MAXING OUT STORAGE SPACE: 5 PLACES YOU CAN MAKE USE OF

If you're short on storage space inside your house and shifting to a bigger place isn't possible, you can only do two things-purge items or maximize storage space. When you can't act on the former option and your only respite is finding extra storage space, you might feel lost if your house seems to be bursting at the seams with the truckload of things you own.

But maximizing storage space needn't worry you! If you want to make the best use of extra space, you need to know where to look. Here are 5 places in your house where you'll certainly be able to fit in some extras!

Inside Drawers

Your drawers can hold more items than you think they can! Just refrain from throwing things inside drawers haphazardly and get some drawer dividers to help you keep everything neatly organized. Choose drawer organizer systems depending on what you'll be storing inside drawers. You can buy fabric or plastic drawer dividers for lingerie, and go for wire or wood organizers to store stationery items.

Before heading out to buy drawer inserts, cut out a newspaper to the size of the drawer; this will help you buy organizers that fit inside the drawer closely. Don't worry too much about small gaps as you can use the space to store small knickknacks.

You can also make your own drawer inserts by clipping sturdy cardboard boxes together; cereal and shoe boxes cut to size will be perfect. Sort items by color or style and you'll be able to fit a lot of items inside your drawers easily. What's more, you won't have to waste time fishing for particular items as you'll be able to see the contents clearly!

Beneath the Bed

Going belly-down on the floor to reach items stowed away under the bed may not be everyone's cup of tea. However, under the bed storage doesn't always have to be inconvenient!

Start with removing all items from underneath the bed and see what you can purge. Separate items that you can't do without. Next, clean all items to be stored and the storage space by vacuuming or mopping.

Invest in storage bins or storage bags to pack all the items. If you have a lot of out of season clothes to stash away, you can pack them in a suitcase and push it underneath the bed. Arrange bins and suitcases in a way that easily allows you to access the items you need frequently. Alternatively, you can add roll out drawers to your bed to store items properly.

If you have to crouch too low for comfort, you can consider raising the height of the bed. Bed raisers come in various types, sizes, and shapes, and can be bought online or at your local hardware shop. In case, you don't have under the bed storage and raising the height of your bed won't work, buy a raised bed or a bed with inbuilt storage.

Behind Doors

You don't have to leave your coats and jackets lying about the house just because your closet is tightly packed. While coat racks are great for outerwear, you don't want to put baggy clothes on display in a small bedroom or in a narrow hallway. Instead, simply buy a couple of hooks and fix them behind the bedroom door and hang all your outerwear there.

The back of your bedroom door can also hold a jewelry organizer or a magazine organizer. In the kitchen, use behind-the-door space to hang towels and see-through pockets to store pantry items.

Don't limit behind-the-door storage to bedroom and kitchen doors; smaller doors count too! Install hooks or bars behind your closet doors to hang coats, handbags, belts, scarves, accessories, and more. Fix a rod behind kitchen cabinet doors to store utensils and lids of pots and pans.

You don't necessarily have to hang items on doors when utilizing that extra storage space. Consider building shallow shelves behind doors to store a variety of things like lotions, cleaning solvents, or towels. Remember to affix a rubber bumper on the shelf frame so as to not damage your door.

Near the Ceiling

If there's isn't any space left on the floors, scale up the walls and store items near the ceiling! Sure, this won't look good in the living room or in the bedrooms, but you can make the most of the space near the ceilings in your laundry room and garage.

You'll find several overhead storage options ranging from storage racks to full blown ceiling-mounted storage units. If you purchase storage racks, also buy a few baskets or bins; store items in them and haul them onto the racks.

You can also use the overhead space in your bathroom and closet. Just add a couple of wire racks or shelves to store bottles, towels, bags, or clothes.

When storing baskets or bins overhead, be careful while pushing them in and pulling them out; you don't want things to topple over you. Most importantly, ensure that all overhead storage bins are light in weight to minimize the risk of falls and injury. Also keep the weight capacity of your storage solution in mind and refrain from overloading it.

Under the Sink

In a lot of homes, space under the kitchen and/or bathroom sink is always a chaotic mess. Add to that leaky pipe, mold, and an unbearable stench, and one would never consider this space for storage.

However, things needn't be this bad. Take a closer look at space under the sink and identify problem areas. Get the plumbing fixed; install new fixtures if the old ones have weathered badly.

If you have a mold infestation below the sink, eliminate the pest by calling in the professionals. Mold can also be eliminated with some tact and common household ingredients like vinegar and baking powder, so get working on it as soon as you can.

Further to this, if you have damp walls and floors, repair seals, improve air circulation in the area, and use appropriate wall and flooring materials to prevent patches from reappearing.

Once you've prepared the area under the sink, you can use it as storage space! Simply place bins or boxes under the sink, or build a shelf there. Rolling drawers can be useful to maximize storage in hard to reach corners.

Do keep things organized in this space and be sure to purge unnecessary items regularly. Also, keep checking for signs of damp or mold so that the problem doesn't get out of hand.

Conclusion

Maxing out storage space may seem impossible when your house is already full with items you can't do away with. But with the information given here, you now know that there are several places around your house where you can store a lot more stuff easily!

So quit thinking about how you'll arrange your things and start putting these tips into practice right away!