5 tips from George Clarke on living in a smaller space

English architect-turned-TV-presenter George Clarke has some sage advice if you’re thinking of downsizing into a smaller or tiny home.

Design it right

“In any house, the design stage is the most important because that’s when you really get to make the space work. People have very different attitudes to the process, but I want to figure it all out to the last millimetre. Some people like to be 10 times more organic, but it can be very hard to build in space-saving ideas afterwards.”

Get smart about money

“Be very realistic about your budget. Very few people seem to really think about the cost of their projects – they have the vision of what they want and they very rarely price it out properly.”

Choose who you use

“If you can do things yourself, go for it. If not, take advice from experts and do it in an appropriate way. A small, quirky builder down the road might be more likely to bring it in on budget than a big contractor.”

Declutter

“Having lots of stuff makes any space look smaller. Keep the essentials and get rid of everything else.”

Think out of the box

“Integrated storage is really great. I’ve done projects where the entire floor has had a 60cm void so you can lift up sections and store things you don’t need very often.” ■