People living in cities or smaller homes often struggle with a lack of storage space. Finding space for everything is a challenge without a sizeable two-car garage or a backyard storage shed.
Thankfully, there are some excellent organizational tools and techniques to keep things tidy and where you need them.
Organization has a lot to do with systems. First, you have to build spaces that optimize room for access and efficiency. Then, it requires discipline to keep everything where it belongs to avoid clutter.
If you’re moving into a small house or living in a smaller space and can’t seem to achieve the organization you need, here are some tips to help you get over the hump and stay organized.
1. Adopt Strict Rules on Clutter
The easiest way to stay organized in a house with no storage is to strictly control how much stuff you have.
It doesn’t matter what sort of shelf space or organization techniques you use if you’re constantly accumulating; eventually, you’ll run out of room. This will typically mean things on couches, floors, and dining room tables in a house with no storage.
Many people who say they can’t get organized simply have too many possessions. They hold onto things they think they’ll use one day. Other items linger for too long because of sentimental value.
De-cluttering is vital to organization. You can appreciate the things while you have them but should only hold onto things you can’t replace.
Donate or sell things that you aren’t using. Try to be more conscious when you buy things and consider how it will affect how you feel at home, days or weeks later. Keeping less stuff makes staying organized much easier.
2. Optimize Unused Spaces
Some houses don’t have a ton of built-in storage. For example, you will not find many cupboards or a large pantry in the kitchen. If you’re living in an apartment, you won’t have a garage to keep your bikes, and there will not be a basement for long-term food storage.
Instead, people in homes without storage must get creative about where they can keep things. No one wants to keep their canned food or twenty pairs of shoes in plain sight. Instead, here are some excellent storage options that take advantage of unused spaces.
Under Beds
There’s a lot of space under beds that people can use for storage. For example, you can keep shoes, winter clothes, toys, and other items under beds.
Also, you may consider buying plastic roller tubs for things like jackets, extra sheets, pillows, and other bedding items. You can label them or buy transparent tubs that make it quick to know what’s inside without opening them.
Buy Furniture with Built-In Storage
Modern furniture makers sell excellent couches, tables, and chairs with storage space inside. For example, you can buy an ottoman with a removable top that reveals a large storage cubby inside, perfect for throw blankets, pillows, or remotes.
In addition, you can buy beds with drawers under them for clothing items or tables with drawers for plates, silverware, and napkins.
Use the Backs of Doors
If you’re short on space, you should start using the back of your bedroom and bathroom doors. There are various hanging storage options you can buy in stores or online that keep shoes, clothes, belts, shampoo, and anything else you need.
You may not want to keep a shoe rack on the back of your front door to keep things discreet, but other doors around your house are a fantastic choice for extra storage.
Install Shelves in Closes
Almost every house, no matter how small, has some type of closet or wardrobe. However, many of them need shelf space that maximizes your storage and leverages vertical spaces.
You don’t have to be a master builder to install shelves in a closet or kitchen pantry. There are simple hanging shelves for lighter items like clothes. If you’re a bit handier with tools, you can install heavy-duty shelves for kitchen appliances and other heavy stuff.
3. Consider Storage Options for Open Spaces
We’ve covered some of the hidden areas you can use for storage, but if you need more, there are ways to take advantage of open areas without crowding walkways and living spaces.
Hanging Storage Baskets
Buy some hanging storage baskets for your kitchen to keep spices, fruit, and other stuff you can grab. This frees up valuable storage space in drawers and cupboards.
Hanging baskets in the kitchen is a fantastic choice, especially for people who love to cook and have more than your average kitchen equipment.
For living rooms, hanging baskets are terrific for blankets, video game controllers, and small children’s toys.
Wall Racks
People in New York City install wall racks to hang bikes and other recreational toys. A series of small knobs or hooks on your walls keep things off the floor.
Shelves & Dressers
Of course, one of the most effective ways to organize a house without storage is to buy new dressers and shelving units.
Whether you buy them at Ikea or find something gently used online, a new dresser will significantly affect how organized you are at home.
If you have bare wall space, fill them with storage instead of paintings or pictures. Then, you can use some of the shelves for storage and display smaller pictures in frames on other shelves.
One of the best things about shelves and dressers is that you can take them with you when you move. Once an organization system is down, you can repeat the process when you’re in your new place.
4. Use an Outdoor Storage Shed
An outdoor storage shed will solve many of your storage problems if you have a yard.
You can use an outdoor shed to keep tools, extra bathroom tiles, carpets, winter clothes, skateboards, pool toys, and anything else you don’t need in the house all year.
Temperature and humidity are the main concerns with anything you put in an outdoor storage shed. If things get hot in the summer, you may not want to store linens or anything else fabric in there because the heat will make it smell musty.
However, an outdoor shed is a fantastic solution if you have a yard and need someplace to put your clunkier items.
5. Rent a Self-Storage Unit
Booking a storage unit at a local facility is another terrific way to stay organized in a house with no storage.
There’s a good chance you can find something less than a ten-minute drive from your house.
Modern storage units are affordable and come in various sizes to fit your needs. People use them as an extension of their home to store winter gear like skis or bikes when they’re not using them.
If you want to get better organized but don’t know what to throw away, you can use a storage unit to remove certain items. Then, notice how you feel when specific pieces of furniture are out of the house before you decide what stays and what goes.
There are climate-controlled storage units for sensitive items, and most facilities will let you start in a smaller unit and scale up as needed.
Conclusion
The right storage solutions are essential to staying organized, especially in homes without a lot of shelf and cupboard space. Hopefully, these tips will help you keep things off the floors and countertops so you feel like you’re in control.
Keep what you need and get rid of the rest. Afterward, find ways to use open spaces to store things in ways that keep you organized.
If you’re looking for a storage facility to store your belongings, Snell Mini Storage has got you covered. At Snell Mini Storage, we offer a wide range of unit selections. To learn more about our self-storage facility, please check out our website at https://snellministorage.com/.