It’s no secret that moving into a new house is hard work. But it also provides you with a perfect opportunity to set up some clever storage solutions throughout your new home which will lead to a more organised life.
Although it may seem all too hard when you’re already exhausted from the effort of moving, putting in a little extra thought and effort now into how you store your belongings will bring great benefits in the long run.
The trick is to focus on a few key areas in the home, and arrange your items so the things you need are easily accessible. With a new home, you have a clean slate, so make the most of this chance to get organised once and for all!
1. Technology
If you’re like most people, your home is full of a huge range of techno gadgets.
From mobile phones to iPods, and laptops to cameras, each comes with a range of batteries, chargers and other accessories that need to be stored.
The best way to organise them is to keep them together in a spare-parts tray.
You can pick one up from your local hardware store, just be sure to get one that has deep compartments.
Stored this way you can keep all your technology bits and pieces together so they’re easily accessible – no more digging around in drawers full of cords and cables to find that elusive charger.
2. Instruction Manuals
These days, we rely on a huge array of appliances and technology in our homes.
They all come with instruction manuals, and if anything goes wrong, you’ll want to be able to locate the manual you need without tearing the house apart.
Magazine boxes are perfect for storing manuals and it’s a good idea to get at least two or three.
That way you can group them into categories – for example, household appliances (fridge, oven, washing machine, etc.) technology (TV, computer, stereo, etc.) and major fixtures (air conditioner, heating, hot water system, etc.).
3. Kitchen
If you’re like most people, you probably spend a fair amount of time in your kitchen, and this is one room in your house that definitely pays to be organised.
Start by storing the food in your pantry in groups, with similar items together, and invest in some sealed jars or containers to store your dried foods in.
Keep your pots and pans in a place close to your stove and the kitchen appliances you use most often in an easy to reach drawer or cupboard.
Place your large utensils, including wooden spoons and spatulas, in a pot next to your stove, your tea towels and oven mitts in a drawer all together, and your cleaning items under the sink, using child-safe locks if you have young children in the house.
4. Bathroom
The bathroom can easily accumulate clutter – you can avoid this by having well-organised cabinets and cupboards.
Keep your beauty hardware (hairdryers, shavers, etc.) in a drawer or cupboard together, and store your beauty software (lotions, soaps, make-up, etc.) in a separate cupboard.
Your dental products can also be grouped and stored together, as can your toilet rolls and air fresheners.
Importantly, any medicines if kept in the bathroom should be in a locked cupboard or container, and any cleaning products should also be safely stored out of reach of children.
5. Kid’s Rooms
Keeping the kids toys, books and other bits and pieces in some kind of order is an on-going challenge.
You’ll have the best chance for success if you have storage solutions that make it easy for both parents and children to access and pack up items with ease.
Start by sorting everything out into toys, books, craft items and school supplies.
Toys can be stored in big tubs, baskets or boxes, so they can be easily put away after use. Shelves are great for storing books, craft items and school supplies.
Cube bookshelves that include storage boxes are especially good for odd-shaped and smaller items.
6. Laundry
All your laundry detergents and cleaning products should be kept together somewhere safely away from children.
If you have bench space in your laundry, keep it clear and use it for folding your washing – and if possible, fold your washing as soon as it’s dry to avoid unnecessary ironing.
Also, if you have cupboards in your laundry, it’s a great place to store linen that you don’t often use – especially if you have slatted shelves which allows for greater air circulation.
7. Legal Documents
Keep all your important papers in a small, portable safe or document file – something that you can easily grab in case of emergency.
Be sure to include any birth and marriage certificates, passports and citizenship papers, wills, banking and credit card records, insurance documents and mortgage papers.
It’s also a good idea to keep a back-up of these records – if possible scan them and store them on a USB drive too.
8. Electrical Essentials
Choose a small cupboard in your home to store power boards, double adaptors, extension cords and replacement light bulbs, so you can easily access them when you need.
9. Garage or Shed
To maximise space in your outdoor garage or shed, use your walls for storage.
You can install a peg-board to hang your smaller and frequently used tools from, plus you can also hang rakes, brooms and hoses from the wall using heavy duty hooks.
If you have ladders or bikes, try suspending them from the ceiling, making sure they are high enough to be out of harm’s way.
Keep valuable items like mowers and chainsaws in a locked area, along with any potentially dangerous items including chemicals and flammable liquids.
10. Emergency Box
Every home should have an emergency box, filled with useful items all kept in the one place.
Put together a box full of things that you’ll need if there is a blackout or emergency, and store it somewhere that you can easily access (even in the dark!).
Include things like candles and matches, a torch, scissors, first-aid kit, screwdriver, hammer and anything else you can think of that might come in handy in a domestic crisis.
Bottom Line on Storage
Moving into a new house is a fantastic opportunity to get organised. By setting up your home so that all your belongings have a place, you’ll always be able to find what you need when you need it. A little extra effort now will make a world of difference to the way you and your family live.
