SMALL BUT BEAUTIFULLY FORMED

Once you’ve downsized, you can still have big ideas for your new surroundings, says GH Homes Editor Carolyn Bailey

ONLY KEEP WHAT YOU NEED OR LOVE Be ruthless. Use three boxes to declutter: one for charity, one for things to sell and one for things to keep. Don’t need it or love it? Chuck it out!

DECORATING TRICKS Neutral shades will make your new home seem bigger, as will using the same flooring throughout. Balance low

ceilings with vertical stripe wallpaper to help make walls appear taller.

GO DIGITAL Photographs, CDS and DVDS take up valuable space, so store as many of them digitally as you can.

2-IN-1 FURNITURE Everything in your new space needs to work hard, so look for pieces that will do double duty: a sofabed to turn your sitting room into a guest room, folding furniture such as dining chairs and tables, or a new bed with drawers underneath.

CLEVER STORAGE Think vertically as well as horizontally. With carefully planned shelves, your new walls can be your best friend. Use the space in hallways and above doors. If you don’t want to attach too much to the walls, look for leaning shelves that need no fixing.