Inside: Wondering if small space living is possible for big families? Check out how a family of five lives in an 800-square-foot apartment!
Related: Staying at Home With Your Kids When You Can Barely Afford It
By Natalie Busch of Messy Mom
In the modern days of bigger is better, having a large family in a small home may sound like it’s not only impractical, but unwise.
I haven’t always lived in a small home and I don’t plan to stay in one forever, but my family of five have bonded and learned so much in our current season that I wouldn’t trade it. Currently we live in an apartment with less than 800 square feet.
I am not a minimalist and I don’t think there is anything wrong with owning a nice size home with lots of rooms. But I want to encourage others looking to simplify or downsize that it IS is possible to live with less. A lot less!
I am not suggesting everyone move into a tiny house, but if you ever want to or need to, my family is proof that it can be done! It’s surprising just how much of what we think are necessities we would do just fine living without.
Here is how our family of 5 lives in less than 800 square feet:
1. We share rooms.
The five of us share one bathroom and all three of my children share a bedroom. They have an Ikea bunk bed with three mattresses. They also have a swing and a small indoor trampoline. If you think that’s a lot of children in one room, check out this pyramid bed my friend’s dad made:
All five sisters grew up sharing a room together. They are adults now and they look back on their time of sharing a room together with fond memories.
2. We hide our tables.
Tables and beds take up the most floor space so anything you can do to make them fold up, roll under, stack up, or hideaway is ideal. Our dining table can fold up several different ways. All of the chairs can collapse and fit inside it when not it’s not in use. When it’s expanded all the way it can accommodate 6 people. Our coffee table fits underneath the TV console so that’s a big space saver too.
3. We only have one couch.
All five of us can fit on the couch. I know that doesn’t work for everyone, because our children are still very small. However, when we have company and–believe it or not–we do, we use our chairs from the table. Even our coffee table doubles as a bench. We’ve hosted some really fun birthday parties and had overnight guests from out of town on multiple occasions. Having a small space does not have to limit your social life, you just need to think outside of the box!
4. We hang things.
Tiny house living means you have to think vertically to keep your floor space open. We have lots of shelves and hooks! I took a count and we’ve installed 10 shelves and 12 hooks in our little apartment.
5. We live with less.
We don’t have a washer or dryer at home. I wish we did, but the coin laundry in the apartment basement works for now. We don’t have a microwave and have come to love making popcorn on the stove. We use scooters instead of bikes and have a BLAST!
Living in a small space takes a different mindset, but one that we have become really comfortable with. In fact, some of it I like even more than when we had a big house with all of the STUFF!
If you’re faced with small space living, how do you maximize space in your home?
Natalie Busch is a Jesus lover, a wife, and a mother. You can find her at messymom.com where she shares some practical tips along with humorous and heartfelt stories about her family of 5 (and one on the way) living in a small space with a small budget. You can join in on the mess via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Kadie @ 12 twenty 8
We also live in a small space, but not as small as yours! We have only two bedrooms and one bathroom for a family of three and it works our just fine. Our floor plan is horrible, but it is a roof over our heads and we have plenty of land to play on. We only have one tv (which people can’t seem to get over, plus only one bathroom), but we are closer because of it. 😉
Angelia
When we were first married we were in the military and we lived in a small house in Japan it had 3 rooms in it and a bathroom and a small closet stlye kitchen. It was small but really all we needed … Now we live in a bigger house we have gotten re acustomed to space. But it is rather funny that are tread now is living small like people did for years in the early 18-1900’s. People had porches and outside to have room to play and that was the norm…I love the concept of a smaller house ..
Emily
We live in 900 sqft apartment. Right now it’s just one kid with a second one coming in December! It’s small but we make it work! The only thing we wish for is a private yard! It’s hard having the parking lot/street right there! Thank you for the encouraging post!
