Good storage is an important element of organized living. Organizing your storage space adds value by making it neater and more spacious. It also saves time with minimal searching and less panic over missing items. Well-organized storage spaces are also a luxury with more benefits than maintenance expenses. This article looks into some ideas that can guide you in organizing your storage space.
Declutter Your Space
You may hesitate to give away something you no longer need but is eating up space. You, however, have to be honest with yourself regarding items you no longer use or need. A common principle in decluttering is having a clear standard between tossing and keeping to avoid overthinking, which slows down the process. This is especially true with your closet, linen closet, and junk drawer. You can schedule a regular cleanout and yard sale to ensure the items find a new home. You can also find an auctioneer on Leadar and make good money from selling the items. Decluttering saves space and helps you avoid the extra cost of buying extra containers.
Categorize Your Items
It really helps to group similar items together. You can sort them by themes, such as application or item size. For example, gardening supplies and decorations should be stored in different sections. Divide your storage space according to your categories and assign a tag for each. This is particularly helpful if you’re storing your items in boxes. You may also choose to categorize and store items based on the frequency of use, where you place the items you use more frequently in a section that is easily accessible.
Create an Inventory of Items
You should document all accessories in your storage to keep a clear record and easily tell when any item goes missing. This is especially useful if you’re storing expensive items. You can use this as a point of reference to track the movement of items in and out of storage. It can also help you identify items that need insurance. You can do this by making a digital count sheet of items per category by taking photos and videos. Importantly, ensure you create several copies of the list just in case the original copy gets lost, and update the list regularly to keep track of the items.
Plan Your Layout
It’s important to have a plan before you start organizing. Consider the amount of storage space and the number of items. You can use the space’s blueprint to plan the use of all its vertical and horizontal space. Smart organizing techniques help deal with bulky items. Remember to leave a walkway in the unit to access all items easily.
Use Vertical Space
Capitalize on the vertical storage space to free up the floor space. This makes your storage space more organized. You can achieve this by installing shelves, racks, hooks, and over-the-door organizers. If you’re organizing your clothes, you can incorporate vertical storage in your closet by installing drawers or shelves that run from the floor up. You can also use a vertical fold strategy to arrange your clothes rather than stacking one on top of the other.
Place Frequently Used Items Closer to the Entrance
Items you are sure you will use soon should be placed close to your reach. This saves you the agony of digging through several containers to get what you need. Containers with frequently used items should be placed on middle shelves, while seasonal items can be placed on top shelves.
Prepare Your Items for Storage
Fragile items should be wrapped individually in bubble wrap to prevent breaking. It’s also important to line the box they are put in with extra cushioning. Don’t forget to add a label on the box indicating that the items inside are fragile. Leather items should be wrapped in paper so they don’t stick together. Ensure all mattresses are dry and clean before placing them in an airtight storage bag to avoid dampness.
Use Containers
You can opt to buy plastic, clear storage bins. This is more efficient than cardboard or wooden containers because you can see what is in the container. It’s also advisable to use containers of different sizes depending on the number of items per category. This makes it easier to keep track of every item. The containers should also be airtight to protect the content from dust and water. Using containers makes it easier to stack up your items vertically on shelves. You can arrange them according to size or frequency of use.
Disassemble Bulky Items
Bulky items, such as furniture, need to be disassembled and stored upright not to take up much space. It’s also advisable to place them against a wall toward the back and leave more space for other containers. This also prevents bulky items from crushing lighter ones. For furniture items that don’t disassemble, you can use them as extra shelving to place containers.
Utilize Labels
Labeling is critical and should not be overlooked when you’re organizing your storage space. Besides organizing, they also save you time when you need to find a particular item. You can color code your labels according to item categories to make the process more efficient. Chalk and acrylic markers are ideal for labeling plastic or glass containers. You can get affordable label stickers online or in your nearest office supplies store. Bin clips are suitable for containers that are difficult to label with a sticker. With blank printable label stickers, you can also print your custom labels at home.
Conclusion
How you utilize your storage space is just as important as having the actual space. The room may not be as useful to you without the right knowledge and tools for organization. Finding extra storage space in your unit takes some creativity, especially if it’s small. Eliminate unnecessary items and integrate vertical designs and practical storage containers to maximize the storage space—place items you use regularly near the entrance. A balanced combination of décor and function would make your storage space more inviting.
