Featured Photo By: Pixabay
No matter how hard you try, it seems as though you are running out of space in your small home, and things are beginning to pile up. For many homeowners, storage space is a hot commodity, but there never seems to be enough of it. While you can’t increase your square footage, with some hard work and determination, you can maximize your space and get rid of the clutter.
Sort It Out
You might hate to admit it, but one of the reasons you are running out of room could be that you are holding onto unnecessary clutter. If you can’t remember the last time you purged your home, now is the time to do it. To avoid getting overwhelmed and lost in a mountain of stuff, break it down into daily organizational tasks. For example, dedicate one day to sort out kitchen cabinets, one to linen closets and another to the garage. As you go, decide what stays and what can go. If after you’ve decluttered there are some non-essential items you don’t want to give away but simply don’t have the room for, put them in a self-storage unit to free up space and give you time to decide. Units can be rented for fairly cheap, too. (For example, the average price per month for a self-storage unit in Denver over the past six months ran around $76.42.) And remember as a rule of thumb when you’re decluttering, anything that is unused should be sold or donated and anything broken should be recycled or trashed.
Organize Odds and Ends
Most homeowners have a junk drawer…or two or three, or perhaps you have a whole closet dedicated to random odds and ends such as DVDs, keys, jewelry, bath accessories, and light bulbs. It’s easy to stuff them away, but doing so doesn’t maximize the space, not to mention it can make things hard to find when you need them. There are several storage ideas to organize small items. Use storage baskets in the bathroom, many of which come in sizes small enough to fit into cabinets, to house soaps, lotions, makeup, cotton balls, etc. Get rid of all those bulky DVD cases and put them in a DVD sleeve.
Photo by: Somewhat Simple
Light bulbs are one of those items that you tend to have extras of, but their odd shape makes it difficult to store without breaking. A bulbNEST is an innovative way to keep bulbs safely nestled in a compact way. The bulbNEST can be stored upright, saving you plenty of room. Prices start at $14.99 plus shipping and handling. You can also find them on Amazon.com and Menards.com.
Go Vertical
When you think of storage, your first thought is probably storage containers or bins, but what about vertical storage? By utilizing vertical storage, you can make space for other items. For example, in the kitchen you can free up under and over-cabinet space by using a pegboard to hang coffee mugs, pans and miscellaneous kitchen utensils such as cutting boards, spatulas, vegetable peelers, etc.
In the bedroom, vertical storage racks can be used to hold shoes and free up floor space, while a door hanger is a great way to keep jewelry, scarves and hats organized. Unfortunately, bedrooms aren’t always as spacious as you’d like, so even with vertical storage you might find you need more space. Get creative by letting your dresser double as a nightstand so that your bedroom feels less cramped. If you’re like most people and enjoy watching a little television before you head to bed, mount it on the wall so it’s out of the way.
Another great storage option is under-bed storage containers. This is the place to store items you don’t necessarily need all the time such as out of season clothing or any shoe overflow.
Storage space is hard to come by in a small home, but it isn’t impossible. Start by purging your home to free up space. Then, employ handy storage solutions to not only create order and organization, but also make the most of your cozy home.