Lisa @ This Pilgrim Life
This was a fun post. I love reading about people organize and set up their homes, especially when they prioritize kids and hospitality too 🙂 We don’t live in a very small home, but there are five of us in it, one more on the way, and my husband works from home. All this, along with plans to homeschool means that we have had to come up with some creative solutions too. I definitely agree that living with less is one great first step, as well as making sure everything you do have has a home.
Those bunk beds are so cool too! I imagine that led to a lot of bonding (whether they always liked it or not! 😉 ).
Neecy
We learn to adjust to any and all material things, and as long as we can keep our eyes on the blessings in life, those adjustment don’t hurt one bit.
I raised 3 boys in a house with one bathroom. They shared one bedroom also. We also had one television. We refused to buy them bedroom televisions (even when we could afford to do so) because we wanted the family to view the same programs together.
Bobbie
We currently are a family of 6 + 2 medium sized canines . . . living in 680 Sq ft. . . above a bagpipe room – within a military academy and with 80 junior high cadets living year round outside our apartment door 🙂 We hope to buy land some day and build on it . . . I think we’ll stay simple and rustic though . . ..for the most part.
Amy
Your post is most like my situation. A 775 sq. ft. 2 bedroom apt currently houses myself, 2 adult children who returned home for medical reasons, 3 teenagers (1 a new adult) and a dog. If I were to say that we aren’t cramped I would be lying. But I wouldn’t trade our family time (my 6th child comes over for weekly for games night with her 2 sons) are something none of us will ever forget. That being said, I’m looking for ideas for organization so we all get at least a little spot of our own.
Rebecca
We are a family of soon to be seven living in a fifth wheel. Everyone thinks we are crazy, but they won’t be thinking so when our house and farm is paid in full in two years. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get where you need to be. Big families living in small spaces is the norm in many other countries. We need to learn to live with less.
Sara
Hi Rebecca, what’s a 5th wheel?? Just curious. I think what you all are doing sounds awesome. We’d love to do something similar.
Sara Jones
A 5th wheel is a type of large campervan/RV with a side/sides that pull out when stationary to make more internal space 🙂
Molly
My family of 3 has lived in a fifth wheel for 3 years now, we love it.. The rving community is amazing and everyone helps each other out! Pls let me know if you have any questions as it can be a lot to figure out.
As for the original post.. I would say living with less helps. Organization ( all my cabinets have organization things in them) utilise everything for storage, under bed& sofa, our table and chair lift up for storage, and definitely vertically.. We have remodel or fifth wheel and built it to be more useful..
Ann
I’d be interested in learning more about the RVing community. My husband and I plan to RV in retirement.
Do you travel in your RV? Year round? Do you work?
Natasha
That is awesome we are a family of 7 thinking of doing the same so we can pay cash for a house on property. This was encouraging to see we are not the only ones 🙂
Erin
That’s amazing!
Danielle
My husband & I raised 3 children in a 1,000 square foot house. It can be done! One bathroom too. You have to be creative with your space and maximize every square foot!
Susan Shipe
I love this and everything that Natalie writes!
Natalie @ Messy Mom
Thanks Susan. You are too sweet.
Ashlie Kramer
Thank you so much for this! We also live in an 816 square foot apartment, with one loveseat that we all fit on! We have two children, and are considering having another soon.
I seem to have the most trouble with storing the girls’ clothes. We currently have our 1 1/2 year old’s clothes in 2 cupboards we put a wooden dowel in, but her clothes will be too long soon! It seems like dressers take up too much space in their small room. Does anyone have any good solutions?
Yvonne
We have 3 girls. We repurposed a tv cabinet by putting in a bar in the top to hang clothes and we use the bottom for toy storage. The girls share a large dresser as well. I try to keep on top of the clothes situation by regularly getting rid of things they’ve outgrown or never wear. It’s a constant struggle! Kids don’t need 30 outfits! I try to keep it to a minimum of 7, with a few extra seasonal items like jackets, swimsuits, etc.
