Doing Storage Right!

So often in life we feel like there just isn't enough room. We need more storage. You know it is true, otherwise there wouldn't be storage units on every street corner. I would bet that with a little organizing (and some saying good-bye) the storage units would be hurting for business. Following is a great example (plus it will give you an idea of what I do as Organizare.)

Many homes have storage opportunities waiting to be discovered. Some are less obvious than others, while some are staring us in the face. Many times we don't take the time to see the hidden storage opportunities, but that is a later post. The obvious ones are almost always poorly used. That is the subject of this post.

The example I would like to show is a basement room. Not overly large, maybe 15'X12" - it did already have shelving (a huge bonus!) The shelving was only so good though. As you will see in the before shots - you could not get to them - which makes them about...useless. (Note: shelving units are fairly inexpensive and easy to acquire.)

The process, though daunting initially, was not a hard one. Start at one end and move to the other. Sort into three piles Save, Trash/Recycle, and Give Away. Proceed. The items that needed to be acquired were few (none if you are on a severe budget - though the results are a little less spectacular.) We purchased plastic storage bins and one shelving unit. Plastic storage bins are totally worth the money - trust me on this one. It took us less than one week and the results were worth it!

Before:

After:

A Few Others:

Take Aways:

1. Get rid of stuff! If you don't use it you don't need it!

2. Store things in a way you can get to them. You won't use what you have if you can't find it, get to it, etc. (Here is where spending a little on your storage containers can really pay off in the long run.)

3. Label, label, label!

Quick Tip:

To label something...

Use 3X5 Note cards (or larger), packing tape, and a bold black marker.

It will be easy to read. Easy to change on plastic storage bins. They also make it easier to read on regular old cardboard boxes (you know the leftover ones we all have that most stuff is stored in) because they are nice and white and bold! AND they are cheap and easy!!

Hope this starts you thinking about where you might be able to find more space and use it well!