting 

Banish hallway clutter

Hallways can be bottlenecks in the home, where everyone dumps their coats and bags the moment they walk through the door. But you don’t need a bigger hallway – you just need a better system.

Here are some of the ways we keep hallway clutter at bay:

The two-coat rule Staggered hooks Slimline shoe cabinets Bathrooms also have a habit of collecting clutter. Here's how to 

Be smart about storage 

There are all sorts of clever ways to maximise storage when space is in short supply. Tried-and-tested storage solutions that work in our house include:

Vacuum packing  Under-bed storageCube units Use the vertical spaceOver-the-door organisers with pocketsFor more practical storage solutions, see our guide to 

Choose appliances carefully

As with furniture, appliances need to work hard to earn a place in our busy house. This means prioritising machines and gadgets that can multitask.

A space-saving washer-dryer with a large-capacity drum is a no-brainer compared to a separate washing machine and tumble dryer. 

A boiling water tap saves worktop space as well as time, plus it's water and energy efficient if you've got members of the family who tend to boil a full kettle for a single cup of tea or pot of instant noodles.

Also, think about how to get the most out of each appliance: a six-slice toaster is much more efficient at breakfast time than running multiple rounds in a two-slice toaster.

Lighten the load by choosing one of the  according to our tests undefined

source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/were-a-family-of-six-in-a-two-bed-house-these-are-my-top-space-saving-hacks-aVmAj2N9oCVt