You are married with children. It’s time to move to a bigger place. But where? Houses are too expensive, you can’t relocate to the suburbs, and the down payment is too exorbitant. It’s a bloodbath out there, and it can leave you feeling frustrated because you can’t own property and you are throwing money away by renting.

So, what’s the solution? Condos.

A growing number of young families are opting to buy condos and live there until the kids are big enough to move out on their own. The only difficulty they face is the space – or lack thereof. But, with some planning, ingenuity, and self-sacrifice, you can survive with what you have.

Here are five tips for living in condos with children:

1. Give Kids the Bigger Bedroom

By owning a condominium, you know that you’re going to be staying there for an indefinite period of time. For the next decade or two, you will be living in your condo, a tight space for your growing family.

The simple solution to the space conundrum is to give your children the bigger bedroom.

Rather than trying to cram them into the secondary rooms, you’re better off living on one of those rooms yourself. Your kids will have their toys, computers, furniture, and everything else to enjoy their childhood. This can’t be done in a small bedroom.

2. Refrain from Buying A lot

Depending on your point of view, this is either a good thing for a bad thing. What is it? Refrain from buying a lot for yourself, your family, and your household. The more you accumulate, the less space you’ll have, leaving you feeling claustrophobic and frustrated by the paucity of space.

Ultimately, when you have kids, you need to prioritize and decide what is essential and what isn’t.

While condos do offer storage lockers, your aim is to really minimize the stuff in your unit.

3. Don’t be a Hoarder

We get it. You’re either sentimental or you hate giving away stuff you spent money on. This is normal.

That said, when you reside in a condo with a couple of kids, you cannot hold onto unnecessary items. Like the previous recommendation, you need to decide what is important to keep and what isn’t.

Should you decide to hold onto more stuff, then you will need to rent a locker off of your property, which is an added expense that you may or may not be able to afford.

Simply put: Don’t hoard.

4. Storage is Your Friend

From toys to clothing to everything in between, you want to be a storage extraordinaire in your condo.

Traditionally, the boxes in the sky are smaller than detached homes. Even if you’re a household that doesn’t have a lot of stuff, it can still be hard to organize your items without a proper storage system.

The market has answered the calls for more storage, producing a wide variety of products that can keep your humble abode free from clutter and mess. When you are situated in a condo, it is important to invest in storage, whether it’s for the closet or for your kids’ bedrooms.

5. Keep Plenty of Open Space

Although it is smart and prudent to invest in storage, it doesn’t mean you should have carte blanche to try to fill your condo up with stuff you don’t need or want. You shouldn’t try to turn your home into a game of Tetris or Jenga.

In other words, you must still aim for open space. You should never want your unit filled to the rim with furniture, clothes, toys, appliances, storage, and so on. It is crucial to have an abundance of walking space, clear areas, and a tidy floor.

If not, you will resent where you live and upgrade to a bigger place – house or condo.

More families are buying condos to get into the hot real estate market, especially in the major markets like Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montreal. This is the only way many of them can build equity, live in a place of their own, and live out the Canadian Dream. While you may think it will be cozy, it will be hard at times, particularly when you’re in a tight space. Whatever you do, don’t start pulling everyone’s hair out!