If you have moved from a larger home into a smaller home, you are probably having mixed feelings about your change. Besides having the knowledge that you'll have less space to clean, you may be sad about leaving that which was familiar to you. In addition, you may be realizing that you have too many things and not enough space in which to store them. If that is the case, here are some ideas that might help you make the best of the area you have.

Assess Things That Can Do Double Duty - You may already have thought of putting a sleeper sofa in an extra bedroom so that the room can be used both as a guest room and something like a craft room, a sewing room or an office. There are other creative things you you can do that you might not have considered.

• Have you considered that a shoe bag can be hung on the back of your pantry door to be used for kitchen items? Wooden spoons, whisks, can openers and other kitchen equipment will fit nicely in the separate bags. Another idea is to use the shoe bag for spices, small condiment bottles and even small canned foods.
• When you have limited drawer space, consider using a tiered vegetable and fruit holder for things in your bathroom. For example, cosmetics could go in the smallest top basket, wash cloths could go in the middle basket and brushes, combs and hand mirrors could go in the lower and largest basket.
• Consider buying long, rectangular, transparent containers that can be stored under your bed for extra linens, board games, and anything else that you don't use on a daily basis.

Consider Renting A Self Storage Unit - You may be surprised at how affordable and convenient it is to rent a self storage unit. They come in different sizes and they are climate controlled so that your things won't be damaged. In addition, good storage companies have excellent security so you can have the peace of mind that your things will be safe from vandalism and burglary. Of course, if there was a problem, insurance could potentially cover losses you may incur. The great part about storage is that you can select the type that you can access at your convenience. 

• Think about storing off-season clothes. If you decide to do that, think about putting them in clothes bags that you can hang right onto a rack. That will mean that you won't need to iron them when you take them home.
• A great idea is to store holiday decorations. Have you ever thought of leaving the ornaments and lights on your Christmas tree from year to year? If you want to do that, you can transport the tree to the storage unit and then bring it back home every year, simply fluffing the branches and rearranging ornaments that might need tweaking.
• Another great thing to store is camping equipment, fishing poles, sports gear and other objects that are cumbersome. 

As you organize your home and as you put things into storage, consider making a list of where all of your belongings are so you'll be reminded of where they are. For example, if you know that there's going to be a special solar display soon, you can check your list and be reminded that you need to get your telescope out of storage for the night show.