How do I organize all my extra stuff?
June 1, 2023 10:01 AM Subscribe
I had to move to a house that's half the size of my previous one. I have a lot of junk that I use anywhere from a few times a year to once every 3 years (e.g., specialized ski clothing or that book holder that works well when I go to a certain lake to read).
What do I with it all? In an ideal world, I'd have activity based piles of stuff in the right size zip-locked bags stored in a warehouse and [edited] would bring me the appropriate bag when I need it. What's the closest real-world version of that?
What do I with it all? In an ideal world, I'd have activity based piles of stuff in the right size zip-locked bags stored in a warehouse and [edited] would bring me the appropriate bag when I need it. What's the closest real-world version of that?
This is what storage units are for.
Also, in your ideal world, you own slaves? What the fuck, man.
posted by twelve cent archie at 10:12 AM on June 1, 2023 [9 favorites]
Also, in your ideal world, you own slaves? What the fuck, man.
posted by twelve cent archie at 10:12 AM on June 1, 2023 [9 favorites]
Mod note: Unnecessary mention of slaves edited out of the questions. Please don't use such words lightly
posted by loup (staff) at 10:22 AM on June 1, 2023 [17 favorites]
posted by loup (staff) at 10:22 AM on June 1, 2023 [17 favorites]
Storage units with pick up and delivery is a thing, e.g. Clutter.
posted by caek at 10:25 AM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by caek at 10:25 AM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Get rid of it. Storage units cost money and you won't want to dig through it to find what you need. Borrow, rent, or buy if necessary when you need skis/specialty kitchen equipment/book holders. It will be cheaper in the end.
posted by XtineHutch at 11:11 AM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by XtineHutch at 11:11 AM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
I'm here to say what everyone else has said and will continue to say, which is "start by getting rid of anything you use less often than annually."
posted by mhoye at 11:24 AM on June 1, 2023
posted by mhoye at 11:24 AM on June 1, 2023
Think about currently unused storage space at your home - for example, if you keep a suitcase somewhere, is it filled? Is there room to store things under your bed, sofa, and so on?
For off-season clothes, vacuum packing them can make a huge difference in how much space they take up.
Can you add shelving or other storage? Things that are rarely used don't need to be as easily accessible, so as long as you've got a ladder you could have shelves or cabinets way up on the wall and fit a lot of stuff that way.
posted by trig at 11:31 AM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
For off-season clothes, vacuum packing them can make a huge difference in how much space they take up.
Can you add shelving or other storage? Things that are rarely used don't need to be as easily accessible, so as long as you've got a ladder you could have shelves or cabinets way up on the wall and fit a lot of stuff that way.
posted by trig at 11:31 AM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
It might help with answers if you define the problem a bit more clearly. Are you working with limitations with money, space, physical ability, transportation, all of those, or something else?
If you have money for a storage facility or furniture that doubles as storage, that's going to allow for solutions that may not work if you can't afford those things. If you can throw money at this, google "furniture that doubles as storage". If not, agree with trig that you can get creative with what constitutes storage space in your home.
If you are looking for ugly but extremely functional containers, Rubbermaid Roughneck bins are very sturdy and last forever.
posted by FencingGal at 11:39 AM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
If you have money for a storage facility or furniture that doubles as storage, that's going to allow for solutions that may not work if you can't afford those things. If you can throw money at this, google "furniture that doubles as storage". If not, agree with trig that you can get creative with what constitutes storage space in your home.
If you are looking for ugly but extremely functional containers, Rubbermaid Roughneck bins are very sturdy and last forever.
posted by FencingGal at 11:39 AM on June 1, 2023 [2 favorites]
Ever think about how much space your couch takes up vs. the volume of cushioning and support pieces you actually need? Not everyone wants to build their own storage couch, but... it seems so obvious.
Couches with built-in storage are a thing, but they seem to only have a small-ish amount.
