Back to basics - Extra spaces

3 minute read

Are you looking around your home and wanting to get it more organised? Maybe you have a child back from University along with all their belongings, you have inherited items and do not currently have room for them in your home or simply have limited storage.

APDO member Jo Jacobs shares her top tips for utilising extra spaces we can often overlook in our homes.

1. Loft

Having a loft boarded with an accessible ladder is a great investment in your home, adding value and more importantly – storage space.

That doesn’t mean I am suggesting you can now throw items up there with the “out of sight out of mind” philosophy!

Check what you have and, where possible, declutter items that you no longer use.

Put what you want to keep into a designated zone – ie: Travel suitcases/Christmas/Out of season clothes.

Once you can see what you need to store then use clear or labelled crates/boxes that stack so you can make use of vertical height.

So one corner can be for Christmas that is used a few weeks a year but kept safe from any damage and dust in strong, stackable boxes. Another area for suitcases. One for memory boxes or children’s toys that you are saving etc.

2. Garage

Often overlooked and used as a dumping ground, a garage - when organised well - is a fantastic space for storage.

This is where you want to keep more accessible items such as bikes, tools, ladders, gym equipment and laundry zone.

• Declutter to ensure you are only storing items you need regular access to.
• Use the walls and ceiling to put things on – hooks for garden tools, shelves for household items in lidded storage boxes. Use the ceiling joists to store wood you need or large boxes if they need to be kept. Bike hooks mean you can mount a bike on the wall rather than taking up floor space.
• If needed, you can create a laundry area away from the living zones. Stack a dryer on top of the washing machine and have a worktop with shelves and/or a cupboard to store all the essentials. Make sure this is near the door so you can get to it easily for regular use. 
• A laundry pulley maid coming down from the ceiling may help get laundry dry when the weather is wet.
• Putting padded flooring down and a mirror on the wall creates a gym area should you wish to have an area to workout in.
• You can often source storage items suitable for a garage on free giving/selling websites keeping the cost down but creating storage for your goods.

3. Cellar

If you are lucky enough to have a cellar then instead of being a cold, dark place left empty, you can maximise the space for storage with a few easy steps.

• Ensure it is safe and well lit.
• The temperature means it is a useful place to store wine, dry food and any household/kitchen excess items.
• Make sure anything that could get damp is in sealed plastic boxes so they don’t get ruined.

4. Outbuildings

Sheds and summerhouses are brilliant for storing items but, as above, can often be underutilised.

• Take all contents out to assess what you actually use.
• Dispose of all items no longer used – old paints, broken machinery etc.
• Give the area a good sweep and put items back in zones. 
• As in the garage, utilise the walls to hang items on with sturdy hooks, keeping the floor free for a feeling of spaciousness and easy access.
• Stackable plastic boxes keep contents safe from dirt and pests and uses vertical height.
• If you have a summerhouse, it can be zoned for all sorts of things such as a potting area, sewing or craft room, artist studio, yogo or quiet zone.

In conclusion, giving all these invaluable storage areas in your home a good clear out, zoning contents and using stackable crates and hooks to maximise vertical height is a wonderful way of creating storage in your home utilising space you already have.

If you would like a fresh pair of eyes to help you review, sort and organise your extra spaces, take a look at our member directory where you can find Professional Organisers in your area or who work remotely to help you meet your goals.