Clutter and lacking counter space can make a home feel cramped. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be this way. Here are a few tips you can use to increase your home storage without having to renovate your entire house.
First, Declutter
The hardest part of increasing your home storage space is decluttering. Many homeowners find that once they start thinning out the stuff they’ve accumulated, it’s much easier to make more space.
To make the decluttering process less overwhelming, try two things.
First, dedicate a few hours to your most clutter-heavy rooms. For example, you might dedicate two hours to each of your bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom (six hours total). Having a plan on which rooms to tackle and for how long will prevent you from taking too much time thinking about what you need to do.
Second, consider making three separate piles for each room’s clutter.
- Things you use at least once a month
- Things you can’t remember using in the last six months
- Items that have sentimental value
Pile 1 will contain everything you’ll store away in the next few steps.
Pile 2 will have everything that you can safely donate or toss. If you have any doubts about throwing it out, ask yourself—when will I really use this again? Keeping things you likely won’t use is a huge cause of clutter.
Pile 3 will contain things that you may not use regularly but have a special meaning. Think things like old photos or special articles of clothing. Again, the key question to ask yourself is “Why am I holding onto this?”
If you can’t justify keeping it, toss it. If you can justify keeping it, make a memorabilia pile, and get ready to group like with like.
Group Like With Like
After separating the keep pile from the junk pile, start grouping like with like. One of the biggest causes of clutter is haphazardly storing things out of sight. While that might be a quick solution for hosting unexpected guests, it’s not a sustainable way to maximize your home storage.
Instead, designate certain spots for certain, similar items. For example, keep your small appliances in the same cabinet. Consider using separators in your closet to separate heavier clothing like jeans and sweaters from lighter clothing like dresses or robes. (You can do the same to separate casual wear and formal wear.)
Consider a Storage Bed for the Bedroom
Storage beds let you put items either comfortably under the mattress or in the included drawer space at the base of the bed. Though it’s more of an investment, a storage bed can do wonders for maximizing home storage space.
Take Advantage of Wall Space
Running out of closet and cabinet space is frustrating for many homeowners. A good storage solution for these cases is to use wall space to store items.
You can start by installing floating shelves on bare walls. These shelves often come pre-built from your local hardware store. All you have to do is find an appropriately sized shelf, make sure it’s level, and screw it into the wall.
You can use these shelves to store small appliances like coffee makers or blenders. You can also use them as decorative pieces, with small houseplants or books (be careful not to overweigh shelves with heavy books).
Give Everything a Home
One of the biggest challenges homeowners face is consistently putting items in their proper home. This often starts in the kitchen. You might take a small appliance out to use on a counter to prepare a meal. Then, it sits on the counter, taking up space and creating claustrophobia, because other things come up.
When you have a dedicated home for all items (remember: like with like), you’ll be more likely to put them away. This includes items like dirty dishes. For instance, if you have a dishwasher, make that the home for dirty dishes, rather than letting them sit in the sink.
Prevent Breakdowns From Cramping Your Style With 2-10
Making space around the house has another indirect effect. It can help keep your systems and appliances running well. When you don’t have clutter on things like your stove or air conditioning and heating vents, it lets those items maximize their output. On the other hand, clutter can cause them to overwork or even break down.
Fortunately, by following these steps, you can reduce that likelihood. Even so, your home’s systems and appliances will still eventually break down. A home warranty from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty (2-10) can take the stress out of that situation. Rather than having to pay big bucks out of pocket to fix or replace your breakdown, a Home Service Plan can take care of it for you, vastly reducing the cost and time it takes to remedy the problem. See which Home Service Plan plan is best for you today.
