Moving into an apartment for the first time? Or are you a parent who is moving a child and going broke? Here are five college student apartment hacks that will help you furnish and organize that new college apartment on a budget. Use one of more of these ideas to get anyone into the college apartment of their dreams on a tight budget.
#1. Think outside the box when gathering furniture.
Things that are not meant to be furniture can easily be tables, bookshelves, and more. Crates are one versatile option that can be stacked in a variety of combinations to make furniture. Also try logs, wooden spools, vintage luggage, and even old books stacked. If someone is throwing something out, think about how you can use that to create unique furniture for little to no money.
#2. Go unique for seating options.
So what if you don’t have much room in your apartment? You can still have plenty of seating options even on a budget. Instead of a traditional bed, try a daybed in your room. It can be a bed by night and seating for studying or just hanging out during the day. No budget for a couch? This could also be an affordable alternative for the living room.
Also, think about furniture that is not even meant for indoors. Outdoor chairs are cheap now as they are out of season. Grab a few of those for indoor seating on a budget. A pouf is usually an inexpensive option as well. If you know someone that can sew, you can easily whip one of these up from scrap fabric.
#3. Don’t forget storage.
Every college student will need storage and lots of it. Again, there is no need to spend a fortune on fancy storage systems. Think about found objects and cheap thrift store cast offs as they will often do the job just as well as those expensive store bought versions. Try inexpensive baskets, vintage luggage, covered cardboard boxes, dollar store plastic containers, and recycled jars. Renew them with paint or fabric to match the room and you have storage. Don’t forget to go high with your storage options, and use that vertical space as well.
#4. Buy second hand furniture.
This seems to be an easy idea that you’ve surely thought of. Some good advice, however, is to buy second hand then make all the pieces look like they actually go together. For wood pieces, paint all of the pieces in a room to match and all of a sudden it looks like a complete furniture collection no matter how many places you traveled to buy the individual items. For the fabric covered pieces, try slipcovers to accomplish the same thing. A couch and chair look like they are from the same set if they have matching slipcovers. However you do it, second hand furniture is definitely a money saver for any college apartment.
#5. Go multi-functional.
The apartment is small so where you can, make sure that each piece of furniture has dual purpose. A coffee table made from seating is a good example. It can be pushed together for a table but pulled apart for a party. In this case, if the seats are also storage ottomans, the piece of furniture serves three purposes and only takes up the room of one. Give some thought to each piece and see if you can make it serve two or more uses.
Don’t let a new college apartment break the bank. Give one or more of these college student apartment hacks a try to save money and space in a new apartment. Hopefully you will have more space as well as money in the bank.
Want more ideas for decorating on a budget? Head to the Apartment Living Blog at ForRent.com!