It’s coming – the day that your house is filled with smells of oranges and fudge, your family busy making memories, and of course – stuff. While it is exciting to open your new gifts on Christmas morning, you may already be feeling a bit stressed about where to put all of it – or what to do with all the old items. While we are happy to help you declutter your house by providing a dumpster rental, not everything needs a place in the trash.
Storage for the New Year
There is a huge movement for minimalism, and while we can appreciate the simplification of lifestyles, we also know that throwing everything out isn’t the only option. Our lives are full of things that we love – old knick-knacks from a special family trip, a childhood toy given to us by a relative that is no longer with us, items passed down from generations before, etc. These things – while they may start to accumulate over time – don’t belong in the garbage. But, where do they go?
The Attic
Not every home has one, but for those of you who do – congratulations! You have unlocked a lot of space for storing items. Think ‘Christmas Vacation’ without the “falling through the floor” bit. The attic is a great place to organize and use as your home-based storage unit. There are some homes with smaller crawl spaces through the attic, and while you can’t store quite as much, you’d be amazed how much you can store if organized well.
Our Tip: If your attic is pretty tall (like it was for Chevy Chase) organize your boxes in rows. Make the rows into ‘aisles’ that you can easily maneuver between. Label each box. When you feel like going ‘shopping’ for your things, take a trip up to the attic and easily access them.
Under the Stairs
This space can become cluttered quickly. With some people using this for coats, toys, shoes, or even extra pantry space – this area can become unmanageable.
Our Tip: Buy some square totes of varying sizes, organize the things you love but don’t need out year-round, and slide them back accordingly (smaller totes in first and slid toward the back where it gets very shallow and bigger ones in the front). Make a list of what you put in the totes and pin it to the inside of the door or just inside the stairwell door. Things you use more often should be in the front, while Christmas decor can be the ones you slide to the back.
The Garage
Most husbands won’t want to hear this, but there is a lot of space to be had in the garage. The trick is to look up!
Our Tip: Utilize the vertical space in your garage so as not to impose on the actual purpose of the room (mechanical, automotive, man-cave). Build sturdy shelves that line the vertical area of the square space. Make it wide enough that one large tote can easily slide into it and fit well both vertically and horizontally. Label the totes with their contents. These areas are great for winter coats, extra automotive gear, tools, or even a Christmas tree.
The Basement
The most flexible space in the whole house is the basement. It can be a home theater, a man cave, a sewing room, a guest suite, you name it! But, it is also one of the best storage places.
Our Tip: You won’t have to give up the whole basement square footage for storage, but adding some nice mounted wire racks to contain the clutter or help you organize can make a huge difference. You may even have multiple rooms in your basement that you can repurpose to catch some of the extra stuff you want or need but don’t need to have out regularly.
Storage Space Abounds – If You Really Look
There is a lot of space in and around your home that you may never think about. As 2024 approaches, we challenge you to look around. Is there space under a couch or bed for a narrow tote on wheels (hello lego storage in a boys’ bedroom). Vertical spaces are often overlooked, so don’t forget to look up in the garage, in the basement, or even in rooms that aren’t used much.
The best part is that you don’t have to ‘feel’ the clutter to keep the clutter. Mastering the art of organizing your things will do the same thing to your brain as throwing the stuff out altogether – the trick is having ownership over the ‘stuff’ instead of it having control over you. Organizing your things will not only give you a fresh look at the new year but also help you go through the things that maybe you can (and should) toss out. If that ends up being the case – then our team is here for you!
It’s a no-brainer, it’s a win-win, and it’s an easy way to get a jump on the New Year. Good luck!