Keeping your belongings organized is essential to maintaining sense and order in your home. When organizing your items keep stand-up comedian George Carlin in mind. He had a routine titled “A Place for My Stuff”. The routine included the lines: “That’s all your house is, a place to keep your stuff. If you didn’t have so much stuff, you wouldn’t need a house. You could just walk around all the time.” And while a nomadic lifestyle won’t appeal to everyone, the simple act of simplifying your things is your first best step to finding a little extra peace and comfort in your home. Your entire household will benefit from the sense of space you create, and the stress you alleviate, as you “declutter” your home. Decluttering is essential to the staging process when you are looking to sell your home, and you will be ahead of the game when you begin organizing. Here are six simple ways to add extra storage space to your home today.
1. Declutter: The first and simplest way to add extra storage space is to eliminate items you no longer use or need. Go through your home room by room and assemble items to donate, sell, and throw away.
2. Stairwell storage: A stairwell is an excellent resource for storage options. The space underneath can accommodate a closet. The individual steps can be converted into drawers. With careful planning, a stairwell step drawer can provide a clever hiding spot for valuables (in plain sight). If your stairwell has an exposed underside, install hooks to store sporting equipment or other items you need to access easily.
3. Under the bed: There won’t be any room for monsters under the bed if you plan carefully. There is a lot of valuable storage space under many beds that are easily accessed by using shallow storage containers, or you can create more space under a bed using risers or constructing a bed platform with built-in storage.
4. Behind closed doors: Attach hooks on the inside of your closet doors to store lightweight items. Utilize as much vertical space inside the closet with prefabricated shelving, or consider hiring professionals such as Lake Champlain Closets to custom-build your closet storage solution.
5. Clever furniture: There are a lot of clever furniture options to choose from. There are mudroom benches with storage, garden benches with hidden storage, and storage ottomans. There are even companies who specialize in stealth furniture: furniture with hidden compartments for your valuables.
6. Built in storage: A built in bookshelf or a knee wall dresser are permanent features. They require planning and a modest budget to complete. But they are elegant storage solutions and attractive to potential buyers when you are looking to sell your home. Built-in storage in any room of your home is a worthwhile project to consider that often provides a handsome ROI to the savvy homeowner.
Coldwell Banker Classic Properties is Central Vermont’s oldest Coldwell Banker franchise. Our agents have intimate knowledge of everything that is happening in the region. We look forward to working with you to solve all of your real estate needs. Contact us today!