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Sometimes, it can feel like there is nowhere to put things and that our lives are quickly becoming a cluttered mess. If you are starting to feel that way, don’t despair. There are many ways that you can increase the storage space in your home. Here are eight tips to get you started.
Get Cleaning
The best way to get more space will be to start getting rid of the things that you don’t need. You might find that a surprising amount of your stuff is unnecessary junk. Many people hold onto things because they might use it someday. This is a good idea if it is expensive. But if it is cheap, just throw it away or give it away. If you need it in the future, you can easily replace it.
Stack things neatly, they will take up less space this way. Clean surfaces and sweep your floors. This will visually make a room seem larger. It will also make you less hesitant to store things if the place you’re storing them in is clean.
Outdoor Options
There truly is only so much space inside your home, so you might want to look at storing things outside of the home. Storing inside your garage can be a good idea. However, don’t get in the habit of making large piles of junk. Install some shelving units. Put some lines on the floor that put a limit to your storage space. You want to make sure that you can still fit your car in the garage. After all, it is more valuable than the other things you are storing. If you need extra space, you could consider building an additional place to store items. There are some advantages of modular garages if you’re just looking for a quick solution. They can be quickly installed, and if you change your mind, easily removed.
Out of Sight
There are some storage spaces that you might not think of because you don’t see them. If you don’t have a closet under the stairs, you may want to investigate this untapped space. If your home has a crawl space, you may be able to store items there. Make sure that they are in sturdy well sealed containers. You don’t want your belongings destroyed by pests or water. You can even store some things in the attic. Be careful going into the attic. Some attics don’t have finished floors. One wrong step could put a hole in the ceiling of your home.
Maximize Your Space
You can really maximize your space by taking the time to finish areas of your home. Finish putting up the walls and drywall in your basement, and then you can install shelving units for storage. Consider taking a look at the way your home space is divided. You could remodel to expand some rooms and shrink others. This would allow you to use the space in the most efficient manner possible.
Stack Up
One of the worst ways to use space is by setting everything on the floor. Take advantage of the height of a room by stacking things up. If certain items aren’t commonly accessed, you can put them into storage containers and stack them on top of one another. If you need to frequently access an item, put it on a shelf. This will allow you to stack up, without having to pull apart a tower of boxes to reach something.
As you stack, keep in mind the weight that you are putting on each container. Put heavy items on the bottom of stacks and lighter items up higher. If you don’t stack carefully, you could crush the bottom box and send all the other boxes toppling to the floor. Generally, you can find a stacking limit on most storage containers. Don’t exceed this amount. Going over this limit may not cause the container to collapse immediately, but it will fail over time. Keep in mind that shelves will also have weight limits.
Pack Tight
You’ll save yourself space if you pack each storage box tightly and efficiently. Don’t just throw things into a box. Place them carefully. Treat it like a real-life version of Tetris. If you are storing clothes or blankets, roll them up and stick them in vacuum bags. This will help suck out the excess air and allow you to fit more items in a box. For fragile items, make sure that you wrap them carefully and don’t cram them in. You don’t want to accidentally break anything.
Organize
You can spend hours and hours carefully fitting everything into a storeroom. Unfortunately, one fatal mistake can undo all this work. Too many people don’t bother to properly organize and label boxes. When children and other people go looking for items, they make a disaster looking for a specific item. You can prevent this from happening by carefully cataloging the location of each item. Post a list containing each item and its location on the door to your storage area. In the case that boxes need to be moved to access a box at the bottom of a stack, you should have labels on the boxes so that they can be replaced in the proper order.
Smart Furniture
Furniture takes up a surprising amount of space in your home. Unfortunately, a lot of that space is wasted. The large part of a bedroom is taken up by the bed. Chairs and couches fill the family room and living room. You can use these items for more storage places. Use a bed frame that gives a foot of clearance between the mattress and the ground. This will allow you to store things underneath. You can cover up the boxes by using a bed skirt. You can do a similar thing with your side tables, chairs, and other furniture.
As you store each item, consider why you are putting it in storage. Space is valuable. Is the item worth it? If you haven’t used the item in a long time, consider writing the date on it. If you don’t use it within a year, you may want to get rid of it. The best way to maximize storage space is, to only store what truly needs to be stored.
We can help you to expand your house so you have the optimal amount of storage space. Contact us to get an estimate on your remodeling project!