Increasing and Improving Your Home Storage

The first step in improving your home storage is always an honest appraisal of what can be thrown away. No amount of home storage can justify the most extreme pack-rat behavior. That said, you shouldn't have to throw everything out. It's not uncommon for homeowners to need a large amount of stuff to make their home functional, and saving items of sentimental value is not a bad thing. Unfortunately, you might not have enough storage space in your home to make things work. By adopting a few simple strategies and a few minor home improvements, you can often find enough storage in your home to keep your home looking sharp without choosing between family heirlooms and the home furnishings you want.

Maximize the Efficiency of Your Home Storage
Most homeowners have more storage than they think. They just don't use it as well as they could. Bedroom closets, for example, often leave valuable storage space unused. Closet organizers and storage rods can close to double your closet usage. One clothes hanging rod and a floor full of shoes does not make for effective closet storage. Think about swapping out older home furnishings, such as entryway tables or benches, living room couches and love seats, for home furnishings that feature built in storage space.

Increase Your Home Storage
You may be having issues with your home storage simply because there isn't enough of it. Small kitchens may need cabinets that extend all the way to the ceiling. Small bedroom closets may not cut it no matter how they're organized. The first thing you should look for is open spaces that can accommodate new cabinetry. Wall cabinets or, better yet, built-in wall cabinets may be a cheap home improvement project. A handyman can probably build you a new cabinet for cheaper than you imagine. If you're thinking about getting a new bed or bed frame, you should also consider platform storage beds. These beds can create a considerable amount of storage while enhancing your bedroom's appearance.

Finally, you may be storing items inside your home that aren't particularly fragile. A garage renovation or backyard storage shed may be a little on the pricey side as far as home storage goes, but at the same time it may, by itself, completely fix your storage problems.

Move Stuff within Your Home
Small kitchens are great candidates for this kind of reorganizing. A kitchen cart can allow you to easily wheel larger items such as blenders and microwaves into an adjacent area. If you don't use these items every day, there may be no need to have them in your kitchen all the time. Some kitchen items are used so infrequently, in fact, they may only be brought out during holidays or parties. These items can be moved into the basement or other storage areas. By increasing the efficiency in your bedroom closet, you may also be able to move sentimental items currently clogging up your living room, basement, entryway, etc. into your bedroom dresser or new storage bed.

Move Stuff out of Your Home
When all else fails, you can always take stuff out of your home and put it into a storage unit. This works especially well for large items that you don't use often but don't want to throw away. Your parents' or grandparents' antique furniture may not match your current home decorating scheme, but most folks can't muster the will to sell or give it away. If you're planning on moving into a bigger home in the next year or two, you might eventually have plenty of room for all your things, but need a place to store them for right now. You may find renting a storage unit is cheaper than replacing these furnishings.