When it comes to rental housing, one of the main things that attract potential tenants is a spacious living space. 

Providing a lot of space may be one of the challenges for apartments and condominiums because their units are usually not as big as single-family homes that have three to four bedrooms. A regular apartment unit usually contains at least one bedroom, a kitchen, bathroom, dining area, and living room. But with limited floor space, there is the tendency that it would look cramped, which might discourage future tenants from renting.

However, there are ways to design average-sized units to create an illusion of space and make it feel less claustrophobic.

Use light colors

When painting walls, going for light colors creates an optical illusion of a roomier space. Since it is reflective, it helps create an airy and open atmosphere and maximizes natural light. Dark colors do the opposite. Try using soft earth tones like blue and green or go for nude palettes.

Painting wall moldings with a lighter color in contrast with the wall will make the walls look farther, thus making the room look bigger. 

Create a focal point

One of the ways to make a room look small is by filling it with so many things. Try not to embellish rooms with too many decorative pieces because it will look too crowded and busy. For example, one big painting against a wall is more pleasing to the eye than hanging ten small ones. 

The key when decorating a small room is to avoid too many details clamoring for attention. Have one focal point in each room. Think of it as a centerpiece. For a bedroom, it’s the bed; for the dining area, it’s the table. Let those focal points be the highlight. 

Good lighting

To visually expand a room, lighting is a key element that you should utilize. As much as possible, keep all windows uncovered so that natural light can freely enter and brighten up the place.

Having a large window with a view connects your room to the outside world so it feels that the outdoors is the extension of your property so it doesn’t feel that you are enclosed in a box. 

If the structure wasn’t built with a lot of windows, you can add light fixtures like lamps to make the place brighter. The brighter the room, the wider it looks.

Mirrors create more depth

Strategically position mirrors where it can reflect the space of the room to create an optical illusion that the room extends inside the mirror. 

You can also place mirrors where they can reflect natural and artificial light to increase the brightness in the room.

Arrange furniture wisely

Furniture is one of the things that can occupy a lot of space in a property. However, there are space-saving techniques you can apply when it comes to choosing and arranging your furniture:

• Multi-functional furniture pieces such as beds with drawers underneath for storing sheets and books or an ottoman that doubles as a storage box. 
• Foldable tables and chairs that can easily be put away temporarily will be helpful if more floor space is needed.
• Place large furniture against the wall so that there’s more open space. Avoid putting them on walkways.
• Avoid tall furniture because they can make the ceiling appear lower than it actually is.
• Glass tables create an illusion that it is not occupying any floor space.
• Adding furniture that is the same color as the walls can make it blend in so it looks like it’s just a functional extension of the wall. 

After you apply these tips to make your units look more spacious, take photos then attach it to your Padleads listing so that it can give potential tenants a good first impression. 

With Padleads, you can easily publish your listing to high-traffic rental websites, so you have to make sure that your photos are eye-catching and would show one of the things that tenants love: lots of space.