Heather Aunspach
I used to have one full dresser for each child. I got rid of so much that all three kids (5,9,11) can all share one dresser and a 36 inch closet. I fold their clothes and ‘file’ them in the drawers. We don’t do pajamas, they wear athletic shorts or sweat pants with t-shirts to bed. Each child has 12 pairs of identical socks. I keep two church outfits plus one nice outfit each in the closet. They have about 8 outfits each. I don’t do navy blue or brown based clothes. Only things that will go with black so that everything matches. When I was paring down clothes, I first got rid of the obvious (too small, stained, torn or mismatched) then I picked out our favorites instead of trying to just get rid of stuff we didn’t like. I hope some of these tips help.
Michael
Thanks Heather great tips!
Stacey Smith
Love it ! Love your website!
Erin
any chance you could share where you purchased your dining table? We are downsizing from 3000 to 1900 and while it’s still a lot of space, one area that is much smaller is the kitchen. I’ve searched high and low for a table like that!
Molly
I recognize it and the chairs- they’re from Ikea!
Stacy
I looooooooooooooooooooooove this post times one million. As our family continues to cut the clutter from our lives, I realize that our space is really too big at a little over 2,000 square feet. We could do with much less.
I’m interested in how you store clothing…or if you DO store clothing. That’s my hang up. I keep the clothing our children grow out of to save for the next child. I don’t know if I could do that in a tiny house.
Carissa
Think about how much you would save by downsizing. I’ll bet it’s far more than the cost of repurchasing clothes rather than handing them down. Might be well worth it whether there’s room for storage or not.
Lilly
Benches with storage, under bed storage, closets that open to ceiling for easy access to shelving, limit to most loved/useful items as each child gets some of their own new always. I struggle more with storing winter clothing for all add so bulky (for Canadian winters).
Anyone else have any ideas?
Alicia
Space Bags or storage bags where you vacuum the air out of them work great for storing those snow pants, bibs and jackets.
Molly
We’re a family of 5 in just over 900 sq ft. It is a house though, so we do have a garage with floor to ceiling shelves for camping gear, Christmas decor, and baby/kid stuff. I pick throgh and only save things that aren’t stained/ripped/show significant wear. We don’t save shoes- they never seem to fit the next kid with the exception of crocs/keens. We also have less in the clothing dept than most families. 7 sets of outfits suitable for the current season with 2 additional dressy outfits. They get extra socks/unders. 2 to 3 sets of pjs depending on age/bed wetting. The babies get extra outfits. Each child shares a dresser and closet. Hubs and I actually use a bookcase vs a dresser because of vertcical space and smaller footprint in the room. We save clothes, but since we have less, it takes up less space. It also makes their room tidier as there aren’t clothes all over the floor!
Susan
Family of soon to be 7. We live in a 900 sqft apartment. We have 2 very small closets, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. We do all the things you suggest, my favorite is shared bedrooms, today for some reason people think each child needs their own room :/
Kim
Wow! We are a family of 7 and currently live i n1670 sq ft house with 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath and 2 half baths plus the partly finished basement. There are 2 kids in each of the 9×10 rooms and the youngest is in our room. The place is laid out so the second story with the bedrooms is only half of what the main floor is meaning our kitchen/dining area is too big while bedrooms seem small. We are moving and trying to decide if we could manage in a smaller house but I am not sure I am organized enough! It would be nice to not have to clean as much!
Erin
family of 5 people, three cats and 5 foster dogs! The house is 900 sq ft. But we have a big back porch and a lot and a half yard 🙂 bedroom sharing, and shelf space !
Lisa Sharp
I know the family of 5 girls. 🙂 We were in the same homeschool group and I’m friends with the three oldest girls, I spent a lot of time with them. (Found this post on the oldest Facebook page)
The bed their dad made is very cool!
Sava
I grew up in a family of 8 in a 1000 sq ft house with 1 bathroom. My friends house was smaller and the family larger. You just need to be very organized. 5 sets school clothes each, 1 dressy outfit, 3 sets of play clothes each. one tv. those were good days and it was paid for. I’m striving to do that also now again.
