Tips and tricks to storage, what do you do?

vanilla

Hi everyone, I live in a small 3 bedroom house with 4 kids, OH, dog and hamster. Our house always looks such a mess but everything is needed. I do think that storage is my main problem (i just don't have enough of it). :think:

I was hoping to get some hints and tips on how other people store there things. I would love to be able to have a place for everything and everything in it's place type of home. I'm sick of hunting to find things and not putting things to use because it doesn't have a home.

I'm looking tips of things that you have found really helpful and that hasn't cost you much to do.

BabyJayne

Try and look at the things you already own and see if things can be organised a bit differently - it can be amazing how much more you can fit in a basket / on a shelf with a bit of shuffling.

I have an old chest that I have in my sitting room - it doubles up as a coffee table and inside I put l the bits that aren't used that often i.e once / twice a year: christmas decorations, wrapping paper, throws for the winter. As I keep stuff on top aswell I don't want to take everything off every day! I live in a one bed flat so space is a premium. I also store things underneath the bed I have about 6 of those underbed storage boxes that keeps bedding, towelling etc away.

Same as yourself, a lot of what I own I do need but I don't like it out on show!

Doom_and_Gloom

Do your wardrobes have anything on top of them? We have a good amount of space between the top of our wardrobes and the ceiling so we store things on top of them such as guest items (sleeping bags, spare pillows, air bed, pillow covers, towels etc) as well as the duvet not on the bed, winter blanket etc. No need to get anything to put them in to put these items up there - just make sure they are folded and stacked well.
Do you have space under your bed and if you do do you already use it? If not some plastic storage box with wheels are a good idea.

In the kitchen do you use the space above the cupboards if you have any space there? Great for tinned items/items you buy in bulk.
We have a folding table with storage and that is used to store dry foods do you have anything simular?

We are quite inventive with this kind of idea. Everything that has a top has stuff on it - our chinchilla cage has the 2 vet carriers on it and our laundry bin is on the chest of draws (honestly everything with a top has something on it, lol). We live in a small 1 bed bungalow and although we have some items in a small loft area we still don't have a lot of space.

Edit : forgot that in the bathroom we have one of those over the door organiser things and also a pole organiser in the corner near the bath.

We live in rented accomidation and so all storage is non perminant (sp?).

Charlies_Mummy

I really recommend Ikea storage units for kids' bedrooms; they are in a sort of pigeon-hole design and each space has a plastic tub in it. Each of my children has one in their bedroom and it really helps to keep the rooms tidy and the floors clear, as they chuck all their toys in those each night. Also like someone else has said, baskets are great. You can often get baskets in places like Poundland or Wilkinsons very cheaply.

vanilla

I do have new wardrobes coming this friday which i know will make a huge difference. Our bedroom and the boys bedroom are both being done. I do also have storage in my bed which at the minute is filled with half our clothes, the rest is all dumped on the floor.

I have nowhere for my jewellery tho, it's all hide away so i end up never wearing any of it.

xx_Jo_xx

Hey vanilla,

Ive tried different things in different rooms of the house, but similar to what people have already suggested.

My living room coffee table has a drawer which has various bits in it which Id like to be accessible downstairs, but not on show. In the drawer is little dividers like THESE which I bought from ebay for 99p... mobile phone chargers, remote controls, coasters, batteries... they all have a home and dont need to be lying around! I also have a wicker type storage box, with a lid, that has some downstairs toys in it - at the end of the day, the toys are scooped up and back in the box and I feel like I have my living room back when LO is in bed!

I have an understair cupboard in the LR which I filled with some bookcases from Freecycle and books, DVDs etc all go in there out of the way...before they used to be in piles around the TV cos there was no where else for them to go!

Above the bookcases, I picked up a coat hook rail from B&M or home bargains for £2ish and all coats shoes and school bags are in that cupboard too out of the way...or at least thats the plan! (This isnt a huge cupboard btw - I just tried to utilise the space as best I could.)

In the kitchen, I struggled the most... I have three cupboards and a tall, larder type cupboard, which has four shelves in it, but the shelves are only six inches deep, so not lots of space in there either. I did buy a few space-saving items, but cheaply. I bought an over-the-door rack for my ironing board and iron, which cost about £5 from Tesco - kinda like THIS but my iron hangs up by the handle.

