I feel like no matter how much space I have in my home, I never have enough for storage. You know, a place for the stuff you don’t use as often as the stuff you do. I have a lot of this stuff and it’s a struggle to store it neatly. If you’re looking for some ideas, read on for some great home storage solutions!
When we moved into our house a few years ago I was excited that we had a two-car garage. My wife like the idea of parking her car in the garage, but little did she know I had other plans.
In my defense, I do actively use the garage to facilitate home remodeling projects. I store materials and tools in there as well as work in the garage when it’s raining outside. But that’s only a small portion of the garage. The rest of it? Well, I’m using it for storage.
Garage Organization Ideas
There are apparently, ways to store stuff and use your garage for its intended purpose. In order to pull this off, I suggest you build a shelving system in your garage. If you’re technically inclined, you can design your own shelves, or you can do a quick internet search and find some pretty neat ideas that have already been proven effective.
I did a bit of both – got some ideas from the internet and applied them loosely to my custom shelving. A dozen 8-foot 2x4s, 2 sheets of ½” plywood, and a box of screws later, I had some empty shelves that needed filling up – and that I did. It’s amazing how much junk you can get on some garage shelves.
If you’re winging it like me, take your time and make sure you are not wasting any space. You wouldn’t want to end up with 6 inches of usable space between your top shelf and the ceiling some someone I know…
Attic Storage Ideas
Most homes in my area come with an unfinished attic – pop your head up there and it looks pretty unusable. In the summer it’s 1000 degrees F and there is only a few spots that you can actually stand up without impaling your head on a roofing nail.
Nevertheless, you can still use this space to store some of your stuff that is not sensitive to temperature. Anything that I deem acceptable for the attic I like to put in a Rubbermaid box – it makes it clean and easy to lift.
Another thing that I like to do is lift a few sheets of plywood up into the space to span the ceiling rafters. This will make it easier to move around up there and also spread load any weight from the items you’re storing. Keep in mind if you plan on storing anything of substantial weight, or you get a crazy idea to make a man cave up there, consult a licensed engineer to be sure what your thinking of doing is within building code guidelines.
Add something extra
A backyard shed is a great home storage solution. Furthermore, it’s a great place for your lawn maintenance equipment. Just like any upgrade to your home, there are many options to fit your needs. You can buy anything in between a small plastic all-weather shed to a two-story shed with a hay loft – I’ve seen both of these at some well-known home improvement stores. The latter of the two looked big enough to live in!
Although pre-fabricated sheds are fine, you also have the option of stick building one. What you do is really dependent on your skill level, requirements budget. But just like the shelves I built in my garage, its amazing how much stuff you can get in a small backyard shed!
I like this storage option because I can keep flammable liquids like gasoline and oil away from my house. I also keep my lawn equipment in the shed, giving me more room for other stuff in my garage!
You might not like it, but it works!
My last suggestion for easy methods of storing things at home is to get rid of some of your stuff. If you don’t use it, haven’t used it in a while, or don’t plan on using it, think about giving it away, selling it, or trashing it. I know you don’t need me to tell you this, but declutter the house – you’ll feel much better afterward. Think of all of the extra storage space you’ll have!
Do you have experience with some of these home storage solution ideas? Tell us how it went!