You need more storage space. Whether it’s a workspace or a home, storage runs out before anything else. We have clothes, toys, toiletries, and more to put away. At some point, there will be no more space to stuff your belongings in.
In thriving, busy regions like the Bay Area, storage is even more of an issue because most people here live in smaller spaces. Moreover, after the pandemic, self-storage rates in the area increased by around 30 percent. To avoid these high costs, people focus on increasing storage in their own homes.
Of course, the main trouble is that there needs to be more storage in a small home. Thankfully, there are still ways to increase storage space within your home.
Here are four ways to help you fit everything in your small home in the Bay Area without compromising on functionality and aesthetics.
Less is More
The first way to increase storage space is to ensure you have less stuff to deal with. Do away with belongings you no longer want or need to make space for what you do. Clutter can be a major problem, especially when you’re cramped for space. Ideally, it would be best if you sorted through your belongings well before you move into a smaller home. You can follow in the steps of Marie Kondo and keep only what brings you joy. This way, you can handle limited storage if you pack and take essentials to the new house.
Moreover, as you prepare to move into the new house, keep a few boxes marked ‘donate,’ ‘garbage,’ and ‘sell’ for items that you won’t be taking with you. Next, you can hire the most reliable movers Bay Area has to offer to help you pack and move your stuff to the new house. With some professionals on your side, the packing and unpacking process will go much more smoothly. As a result, you’ll have a clutter-free home and a stress-free mind!
Don’t Allow Junk Drawers
Most of us have something similar in our homes. All the rooms and shelves might have perfect organization, but there’s at least one junk drawer or cabinet. These carry all the items that you need help with. You might mean to clean and organize this mess someday, but that rarely happens. As a result, you can only find something in that sea of junk, and it takes a lot of storage space.
If you have one of these drawers, the best advice is: don’t. If you have more than one, that’s just more of a waste of precious storage space.
But how do you get rid of those junk-filled spaces? The steps below can help you jump-start the process:
- Open the drawer or cabinet and remove every item it contains
- Remove any duplicate items right away
- Remove items that you haven’t used for years
- Put away items that do have a proper space somewhere else in your home
- Remove items that you don’t know what to do with
- If some items don’t fit, create a new category and assign the drawer to it.
Use Vertical Space for More Shelving
If you’ve run out of storage space, you probably need to utilize every corner. You may have filled up each shelf and cupboard nook, but what about all that vertical space? Here’s how you can rummage more storage capacity:
- Check the interiors of the closets, cabinets, pantry, and other storage spaces. If there’s room, add shelves, tension rods, or baskets to hold more items.
- Look into modern cabinetry options that have adjustable shelving. These allow you to adjust the heights of your sleeves. This way, you make the most of your space while putting things away.
- Arrange the shelves so that there’s enough room to retrieve items without toppling them all over.
- Utilize overlooked spaces such as the areas under the sink, cabinets, closets, etc.
- Hang a spice rack on the kitchen wall instead of stacking all the jars in a cabinet or drawer.
- Consider a bathroom storage ladder shelf that saves space while providing a convenient place for towels, washcloths, etc.
Consider Storage as Decoration
You don’t always need to keep all stored items hidden out of sight. Here are a few ways to store items so that they look like part of the decor:
- Group similar items or similarly-sized items together; these may include rolls of contact paper, butter paper, etc. Put them all in a decorative box with the room’s theme.
- Use pegboards to store and display your tools or crafts; it keeps the items organized and accessible to everyone. Plus, it lends a rustic, casual vibe to the surroundings.
- Use open cubby storage for storing books, toys, and decoration items.
- Keep a decorative dish on a table by the entrance to catch car keys, glasses, change, and anything else we might want to drop off while entering our home.
Conclusion
Whether living in the Bay Area or a small town in Oklahoma, storage woes will follow you everywhere! However, once you find the right storage solutions, they will serve you for the long term. Make sure these options are flexible and can adapt to changing needs. With a few tweaks and some effort, there should be enough storage space even in the smallest of homes.
