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 10 Tips to Maximize Storage in Your Home

It doesn’t take much to fill up the available space in any house.  We all seem to add so many items over the years and quickly run out of places to store them.  Being creative with existing space can help, but there is only so much you can do at times.  So here are a few tips that might help with this problem.

1. Getting Rid of Clutter. Before figuring out where to put your items, it is best to sort through what you have collected and get rid of what is simply clutter.  That can be a challenge if you love to hold onto things for sentimental value even when they just sit on a shelf in the bedroom or garage.
2. Utilized Possible Furniture Space. There are places such as a bed frame that offer possible storage areas.  You can even purchase box beds with specifically designed storage spaces.  It is amazing how many things such as socks or toys that seem to take up lots of area, can easily be kept in a bed frame drawer.
3. Bookshelves. Just because it is intended for use with books doesn’t mean you can’t store other things on those shelves.  There is no reason you can’t put magazines, even office files, on a bookshelf.  Taking a little time to do that will help move items off of tables or other places they were being kept.
4. Vanity Cabinets. This is a great place to add those items you need to store that are bathroom essentials and grooming products.  There is no reason you can’t place all kinds of items used every day in the bathroom in this space.  By doing this they will be taking up less space in the room or linen closets needed for other things.
5. Chairs. Easy chairs and overstuffed chairs might look good and be comfortable, but they do take up a lot of space.  In some cases you can replace some bigger chairs with a smaller chair and an ottoman that has storage space underneath.  It just being more realistic about the size of chair you need to use when you have limited space.
6. Dressing Tables. Underneath the dressing table is a great area that can hold many small items. It really doesn’t take a lot of space at times to remove lots of little things from taking up room. This is one area often overlooked by many in regards to storage.
7. Maximizing Bathroom And Kitchen Storage. You can’t overlook those places under sinks as a perfect place to use for storing certain items.  This is even more critical if you don’t have any given spot for things like detergents or cleaners.  They are still within  arms reach, but now out of eye sight. Safety locks can also be installed on the cabinet doors to keep small children from accessing the area.
8. Changing an Inefficient Storage Format. In the kitchen it is easy to overlook the benefit of certain kinds of vertical storage options.  Those can be used to keep pots and pans at times.  Also you can get wall mounted types of storage containers that will add storage.  They can come in decorative forms that will fit nicely into the décor of many kitchens.
9. Plastic Bags. Large sealable plastic bags can provide excellent options for storing things like clothes and bedding.  There are times when you need different types of bedding for a given season, but the rest of the year it sits on a shelf. A plastic bag can be great for cutting down on shelf space. There are also vacuum style plastic storage bags available which even further reduce your storage space needs.
10. Multi Functional Furniture. This is furniture pieces like entertainment centers that work well for things like televisions, DVD players and other forms of electronic equipment.  They can be used to store DVD’s or a music library too. When shopping for furniture keep storage in mind, as well as beauty and basic function.

It is amazing how much room you can actually add to your storage need with just a little extra thought.  Although it might not solve all your storage problems, you can often find many practical and simple solutions to for increasing your usable storage space.
(source:changeofaddress.org)
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