Storage Tips for a Growing Family

Collaborative Guest Post

Storage needs grow and change all the time to keep pace with hobbies, interests and professional needs. Keeping up with a growing family, so everyone has the storage for the things they need right now, is tricky. After all, it’s not like you can just rearrange or expand the whole house. 

Seasonal Storage

Finding storage for absolutely everything you own can be a real challenge, if not downright impossible. Taking a seasonal or rotational approach can solve the problem when you rent a self storage unit to cope with the overflow.

This approach works for just about all possessions that you use for only part of the year. You can include items such as garden furniture and tools, out of season clothes that are bulky to store at home, and toys or games that are too good to get rid of but which have temporarily fallen out of favour.

Toys in particular are a good example, because kids change their minds about what they like so often. The toy they can’t live without this week might very well be completely discarded next week, and suddenly be in hot demand again next month. 

Coping with fads and phases is difficult when you’re trying to keep everything neat at home. Put items into self storage and they’ll seem fresh again when they haven’t been seen for a few weeks.

Self storage can also help with recycling, repurposing and reusing toys and sports equipment. Save items that are still in good condition but which older children have discarded. Younger children can then enjoy them in the future without you going to the expense of buying new stuff.

Storage Furnishings

Even when you’ve cleared the decks at home of things that you’re not actually using, it can still be challenging to keep everything else neat and tidy. Storage furniture can really help.

When you are updating or replacing existing furniture, choose new items that include some storage such as end tables with drawers or shelves beneath the surface, lift-up coffee tables or ottoman and divan style beds. 

Storage furniture in bedrooms is particularly useful, since in children’s rooms they can store all kinds of sports equipment and toys without cluttering up wardrobes. They are great for storing spare linens or towels in master bedrooms.

In addition to storage furniture, don’t forget to use the vertical space we often overlook. A column of open shelving will fit in just about every room of the house, offering handy storage or display areas for either practical or ornamental objects.

Hidden Places

Speaking of vertical spaces, there are many vertical spaces that we rarely consider. In particular, what about the vertical areas on the ends of cabinet runs in the kitchen? 

Hang a towel rail here to hold tea towels or oven gloves, or install a narrow shelf with a railing front to house your favourite recipe books. The end of a run of cabinets on the wall is a handy place for a spice rack. Alternatively, you could pop a noticeboard there to hold children’s artwork, shopping lists, postcards, photographs, or anything else you like to display and change often.

Still in the kitchen, another hidden storage area lurks beneath kitchen cabinets. If your floors and walls are clean and well sealed, you could consider replacing traditional kick boards with hinged or sliding doors. Whilst this area isn’t very tall, it is very long and could have multiple uses for storage purposes.

Part of the key to keeping on top of storage needs, is to recognise that what works today will not necessarily work for all time. Having a self storage locker or unit available definitely helps to keep the house uncluttered and spacious. Using that alongside some of these other tips will help make your life more relaxed and stress-free.