Just.. think about the slant of the back! So much empty space behind there!
posted by amtho at 11:53 AM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Couches with built-in storage are a thing, but they seem to only have a small-ish amount.
Just.. think about the slant of the back! So much empty space behind there!
posted by amtho at 11:53 AM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Agree with the creative space organization recommendations. Storage spaces near me run at least $100 a month. $1200 a year to hold things you rarely use is a lot. But maybe you are wealthy enough that it doesn't matter?
We gave away or sold stuff that wasn't useful to us so that we could maximize the storage we have. We have things stored in suitcases, and under beds. We have a really simple spreadsheet that tracks what is where (eg blue suitcase - snorkeling gear, beach stuff. grey tote - camping lantern, blow up mattress, tent). The spreadsheet is shared and you can search for items and also keeps track of where should should be returned. It did take us a while to get it setup. Kinda like playing tetris but with stuff.
My husband likes skiing but he only goes twice a year so he rents skis and boots. Renting specialized gear is a nice way of having something brought straight to you. We also really like kayaking but between kids and all of our other hobbies we only go occasionally and it's 100% worth it to me to rent a kayak and have it right at the lake or river and not have to transport my own or store it. It's true that I could've bought a kayak for what I spent in rentals during the past 6 years but we go back to storage and transportation and upkeep.
posted by MadMadam at 11:59 AM on June 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
We gave away or sold stuff that wasn't useful to us so that we could maximize the storage we have. We have things stored in suitcases, and under beds. We have a really simple spreadsheet that tracks what is where (eg blue suitcase - snorkeling gear, beach stuff. grey tote - camping lantern, blow up mattress, tent). The spreadsheet is shared and you can search for items and also keeps track of where should should be returned. It did take us a while to get it setup. Kinda like playing tetris but with stuff.
My husband likes skiing but he only goes twice a year so he rents skis and boots. Renting specialized gear is a nice way of having something brought straight to you. We also really like kayaking but between kids and all of our other hobbies we only go occasionally and it's 100% worth it to me to rent a kayak and have it right at the lake or river and not have to transport my own or store it. It's true that I could've bought a kayak for what I spent in rentals during the past 6 years but we go back to storage and transportation and upkeep.
posted by MadMadam at 11:59 AM on June 1, 2023 [5 favorites]
Aha, I found the (very old) comment I was looking for. It wasn’t even a question but the comment is a good reply to most questions along this line.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 12:18 PM on June 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 12:18 PM on June 1, 2023 [6 favorites]
I recently moved from an apartment to a condo. While the condo unit is bigger than the apartment unit and has more storage, I still had a hard time figuring out how to organize my stuff because it was configured differently. I hired a professional organizer. It was a fantastic investment. She sorted through my things, putting like things with like things, then helped me figure out where to put them all.
posted by OrangeDisk at 2:00 PM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by OrangeDisk at 2:00 PM on June 1, 2023 [1 favorite]
Good suggestions above. I also replaced my bedframe with one that has a 16” clearance so I can fit full totes under there, too. They also make ones with 18” clearance.
posted by Silvery Fish at 2:10 PM on June 1, 2023
posted by Silvery Fish at 2:10 PM on June 1, 2023
The pastabagel comment linked above changed my life!
posted by cyndigo at 2:58 PM on June 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by cyndigo at 2:58 PM on June 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Would your local library have a library of things? Can don't of your stuff be donated there, and you use from there as needed, or are these truly personal things?
posted by kellyblah at 11:16 PM on June 1, 2023
posted by kellyblah at 11:16 PM on June 1, 2023
I think it's time to shift your perspective on things from appreciating the glory of a specialty item, to appreciating the glory of a generalist/multipurpose item.
Specialist/single-use items are for those with more space than the average bear.
posted by samthemander at 11:43 PM on June 1, 2023
Specialist/single-use items are for those with more space than the average bear.
posted by samthemander at 11:43 PM on June 1, 2023
One side of the coin - Having less stuff:
Dittoing the pastabagel comment.
