Photos By: Stock Images

It can be tough to keep up with the changing needs of a growing family. As your kids get older, they need more space for homework, for playing, and just for hanging out. Additionally, you might need a little more space yourself! Unfortunately, your house won’t grow with your family, but don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to make more room in your home without breaking the bank. Here are just a few tips to get you started:

Utilise Self Storage

Self storage can be a great option for families who are short on space at home. By renting a storage unit, you can move the items that no longer fit in your home out into a storage facility to free up some much-needed space. The self storage unit cost is usually much cheaper than moving to a larger home, so if you’re feeling cramped, consider renting a self storage unit to help get your home organised and make more room for your family. 

Don’t be Afraid to Purge

One of the best ways to make more room in your home is to purge regularly. Every few months, go through your belongings and get rid of anything that you don’t need or use anymore. This will not only free up some space in your home, but it will also help you keep your things organised and clutter-free. This is particularly important when you have young kids – they can grow out of clothes incredibly fast, whilst toys can lie forgotten when something better comes along. In fact, most of the clutter when you have kids will come from their toys, so don’t let them pile up out of control.

Invest in Multifunctional furniture

If you’re short on space, invest in multifunctional furniture pieces that can serve multiple purposes. For example, a coffee table with storage underneath can be used as a place to store books, games, and magazines. A sofa-bed is also perfect if you need somewhere for guests to sleep but you’re short on bedroom space. Meanwhile, a dinner table can function as a desk during the day if you work from home, whilst everything can be swept away ready for evening meals, and set up again afterwards ready for the morning. By thinking outside the box, you can find furniture that will help you make the most of your space. 

Don’t Forget Vertical Space

Vertical space often goes unused, despite there being plenty of it. Vertical space is especially useful if you’re blessed by high ceilings, so consider installing shelves on empty walls to store toys, video games and blankets. Alternatively, hang a clothes rack from the ceiling to free up space in your wardrobe, giving you more space to tidy away shoes. Ideally, you want to remove as much clutter from the floor as possible – a cluttered floor not only makes a room look smaller and bottom-heavy, but it also presents a trip hazard, which is dangerous when you have kids running about.

Get Creative with Storage

Take a look at each room and consider where space is being wasted. The bathroom is a common culprit of wasted space – bath tubs are often boxed in, but the tub itself is curved, meaning there’s probably a large void between the tub and the boxing. This void is the perfect place to store things like cleaning products and toilet roll, so install a small door on the outside to turn it into a cupboard. Similarly, under the bed is a large area you can utilise by using under-bed containers. Meanwhile, you can install hooks on the back of doors to hang coats, bags and dressing gowns. Get creative and focus on the wasted space – there are plenty of storage solutions that can help you make more room in your home if you know where to look.

Wrapping up

Making more room in your home doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. By following these simple tips, you can create a spacious and welcoming environment for your growing family.

Photos By: Stock Images

You must ask yourself if it is time to find a more permanent solution. One way to do that is by storing some items in a self-storage unit. The first month free storage options give you a chance to try out the solution. Here are four reasons why clearing clutter and using self-storage units can help:

It can help you save time and money

When you have to search through cluttered rooms for things, it takes up valuable time. And if you cannot find what you need, you may end up buying a replacement – which costs money. If your home is disorganized, it also makes it difficult to keep track of what you have, so you may end up buying duplicates of items you already own.

Duplicate items can be useful should one piece of equipment go wrong, and we quickly need a replacement. We could, in this instance, store that second item in a self-storage unit. We often upgrade when the older version is perfectly adequate to achieve the basic functions of what we need.

In the case of furniture and having more chairs than we can sit down on, we might think about keeping these for children for when they move into a new home and up sticks from the family nest. It saves buying new when we need not have sold the old.

It can help reduce stress and anxiety

Living in a cluttered home can be stressful and overwhelming. Having too much stuff can make it difficult to relax and enjoy your space. It can also be dangerous if items are blocking exits or if there is a lot of dust and clutter to contend with.

Items in the way represent a trip hazard, just as they would at work. It can make cleaning so much easier without them in the way.

It is peace of mind to not have so many objects around us and good for mental health when we adopt the thinking of minimalism.

