What's it like to live in a modern apartment?

[Splashmo]

I've been looking at the floor plans for some of the developments proposed around Adelaide - and I'm usually amazed how small the apartments are (the Watson in Walkerville is classic).

Having always lived in a house (which is not a McMansion) I'm just wondering how people manage in apartments. Where do people store their suitcases? How do you cope without a desk? What happens to all the books, DVDs and sentimental items a person collects over their life?

Would a person going from a house to an apartment just need to change the way they think?

[Nathan]

Creative use of space and storage, and also changing your buying habits a bit so you don't accumulate so much "stuff" to begin with. We still have plenty of room for bookcases, suitcases and a desk.

Of course it's not just about the raw square meterage of the apartment, but how well the floorplan has been designed. The best solution for using space can be completely undone by stupid placement of rooms, windows, fittings, you name it.

[PeFe]

I grew up in a 3 bedroom house with a huge backyard and 4 car garage and I thought when I was younger "I will never live in a flat!"
But the reality of living the city lifestyle means an apartment is now reality. 57 square metres (including 6 square metre balcony) is what I call home. The "space" issue for me is a non-issue, I have buit-ins in the bedroom that stretch from floor to ceiling so that there is storeage space above and below the clothes racks. I also store stuff under the bed. I love the design of my apartment- reasonable size bedroom and bathroom and galley kitchen with the rest of the space devoted to one large living area which I "subdivide" into 2 distinct areas, the lounge and a study area with my desk. I also have a small table I can move to create a small dining area should I wish. Bookshelves and CD stands are all vertical of course to minimise their floor space. Living in a 1 bedroom apartment does force you to consider "What do I really need?" Luckily these days everything is getting smaller (computers/ipods etc) except for the televisions of course and I still have enough room for a 5.1 surround system for playing blu rays/dvds.

[Maximus]

I'd second all of the above.

The other thing to consider is that many apartment complexes (certainly almost all in Canberra -- not sure about Adelaide) will have lockable storage cages or sheds in the underground carpark -- one for each apartment, usually sized in accordance with the number of bedrooms.

[Shahkar]

If you get an apartment in the CBD, the best part is the close proximity to everything. You have near zero transportation costs.

[wll6568]

Adelaide has some of the biggest apartment spaces I have seen in the whole Australia. If you go to Melbourne, Sydney, most of their apartments are super small and usually have kitchen together with the living room.

[monotonehell]

Adelaide has some of the biggest apartment spaces I have seen in the whole Australia. If you go to Melbourne, Sydney, most of their apartments are super small and usually have kitchen together with the living room.

Most Adelaide layouts also have that. They usually have the front door opening directly onto the kitchen counter with in the living area.

[Reb-L]

Yes, to some extent you have to change your way of thinking and your life style when moving to a smaller place. But, in my experience, that can be a good thing; you don't hoard so my crap because you can't. You are forced to exercise some self control. Once you get used to that it actually gives you more freedom. You know what stuff you've got and what you need and you think twice before you get anything unnecessary. I have a rule: if I buy something new, something else has to go (or maybe even more than one item if possible). Through self-imposed limits you'll automatically be steered towards quality instead of quantity and that'll eventually influence your thinking about such matters.

[mshagg]

PeFe has expressed it really well.

I lived alone in a 3br house in the eastern burbs before moving to a 1bedder in the CBD. The fact that I had so much crap was actually a source of stress for me. Throwing out, selling and giving away 90% of everything I owned was one of the most liberating experiences of my life.

The place is small at around 60m2, but the lighting, design and feel of it is airy and relaxing. There's storage in every nook and cranny which isnt used as living space.

Let's be honest here - it's not for everyone. If you have an army of demon spawn and dogs the size of small horses then it's not going to be suitable, but someone with such a lifestyle would never give a second thought to city living anyway.

On the flipside... do you really need a seperate room for formal meals? What purpose do vast swathes of empty carpet serve?