Junk always costs you something, even when you already own it - it costs you in storage, in the other things you can't do with your space, and in the mental clutter it's taking up by being visible. So infrequently used things aren't worth it.
If you can't find something or forget you own it when you *do* infrequently need it, it wasn't worth keeping, and is how people end up with multiples of certain craft supplies etc because they forget they had it already.
If you wouldn't buy it again, you probably don't need it. E.g. If you wouldn't buy a book holder again just for that once a year lake trip, then it was nice for a moment, but not worth the space it's taking up.
---
Other side of the coin -
Housing markets suck, and people genuinely need to fit the belongings of a *life* into small spaces.
I still live in what I think is called shared housing overseas (NZ English: I still have flatmates), and that's not going to change any time soon. Almost all of my belongings have to exist in just my bedroom, which does not have a wardrobe. I have maybe 4-500 books. A couple of musical instruments. No linen cupboard for bedding. Dress-ups and special occasion clothing. Art supplies etc.
Don't look at home design from people with massive spaces. Sure it's easy to look minimalist when you have an entire room for your 'minimal' exercise equipment. 🤦🏻
Youtube videos of people who live in small apartments in expensive cities show how people display their things - eg search terms like 'New York apartment maximalist'.
Often if that stuff was spread out over a large home, it wouldn't look as maximalist, but that's the key, how you can
The key is generally, floor to ceiling shelving.
Not just floor to ceiling bookcases.
I have bookcases on *top* of clothes dressers, for all my displayable things -
And this can go against any wall, behind any furniture. Shelving can go beside a bed, or behind it - you gain more shelving than you lose by having some access blocked off by the bed head, and once a year access stuff can still go in there.
But for what you're talking about, you want not just book shelves, but storage shelving. Usually at least half a metre deep, like what you'd have in a shed or garage, up to the ceiling.
If you have a lounge, bedroom, hallway, kitchen, or bedroom with wall you can put it against, then you do.
You can attach decorative fabric to the front as a curtain and basically turn the whole thing into practically a fake wall, and it'll look fine in a bedroom or lounge, but all the infrequent equipment goes there, and stuff in storage bins grouped by particular activity. When you have that activity, grab that storage bin.
A lot of houses also have attic crawl space. You can put a couple of sealed bags up there. Sometimes there is space under the house, weather proof bags or containers of sports stuff can go down there.
The *worst* thing to put in these spaces is random junk - you will never grab it again, and should have just got rid of it. Never put junk there or stuff you'll completely forget!
Bags that contain everything for a particular activity that *will* come up in the future, is what you put there. Eg everything for Christmas. Skiing. Scuba diving. Stuff that you will absolutely need for a future baby *sorted by age* but don't need now.
Low, rolling plastic storage containers that fit under beds - and you can put slight risers under bedfeet if you are too short by a few centimetres or inches.
My bedroom has:
Four 60 litre storage containers rolled under my bed.
My clothes dressers have bookshelves on top, going nearly to the ceiling, and one has musical instruments above it.
Floor to nearly ceiling bookshelves, with books and art.
Floor to ceiling storage shelving with cubes for each activity, and my spare bedding, and my hiking backpacks etc.
Oh, and I have a 2 seater couch under the window next to the bed for guests.
Crucially, people tell me they like or love my room, and have been inspired by how it's laid out. So it still feels like a good space to be in.
I *had* three garbage bags in the narrow attic space, but pulled them down to use them recently, so don't have anything up there now.
Even some apartments have that crawl space for a bag of stuff.
posted by Elysum at 11:46 PM on June 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Dittoing the pastabagel comment.
Junk always costs you something, even when you already own it - it costs you in storage, in the other things you can't do with your space, and in the mental clutter it's taking up by being visible. So infrequently used things aren't worth it.
If you can't find something or forget you own it when you *do* infrequently need it, it wasn't worth keeping, and is how people end up with multiples of certain craft supplies etc because they forget they had it already.