It can help you stay organized

A cluttered home is an unorganized home. When everything has its place, it is easy to find what you need and put things away when you are done using them. This can help save you frustration as much as it will save you time. This ties in with the above two headings in that sense.

Living a clutter-free life is to live a more pleasant life and keep us more focussed on what is important to live our everyday lives.

Unfortunately, life seems to be about gathering objects. We either learn how to organize them better or keep a close eye on reducing the number we have around our immediate living space. This is where self-storage units prove invaluable. They allow us to arrange our home how we want to and to be able to swap items around or keep them until we can make a more permanent decision about them.

It can give you a sense of control

Clearing clutter can help you take back control of your space. When your home is organized and free of clutter, you will feel calmer and more in control.

Having control is about taking the time to decide whether we need so many of one type of item. One minute we might, the next we might not. This is fine if it is about entertaining guests when we might require more furniture to provide comfort to the occasion, but not so useful when only one object at a time is all that is needed 24/7.

We, therefore, must think carefully about the items we keep and why we are keeping them. It pays not to rush into the decision and end up spending money replacing an item that has gone wrong when we could have had that replacement in storage.

If you are ready to declutter your home for good, consider using a self-storage unit to store some of your excess belongings. It can be a helpful way to achieve your goal of having a clutter-free home.

Photos By: Stock Images

A lot depends on the city you live in. RentCafe recently analyzed which places in the U.S. are best for home organizing potential. It looked at more than 280 cities and ranked them according to several criteria, including home and household size, income, self storage, interest in home improvement, etc.

Scottsdale, AZ, Raleigh, NC, and Spokane, WA, stand on the podium of the best U.S. cities for home organizing potential with the highest scores for all aspects combined, essentially optimum living space, interest in home improvement and storage potential. If your city didn’t make the top of the list, having an organized home is still achievable. More challenging, yes, but doable!

Let’s see what made these three cities stand out in terms of home organization.  

Why can people in Scottsdale, Raleigh and Spokane have more organized homes?

No unique, single factor propelled these cities to the top of the list. Rather, each achieved an ideal mix of criteria that play an equally important role. Scottsdale, Arizona, has the best combination of personal living space, storage options away from home and residents’ interest in home improvement. Scottsdale benefits from one of the lowest household sizes in the country (2.16 people per household) and a median household income that surpasses $90K.

What’s also notable is people’s interest in home organization. Their high number of Google searches for DIY organizing hacks and professional organizers suggests people in Scottsdale really go the extra mile in finding solutions to neaten and tidy their homes. Additionally, people have self storage on their side here, as Scottsdale’s available storage space is significantly more than the national average – almost 13 square feet per capita in Scottsdale versus 7 square feet per capita nationally. Taking into account all these factors, it’s no wonder people in Scottsdale can easily keep their homes organized and clutter free.  

Similarly, if you happen to live in Raleigh, chances are you already have a nicely organized and airy home, as people here show an impressively high interest in home organization and improvement. This was measured by looking at the number of Google searches for home improvement, professional organizers and DIY organizing hacks, all which suggests that people are one step closer to taking initiative when it comes to making their place neat and tidy. Moreover, storage units in Raleigh are remarkably cheap at $95/month on average (lower than the national average of $128), and these can prove useful for freeing up living space in your home. 

Spokane comes in at number three overall, despite having a median household income of only $52K (the national average is $65K). The fact that the city made its way to the podium shows that a lack of vast financial resources doesn’t necessarily limit residents’ ability to keep their homes well organized but rather that they can find creative solutions to do so.

If you don’t live in these cities, but you do want your home to be better organized, here is how to do it. 

How can I make home organization easier?

Naturally, not all things are created equal. Some cities do much better than others in offering the right housing environment for you to achieve your organizational goals with minimum effort. If you don’t live in one of these cities but do want your home to be better organized, here are some key aspects to consider. 

