With autumn now in full swing and the colder months on the way, this is the time of year when we tend to realize that we really need to do something about our storage and the options available. In the summer sunshine, we are spending more time outdoors, and we don’t spend so much time struggling to figure out how we are going to force that cupboard door closed or where on earth we thought we were going to put that exercise bike. Now, we are back indoors and wondering where we are going to fit everything.
It is easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to storage options and all too easy to throw up your hands and accept that you are just going to have boxes in every room of your house. But don’t despair. Here are some simple solutions to help you shed some clutter and maximize your home’s storage potential. You can also use an external self-storage company,like the one in South Bay, California that we are using. Click here if you need more info about our favorite storage company.
Table of Contents
Start Getting Ruthless
We all have those moments every now and again when we feel the need to start shedding some of our excess baggage. Maybe it’s because we are moving to a new home, maybe it’s because we are moving in with a partner, or maybe it’s just because you watched some Marie Kondo videos and feel like we have too many things that do not spark joy. While you always want to be a little careful just in case, you accidentally get rid of something you regret losing, later on, there is so much to be said for a regular decluttering of all of your things.
This is particularly true at the moment. We all did a little, or a lot, more online shopping during each lockdown than we would normally. We bought many books and DVD box sets, we bought exercise equipment because we couldn’t go to the gym, and we bought a lot of interesting cooking gear (hands up, everyone who bought a fancy rice cooker?). Now, we can’t predict what is coming this winter, but if you are sitting on a lot of lockdown purchases that you haven’t even opened yet, or maybe used once, then forgot about, then it is time to say goodbye.
Define Your Space
One of the biggest barriers to using space effectively is not having a clear idea of what each space is for. This is a particularly common problem if you have recently moved into your home. We all love a spare room, but it is very easy to say, “we could use that as an office…or maybe an entertainment room…or maybe it’s a spare bedroom for visitors.” If you stay in a holding pattern without actually pinning down what that room is for, you will end up with a room that is not getting used properly. There will be boxes and odd bits of furniture, and nothing will be properly stowed away. If you want to avoid this, name the space and start using it for its new purpose.
Many people have been facing this issue since the start of the pandemic, as we all started working from home. Many of us went for convenience over practicality because we did not think that we would be doing it for that long. Now, it’s about eighteen months later, and this is looking like it’s going to be our normal for some time longer yet. So, commit to turning that spare room into your office. Get your computer and any office gear that you might have hanging around the living room, the kitchen, or the bedroom, and you will be surprised by how much space suddenly appears.
Find Storage Solutions That Fit Your Space
When we first move into a new house, some big decisions need to be made about furniture. Often, we will be bringing some of our favorites with us, or at least the pieces of furniture that were so difficult to construct that we swore that we would never replace them out of fear of getting something trickier. But there are also the pieces that come with the property. We need to decide whether we want to hang onto them or get rid of them. If we don’t make those decisions quickly, they often end up not being made at all. And that is how you end up with a combination of pieces that don’t really suit the space you are living in. Even if there is nothing that you actively dislike about the furniture that doesn’t fit, it still impacts the space and the kind of storage you can achieve.
If this sounds a little too familiar, then it is time to think about getting some made-to-measure furniture. A built-in wardrobe is always one of the most effective and efficient ways to use your space and can be made to fit angles or sharp corners. If you are wondering how a built-in wardrobe could work for your home, talk to the team at Online Bedrooms. You can order a free color sample, and they can talk you through how they can get to work on your new built-in wardrobe based on your measurements.
Get Creative With Your Spaces
Sometimes we need to think a little bigger when it comes to storage options. If you are planning on staying in your home for a long time to come, it might be time to commit to a slightly larger project. Do you have a garage that you aren’t using? With a bit of insulation and some careful planning, this can be a far more useful space than a simple home for the chest freezer.
Do you have a basement that you have meant to do something with? Again, insulation will be important, especially given the rise in extreme weather events that we have seen recently. Still, a proper conversion can turn it into an incredibly useful space for you and your family. Another option, you could even think about turning that garden shed into an exterior storage space or a home office. What about under the stairs?
Featured Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
