evaluate the space
The goal: Store items so you can quickly find them when you need them—whether you’re packing for summer camp or decorating the house for the holidays.
Purge
In these storage spaces, excess stuff piles up fast.
- At least once a year, take inventory of the attic, garage, and basement and earmark items to donate or sell. This includes clothing and toys, luggage, furniture, household goods, bicycles and sporting gear, and tools and machinery in good condition that your family has either outgrown or replaced. Schedule this exercise before organizing a tag sale.
- Anything that is beyond repair should be discarded. If you have old paint or other hazardous substances, check with your local municipality about special rules for disposal.
- If you have years of boxes to go through, consider renting a small dumpster, which can be dropped off and picked up by the company; visit thebagster.com for an even more affordable alternative.
- Keep extra “donate,” “sell,” and “toss” bins in each space at all times, so you can weed out items whenever you go to dig something out. This will make the once-yearly purging less painful.
Sort
Once you’ve whittled the “to keep” contents down, group them into categories.
- Draw up a blueprint of each space, creating zones for each category, so you know where everything goes.
- Stackable clear plastic bins with tight-fitting lids offer better protection against the elements and pests and are sturdier than cardboard boxes; plus, you can see what’s inside.
- Label everything! Even if you think you’ll remember what’s in each box or bin. Label individual paint cans, too, so you can remember where each is used.
- Plan to keep items you often need, such as extra place settings or gift wrapping supplies, in an accessible location, like in a cabinet near the entrance.
Store
Keep as much off the floor as possible. Flooding, pests, and dust and dirt are all risk factors.
- Metal shelving is affordable, adjustable, and easy to assemble—plus, it can withstand heat and humidity. Open shelving is also helpful for finding things.
- That said, if you have little ones around, you should lock up any hazardous items in a cabinet. Likewise for storing extra household paper goods and pet food or other items that attract pests.
- Install racks on the ceiling of the garage for hanging out-of-season recreational gear or extension work ladders that you don’t use every day.
- Because of the temperature and humidity fluctuations of attics and basements, avoid storing valuable or sentimental pieces there.