I do not know about you, but I am not the world's best housekeeper. I like things to be clean, but I tend toward clutter.
I have already discussed antiques etc. I believe that you can live with antiques in a small space, but you have to be practical about them. Keep them to a minimum. Keep the best things, the perfect examples that is, keep the useful items like candlesticks etc., and family things that you cannot bear to part with or give to relatives.
One big issue is really the bane of my existence....CLUTTER. You have to have plenty of storage in your house in the form of multi use furnishings, like coffee tables that are made for storage, and you need to put up shelves to keep things out of traffic lanes. Get into the habit of putting things away immediately. Throw away or give your magazines to your doctor or dentist.
But, the actual deal breaker for me is keeping clean. You have only a few hundred or fewer square feet. It might be OK to be lax about cleaning in the summer when the windows are all open, but on hot days or through the winter, when all is closed up, houses and people in general STINK. And a little house will stink very quickly. Preventative action is a good idea.
Buy a new couch and immediately buy or make a slip cover. Wash it regularly! Keep the dog off the upholstered furniture, and if you cannot, give them a pillow to sleep on...Wash that regularly. Do not let people sleep on your couch without a heavy synthetic blanket under them and a sheet!
Do not carpet your space! Use hardwood, laminate, tile or stone for your floors. They are easy to keep clean and will virtually eliminate allergens.
Stone, concrete or Corian(and all of its relatives) are the best surfaces for counter tops and bathroom surfaces. That includes shower walls etc. Avoid tile everywhere except floors that will get cleaned regularly anyway. The grout will not be easily cleaned, and it breeds mildew etc.
Keep the house dry. Use a dehumidifier whenever the house will be closed up for long periods, and put out the chemical dehumidifiers available in hardware and home stores.
Cure water problems. If there are leaks or spaces that tend to be damp, cure this before you eat! It is more important than food. You so not want mold and mildew problems that result from dampness, especially in a small house.
Efficient exhaust fans in baths and kitchens are a must to combat smells and damp. If you do not have electricity, then put louvers in cabinet doors everywhere, and air the house out regularly. Yurn off the heat in the bath and open all the windows to air before turning the heat on again.
Do not store linens in huge piles. Keep only a few towels and linens and wash and dry them regularly. Stacks of even clean linens will become damp, and stay damp in a damp environment. Wash clothing daily if possible or find alternatives to hampers. Air clothing on the clothes line after wearing, and then put in a hamper.
Keep the chemical dehumidifiers in linen closets and clothes closets year round if you have dampness issues in your area...humid climate, seaside, lakeside etc..
Take the garbage out every day...and no, you do not need plastic bags if you remove it regularly. Start a compost pile for the vegetable waste and keep a dog for the meat waste. All the rest is just about being responsible with the excess packaging of products. Do not buy products with tons of packing and plastic. Cans can be crushed and sold for scrap, paper can be saved for starting your winter fires or shredded to be tilled into the soil or composted like leaves. Go to the library or coffee shop to read the papers, don't get them at home. Or if your do, pass them on to a neighbor immediately after reading them.
Cook fish in an outdoor kitchen only. We will someday discuss this subject too.
Three pictures of outdoor cooking prep and clean up spaces under an almond tree at my grandmother's house in Italy.
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