Maybe your home has begun to feel on the smaller side, or maybe your family is growing, and your storage needs are increasing. Whichever the case, maximizing your available storage can keep you free from clutter and make the home a more comfortable place to be. There are some common storage mistakes that you’ll want to avoid to make sure you’re getting the most from your storage options. Here are a few to keep in mind:

Over-Complicating

Maybe you’ve gotten excited about the idea of redesigning your storage system or were overwhelmed by the number of storage options when you visited a store for some supplies. Many homeowners wind up creating storage systems that are over engineered, and this can often make them a bit useless. When you get so specific in your storage systems, they can become too difficult to use. You have everything divided up into separate containers and a system that only you fully understand. Not only does this make it more difficult to get the entire family on board, but it also means accessing things in storage will be less convenient. It’s important to try to strike that balance where your storage is well organized, but still easy to use and navigate.

Not Labeling

Part of finding that balance is labeling things. It might seem unnecessary at first, but as things start to pile up, those labels can save you a lot of trouble hunting down the thing you need. Again, they can also make it easier for everyone in the house to find what they need as well. Whether you use a piece of tape and a sharpie or a fancy label maker, all you need to do is make it clear what’s inside the container and ensure it’s readable from wherever you decide to store it.

Hiding Things Away

We usually want our storage out of sight, and it makes sense. We store the things we don’t need at the moment, so we’d rather not have those things taking up valuable space in our homes. The real idea here is making sure that things don’t get buried in storage. It’s so easy to tuck things away “in storage” and let them sit for years and years without being used. It’s also not uncommon to be frustrated searching through a closet of stored clothing, unable to find the one thing you need. Even though your storage itself may be tucked away, you want to try to keep things as visible as possible. The labels really help here. As does using clear bins to store certain items and stacking things in such a way that nothing is lost behind other boxes.

 

Defaulting to Storage

Things tend to wind up hidden in storage when we default to storing. Rather than taking the time to assess if we truly need the item or are ready to donate or sell it, it’s often easier to simply tuck it in storage. When you get in this habit, you’ll be losing valuable storage space to items you probably don’t need. The best thing to do here is to create a new habit. Before anything goes into storage, do a quick check-in. Is this something you need? Is it worth taking up some storage space? Having this quick pause can help you stay on top of your storage system.

 

Being aware of these common storage mistakes will help you avoid them going forward.

If you’d like to talk more about these tips, or if there’s another matter I can be of assistance with, please get in touch. I’m always happy to help.