•       Self storage – Have you ever ran into your skis or snowboard in the middle of summer, looking for something around the house? Are your snow tires taking up too much space in your garage? Do you have unused furniture in your attic or basement? One simple solution exists for all these troubles and much more: renting a storage unit. This is not only a common, inexpensive practice but also the perfect way to keep both houses and apartments free from clutter. People manage to free up significant living space in their homes by storing their furniture, bikes, documents, books and valuables in storage units.
•       Professional organizers – Yes, professional organizers might not offer the cheapest services, but they can work miracles. They can help with getting rid of clutter as well as thinking of smart home storage solutions. They can also help you with paper management, home office systems and virtually anything from appliances, electronics and files to linens, clothes and towels.
•       Home improvement interest – Ultimately, nothing beats a genuine passion for home improvement. As shown by Scottsdale, Raleigh and Spokane, people’s preoccupation with and commitment to home improvement is essential, as this is where you’ll find your inspiration. You can be the person who drives the trend where you live by visiting and supporting local home improvement stores, creating an organizing blog or webpage and sharing DIY hacks with like-minded people, for instance. Creativity and community will take you far!

Space is important, but being resourceful is vital for your organizing goals

We have all heard “It’s not how big the house is, it’s how happy the home is.” This recent study conducted by RentCafe ultimately confirmed there is truth to this famous saying. Just like four walls and a roof over your head do not instantaneously make a home, having a very large home does not implicitly and necessarily mean it provides better organization.

Texas clearly wins the home size state-level battle, having the most cities with homes larger than the national average of 1,750 square feet. However, home size is not decisive for people’s organizing success or failure. In fact, only 18 cities in the top 100 have average home sizes larger than the national average.

Arguably, being organized is a way of life, and the city you live in can be a deciding factor in this sense. What it offers in terms of living space, storage options away from home, incomes, home improvement stores and household sizes, among other things, can have an important say in your home organizing efforts.

All Photos By: Unsplash

Everyone needs a place to rest, to recuperate, to rejuvenate and the recover at the end of a long day. A place to rest your feet, connect with your loved ones and to cook a wholesome meal. A place to call home.  But what if that place is a vortex of chaos, a malaise of mess, a cacophony of clutter? Living in a messy, untidy environment is proven to cause us stress on an unconscious level – which can then spill out into everyday life. In this useful article, we’re going to explore seven simple ways to make your home feel less cluttered.

Invest in a Shoe Cabinet

A shoe cabinet can be a great way to reduce that cluttered feeling. Shoes strewn everywhere, either in the front hall or off to the side of a room can make a place feel messy. A shoe cabinet, strategically placed near your entranceway, means that everyone in the house has a place to put their shoes. A bonus tip – if you introduce a no-shoe policy for your home, meaning that everyone who comes or visits has to pop their shoes in the cabinet before coming any further, you’ll notice a reduction in the amount of dirt and debris that will accumulate on your floor.

Keep Benches Tidy

Bench spaces can be a magnet for clutter. Books, keys, wallets, watches and other small items love to gravitate to benches. Keep your counters free of clutter, and your home will maintain a tidy vibe.

Have a Place for Everything

One reason many homes get so cluttered is through a lack of storage and having places for things to go. If your shoes go in the cabinet, your keys go in a drawer, your coat gets hung up, your newspapers go in a rack, your books on a shelf and everything else has a place to fit you’ll notice less clutter. This may mean investing in some more storage solutions, but it is well worth it.

Be Brutal

Another way to reduce clutter is to simply remove any items you no longer need or want. Be brutal here. A good rule of thumb is if you haven’t used or worn it in the last twelve months – out it goes. You can donate items to charities rather than simply throwing them out, so things don’t go to waste.

Store it Elsewhere

If you find you are unable to get rid of something that is causing your home to feel cluttered, for sentimental or other reasons, why not rent a storage unit and keep it there? You can always retrieve it when you have space or move somewhere more prominent.

Sell Off Items

You could be converting your old clutter into cold, hard cash. Get on Gumtree, Facebook marketplace and eBay and sell off your unwanted junk. You’d be surprised at how much extra pocket money you could make this way.

One In One Out

Instigate a one in, one out rule for your home. If you bring home something new, something old goes. Apply this rule to everyone in the house.

A Decluttered Conclusion

A shoe cabinet will help to reduce clutter in your house, as will keeping your benchtops free of random items. Make sure that there is a proper place for every item you have, and when it comes to getting rid of things, you need to be brutal. For things you can’t let go of – consider storing them elsewhere. Sell off your excess junk to make some money, and instigate a one in, one out rule. Good luck!