If you wouldn't buy it again, you probably don't need it. E.g. If you wouldn't buy a book holder again just for that once a year lake trip, then it was nice for a moment, but not worth the space it's taking up.
---
Other side of the coin -
Housing markets suck, and people genuinely need to fit the belongings of a *life* into small spaces.
I still live in what I think is called shared housing overseas (NZ English: I still have flatmates), and that's not going to change any time soon. Almost all of my belongings have to exist in just my bedroom, which does not have a wardrobe. I have maybe 4-500 books. A couple of musical instruments. No linen cupboard for bedding. Dress-ups and special occasion clothing. Art supplies etc.
Don't look at home design from people with massive spaces. Sure it's easy to look minimalist when you have an entire room for your 'minimal' exercise equipment. 🤦🏻
Youtube videos of people who live in small apartments in expensive cities show how people display their things - eg search terms like 'New York apartment maximalist'.
Often if that stuff was spread out over a large home, it wouldn't look as maximalist, but that's the key, how you can
The key is generally, floor to ceiling shelving.
Not just floor to ceiling bookcases.
I have bookcases on *top* of clothes dressers, for all my displayable things -
And this can go against any wall, behind any furniture. Shelving can go beside a bed, or behind it - you gain more shelving than you lose by having some access blocked off by the bed head, and once a year access stuff can still go in there.
But for what you're talking about, you want not just book shelves, but storage shelving. Usually at least half a metre deep, like what you'd have in a shed or garage, up to the ceiling.
If you have a lounge, bedroom, hallway, kitchen, or bedroom with wall you can put it against, then you do.
You can attach decorative fabric to the front as a curtain and basically turn the whole thing into practically a fake wall, and it'll look fine in a bedroom or lounge, but all the infrequent equipment goes there, and stuff in storage bins grouped by particular activity. When you have that activity, grab that storage bin.
A lot of houses also have attic crawl space. You can put a couple of sealed bags up there. Sometimes there is space under the house, weather proof bags or containers of sports stuff can go down there.
The *worst* thing to put in these spaces is random junk - you will never grab it again, and should have just got rid of it. Never put junk there or stuff you'll completely forget!
Bags that contain everything for a particular activity that *will* come up in the future, is what you put there. Eg everything for Christmas. Skiing. Scuba diving. Stuff that you will absolutely need for a future baby *sorted by age* but don't need now.
Low, rolling plastic storage containers that fit under beds - and you can put slight risers under bedfeet if you are too short by a few centimetres or inches.
My bedroom has:
Four 60 litre storage containers rolled under my bed.
My clothes dressers have bookshelves on top, going nearly to the ceiling, and one has musical instruments above it.
Floor to nearly ceiling bookshelves, with books and art.
Floor to ceiling storage shelving with cubes for each activity, and my spare bedding, and my hiking backpacks etc.
Oh, and I have a 2 seater couch under the window next to the bed for guests.
Crucially, people tell me they like or love my room, and have been inspired by how it's laid out. So it still feels like a good space to be in.
I *had* three garbage bags in the narrow attic space, but pulled them down to use them recently, so don't have anything up there now.
Even some apartments have that crawl space for a bag of stuff.
posted by Elysum at 11:46 PM on June 1, 2023 [3 favorites]
Does your small house have any outdoor space? A well-constructed shed would be plenty good for outdoor gear and even less outdoorsy gear if wrapped and sealed properly.
We are downsizing a parent currently, and though we ultimately lucked into a house with a good storage basement (we think! you never really know, with basements...) our budget had us looking at lots of places where we were planning to Just Add A Shed.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:09 AM on June 2, 2023
We are downsizing a parent currently, and though we ultimately lucked into a house with a good storage basement (we think! you never really know, with basements...) our budget had us looking at lots of places where we were planning to Just Add A Shed.
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:09 AM on June 2, 2023
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posted by greta simone at 10:11 AM on June 1, 2023 [4 favorites]