5 Steps to a More Organized Basement
Basements often serve as a storage location for seasonal items, family keepsakes and other personal belongings.
These excess items can accumulate over time and quickly turn into clutter. Without proper organization, your possessions are more likely to get misplaced or damaged amid the mess.
Here are five steps to organize your basement, reduce clutter, and optimize the space for storage and recreational activities.
1. Evaluate Basement Conditions
Before moving your valuables downstairs, consider the layout of your basement and identify any problems that could potentially damage your belongings. Basements tend to be cooler and prone to flooding, which could damage wood or leather furniture and metal appliances among other items.
Identify potential problem areas, such as near windows or on a damp floor, and keep your valuables away from those spots. If you already store items in your basement, take this opportunity to move them to a safer location such as your attic, closets, or a self-storage unit.
Consider storing vertically by installing shelves or cubbies to stay organized, optimize space and protect valuables from water damage. Vertical storage systems provide several benefits, including:
Better organization. Group similar items together in a designated space (e.g., gardening tools, seasonal decorations or kitchenware).
Increased floor space. Create more room for recreational use or to move around when browsing through storage.
Limited exposure to water. Keep belongings off the ground to protect against water exposure in case of flooding.
Strategically placed items. Position the most frequently used items in easy-to-access locations and the heaviest items low to avoid injury.
2. Sort Your Belongings
Start with a clean slate by categorizing items based on what you would like to donate, keep, sell, store or throw away:
Donate gently used clothing, furniture and books that you no longer use, but could still be valuable to others.
Sell valuable possessions that are in good shape, but serve no purpose to you.
Throw away any possession that holds no value to you and would not be valuable to others. If you’re throwing away potentially hazardous materials like paint, cleaning products, or batteries, look online for the appropriate disposal guidelines for your area.
Keep or store items that you’ll need in the future, such as furniture or seasonal clothing. For these possessions, determine whether the basement is an ideal storage place and consider your alternatives.
3. Think Outside of the Box
Look for opportunities to use unconventional storage space in your basement. Some examples include:
Ceilings. Suspend lightweight objects, such as totes or baskets, from ceiling hooks.
Under staircases. Use this space for boxes or larger items, such as luggage, cubbies or exercise equipment.
Walls. Use pegboards or wall storage systems to mount cleaning supplies, tools, sports equipment and other belongings.
4. Use Clear, Labeled Plastic Bins
Homeowners can further safeguard their items in clear plastic bins rather than wood or cardboard containers. Whereas wood and cardboard can easily deteriorate when exposed to moisture, plastic bins provide a variety of benefits, including:
Eliminating the need to open each bin to see its contents.
Preventing insects or rodents from damaging belongings.
Protecting belongings from water damage.
Save time and increase convenience by labeling bins with short, one- to two-word descriptions. You can also group like items closer together by labeling items for specific seasons or occasions.
5. Utilize a Self-Storage Unit
For items that are too large to keep in your home, a self-storage unit serves as an excellent solution to store infrequently used items. Homeowners have diverse individual needs to properly safeguard their belongings. A few amenities to consider before selecting a storage provider include:
A climate-controlled unit to preserve the integrity of your belongings in a dry environment kept at appropriate temperatures.
A variety of self-storage unit sizes to accommodate your individual needs.
Moving valet services to ensure items will be safely transported into storage, allowing them to focus on reorganizing.
Premium security at a facility that offers 24/7 video surveillance, gated access and individual door alarms to ward off intruders.
Store Your Items with Security Self Storage
Are seasonal items taking up too much space in your basement? Consider storing your items with Security Self Storage to optimize your space. Contact us today to get started.