In the larder cupboard, I bought some of THESE but a miniture version... sorry I couldnt find a link to show you - but they hold lots of baking stuff, childrens snacks etc, which would clutter up the valuable space otherwise! These are great for toys, tools, pens... anything...

I have baskets (just cheap plastic ones) in the cupboard under the sink too, and most of the other cupboard in the house -- It really is amazing how much more space they give you.

I also bought a wall rack from ikea - its shown HERE with the hooks in the little box on the left hand side of the screen: sorry i couldnt find a better link... Anyway, all my pots and utensils are up there on the hooks out of the way, which basically freed up another cupboard. My mum bought me the spice rack for the set, which freed up some valuable cupboard space too.

Little ones room has a rocket ship version of THIS and it is amazing how much crapola they get off the floor. His windowsill houses all his books and computer games and we literaly use every available inch of space. He has a cabin bed in his room which has a wardrobe, drawers and little cupboards, but again, there are also lots of baskets... All the doors in my house have over-the-door hooks as well for dressing gowns, etc. In my wardrobe, i have some hanging shelves too... honestly its amazing what you can fit in there.

I know some of these will involve spending a little bit of money, but I didnt buy them all at once. I shopped on ebay, amazon, and just picked up things when I saw them on sale or special offer. If you dont have baskets, use empty shoe boxes... if they are in a drawer, cupboard, or kids room, no one will see them anyway.

Put a wanted ad on Freecycle - some people have great intentions and then dont follow through, or it doesnt work for them when they try it... you never know what someone might be waiting to give away.

HTH and sorry for the long post...

Steve-o

I remember seeing something on tv many years ago, about under-floor storage. It's probably only an option if you own your own home, or if the landlord gives permission for alteration (which would potentially benefit them long-term). However, here's a Googled image as an illustration:

squeaky

This thread is loaded with tips on getting a house into shape including organisation and storage:-

My home is a mess

And while many of the threads in this list are about storing food, there a number of others well worth a browse:-

storage threads here on Old Style MoneySaving

esmf73

Vanilla - I have the same problem as you - but only 2 kids, 2 cats and 2 dogs! OH works away during the week so its all down to me. Have stuff from MILs house as shes passed recently and really need to kick my @*se to sort things out and get moving. Probably the best thing to do (and I promise I'll be doing it this week!) is to have a jolly good sort out and get rid - or car boot things that you don't need. I find that I keep duvets and blankets for colder months - but they get in the way in the summer months. Will be reading your thread with interest. Thanks xx

Re jewellery - get a cheap cork board and hang up on your wardrobe door (inside) then when you open your wardrobe you can see your jewellery as well

Mands

vanilla wrote: »

I have nowhere for my jewellery tho, it's all hide away so i end up never wearing any of it.

Do you have any available wallspace in your bedroom?





The images, and how-tos, are from Martha Stewart's site and Real Simple.

vanilla

Thanks everyone for all the ideas, there great..:D I do have a big coffee table in the livingroom which has two big drawers and i think the dividers would be great because everything is just thrown into the drawers.

Jo your ideas have been fantastic and i even have one of the wheel drawers, it's being used as storage for my youngest's clothes but once the wardrobes arrive on friday it will be empty. So i may use it in the utility for all the washing powder/ stain remover and clothes pegs or i might just use it for tinned stuff. I'm the same and only have a 4 shelved larder.

esmf73 i do have loads to get rid off but it's all in the attic and out of sight..:rotfl: Mine you we've been slowly doing the house up for a few years and the attic has become a serious dumping ground. I love the cork board idea, at least them my jewellery would get used..:o

Steve-o i think my landlord would shoot me if i asked to do that. :rotfl:He believes that i should just get rid of loads and then the house wouldn't look a mess. My landlord is my father in law and he just doesn't understand small house and 4 kids = loads of things, everywhere.

Mands that has been so nicely done with the jewllery. I have a tall cupboard coming with my wardrobe and i think that would look really well.

squeaky thanks for the links, i'll have a really good read through them later when the kids are in bed.