Traditional self-storage can feel inconvenient and impersonal. If you’re trying to maximize storage space in an already small space, the process of purchasing supplies, packing everything yourself, and transporting the boxes to a facility across town can be time-consuming and physically tiring.
In this Redfin guide, we teamed up with Clutter to explain a better approach to storing your belongings and simplifying the entire process. Whether you’re moving into a new home in Lafayette, CA, or looking for an easy way to protect your favorite things in your cozy home in Atlanta, GA, the latest storage hacks can help you stay organized without hassle, especially when you’re on a budget.
Doesn’t it grow? grow upwards
When you can’t scale, think about it. Maximizing space is the single best way to reuse the available area in a small house or apartment.
How to maximize vertical storage:
1. Shelving System: Invest in tall, narrow bookshelves, stacked storage cubes, or slim cabinets to draw the eye upward and make the room feel taller.
2. Creative shelving: Install wall-mounted shelves that reflect your style. If you’re handy, try building a simple shelf that wraps around the entire room, about a foot from the ceiling. A discreet yet impactful space for books, decorations, and rarely used items.
3. Wall Grids and Pegboards: In the kitchen, living area, entryway, or office, stylish pegboards can store everything from spices and utensils to accessories and crafts.
4. Hooks and hangers: Behind doors and inside closets is often wasted space. Over-the-door storage, adhesive hooks, or simple racks allow you to store everyday items without crowding surfaces.
Bonus tip: The more vertical storage draws the eye upwards, the higher (and wider) the space will feel, giving you two benefits in one.
Master multiple functions
In a small space, furniture needs to have a variety of functions. Look for items that provide storage, comfort, and style all at once.
Furniture that maximizes space:
5. Beds that rise and fall: Loft beds or beds with built-in drawers turn “dead space” into storage for blankets, clothes, shoes, and more.
6. Practical Storage: A coffee table that opens, an ottoman with a removable lid, or a section with built-in storage are perfect for living rooms that need double duty.
7. Folding and Nesting: A dining table, nesting side table, or drop-leaf desk that folds into the wall gives you flexibility when you need it and clean minimalism when you don’t.
Small tweaks = big effects
Organizing a small space requires working smarter, not harder. With small adjustments, you can nearly double the capacity of your closet or drawer.
Simple organizational hacks that actually work:
8. Vacuum Seal Bags: Perfect for bulky seasonal items like fluffy sweaters, pillows, and comforters. Reduced in size by a fraction of the size, freeing up valuable closet space.
9. Tension rods: Tension rods are a creative way to hang spray bottles in cabinets or closets, or add a second layer to clothing.
10. Tray Trick: Are you bothered by visual noise on surfaces like coffee tables, nightstands, and console tables? Organize small items like remotes, candles, and coasters into decorative trays. You’ll instantly feel less cluttered without having to part with your favorite items.
What do you do when you can’t stand it but can’t live without it?
Maybe you’re a maximalist, a minimalist, or just need some breathing room. So how do you decide what to store offsite?
Useful scenarios to ask yourself:
11. Seasonal items: If you use them less than 3 months a year and you don’t have to pay rent, please keep them.
12. Buy in bulk: Great deals even if you don’t have a place to put it. Off-site storage can help.
13. Sentimental items: If you can’t part with old photo albums, heirloom dishes, or your childhood security blanket, there’s nothing wrong with that. However, it does not have to occupy any meaningful space in the apartment.
Consider self-storage options
Traditional self-storage can feel inconvenient and impersonal. The process of buying supplies, packing everything yourself, and hauling boxes into crowded facilities is often time-consuming and physically exhausting, and it rarely fits seamlessly into your lifestyle.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a full-service storage company like Clutter, storing your belongings becomes intentional, intuitive, and designed around your needs. No need to make long trips to storage locations around town.
Storage for small spaces: reclaim space
Living successfully in a small space requires strategic organization and smart solutions for what stays and what goes. By mastering vertical space, choosing multifunctional furniture, and identifying items you rarely use, you can transform your home, whether it’s a studio, a downtown apartment, or a tiny house.