Erin
I love your perspective! Thanks for sharing, Sava!
Jen
My husband is a seminary student. We live in a 550 sq foot apartment with two boys, 13 & 6 and a 55 lbs. nine year old dog. The storage is poorly designed. We have three small closets and no outdoor storage space.
It’s hard. It takes a monumental shift in mindset. You just cut every thing down to the basics. You don’t keep clothes you might wear. Your dining table is small and seats four (IKEA is excellent for small space furniture). Your dining table double as your desk. You switch to laptops because a desktop computer takes up too much space.
You buy the highest quality loft beds at IKEA so your kids having personal space under their beds. You store toys in stackable containers (Ikea again). You store your linens in your ottoman. You eliminate redundancy and one trick tools in the kitchen (cast iron skillets are gold. They multitask EVERYTHING). You hang as many pots, pans, and tools up on the wall as you can. You use stacking canisters.
You buy and use endless amounts of Command hooks (Costco for jumbo packs).
You ONLY have furniture which multitasks and serves a purpose. You have stacking or high end folding dining chairs.
It’s totally possible but you must change your mindset.
Michael
Great tips Thank you Jen! My challenge is old photos, old journal notebooks, old vhs tapes (out of print) and old cassette tapes (our od print). Good on clothes.
Work from home so we’ve recently converted master bed into office and bedroom for child.
I’m inspired by this post and comment thread. And see the real shift in mindset required.
Kelley
Fun!! We are a family of 8 in a 988 sq ft space!! Makes for a close family!
Jenny Abrenica
HOw did you find an apartment manager that allows that many people? How many bedrooms?
Lilly
Moved from 1620 sq ft plus 1/2 basement finished now 1150 and no basement. Family of six very crowded.I’m frustrated and out of ideas. Did I mention the ceilings are only 7ft. CAVERNOUS.
Erin
🙁 I’m so sorry it’s frustrating!
Alyssa
I hear you!! We went from 1800 sq feet + full basement to 800 sq ft with a dirt crawl space. Family of 6. Some things I did – buy the Nesting Place – so many good decorating tips to help you make a space you love. I painted almost every wall white – it felt like a crazy idea with kids, but it’s not that hard to clean, and the light and airy feeling it gives is more than worth it. Purge, purge, purge. I don’t keep things (even “precious family heirlooms”) that do not have a function. We don’t have the space and I no longer feel guilty. I don’t store DVD’s that no one watches (besides classics) because Netflix. The kids kept their best and favorite clothes, shoes, toys, everything (as in, a horrific 12 large boxes) went to Goodwill. I couldn’t emotionally handle selling so many things that I had attachments to in a garage sale. Even towels and bedding – we have two towels each – everything else went. I’m down to one set of sheets for each bed with one spare for emergencies (and the soiled ones immediately hit the washer.) you can do it!! Some days I am ready to pull my hair out, but I focus on what I’m thankful for.
Traci
Hi. I love what you ‘ve been able to do in such a small space! Where did you find the TV/Media stand and bench/coffee table combo?
Thanks,
Traci
Amy
We have a rather large home but only 3 bedrooms for 7(soon-to-be 8) people. We currently have 4 kids in one bedroom and the baby in the other. They use bunkbeds and love being together! We also do a “family closet” so none of their clothing is in their bedrooms. I love the ideas shared in this article!
Joleen Stephenson
What Ikea Bunk Bed Set is that? This would make me so incredibly happy to have for my girls.
Sara Miedema
I agree with all of your tips! We are a family of 4 (my husband and I and our 2 and 4 year olds) and I’m due with our third in June. We live in 300 sq feet and we’re starting to brainstorm how to fit #3!
kaylan
I live in a 933 sqft home, it does have a garage and large yard. 3 bedrooms 1.5 bathrooms and we have 6 children, mostly teenagers. We have 8 people in all living in a tiny space, it’s challenging to keep it clean, organized and to make us and all our things fit. I’ve been looking for organization encouragement but ultimately what I’m finding is to limit our “things”