Do you need to declutter but can’t bear to throw away precious memories? Check out these storage tips.
Storage is a little bit like money; no matter how much you have, there is never quite enough. Just as people tend to spend within their means (or even slightly beyond them), we tend to accumulate possessions in line with the amount of space we have in our home (or, indeed, just beyond it). When you first move into a property you may be in awe of the huge amount of storage at your disposal but life, kids, pets, and years of holidays, souvenirs, birthdays and celebrations will soon leave your cupboards bursting.
Shelves
Whether you are stashing your spare items in a loft, shed, cupboard or garage, it’s all about how you store, not what you store. First up is shelving. Cost effective shelving doesn’t need to look beautiful, but it can help you to maximise your storage space. Ask a local carpenter to fit some basic ply shelves, or head to your local DIY store and pick up a cheap set of metal shelves. They will help you to pack and stack your storage without the risk of needing to access something from the very bottom of the pile.
Boxes and labels
The idea of spending money on boxes just to store the tat that you don’t want to see but don’t want to throw away may seem completely alien to you. However, investing in a few decent clear boxes and some labels could just change your life. Whether you are stashing baby clothes or old photos in the attic, or you want to store swimming kit, cycle helmets or camping gear in the garage, clearly labelled plastic boxes will allow you to find what you are looking for easily and transport them with ease, too. If you don’t want to spend a few pounds on boxes, it may be worth asking if those items are really worth keeping in the first place.
Hanging out
If you have a traditional attic, the chances are you are working with an interesting configuration of space. When thinking of storage solutions, don’t just think about working from the ground up; take a look at your ceiling and see what you can do there, too. Racks on the walls can offer clever storage solutions for pictures and mirrors, while hanging hooks and coat hangers from the ceiling allow you to use every inch of space. Using your walls works for garages, too; a couple of brackets will allow you to neatly stash your bikes, surfboards or skateboards.
Be imaginative
When you have been used to the same space for a while, it can be hard to see the possibilities that are available to you. It can be useful to get a professional in to give you ideas and inspiration; they will have worked with lots of different spaces and discovered some brilliant storage solutions over the years.
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