Creative decluttering and storage ideas

Whether you’re looking to make a dent in your spring cleaning or getting your house ready for sale, decluttering and cleaning your home can be a big job. It’s also likely you’ll come across a lot of junk, unused clothes and other things that you’ve forgotten about. 

To help you declutter effectively and make the most of your new-found space, we’ve compiled some top tips – take a look below.

Make use of small spaces with hanging storage

Decluttering

Start by decluttering your home – selling, donating or throwing away all the things you no longer use will free up plenty of space you didn’t realise you had. Don’t just do the easy areas too – tackle the garage or storage cupboards you haven’t done in a while. 

1. Three box exercise

Do you find yourself with too many clothes, drawers overflowing or your closet bursting?

Grab three boxes and label them keep, donate and trash and go through your all your clothes and pop them into one of the boxes. If you’re hesitant to donate and throw away something ask yourself if you’ve worn it in the last six months – if not it’s likely you don’t need it.

This is also a great method to use on other parts of your house - think garage, cupboards and laundry. If you’re preparing to sell your home tackling these areas will give you a good idea of how much you need to move into your new home, and could save you money on the move if you can get rid of the non-essentials.

2. Don’t get too attached

When you’re decluttering it’s important to think objectively about things – do you need this or use it often? If it’s something that you keep because you might use it one day think about whether it’s really necessary or not. If you’re moving home all these little things can add up into a lot of clutter that you’ll have to take with you.

3. Hire a skip bin

Once you’ve decluttered, hire a skip bin. This may sound simple but once you’ve paid for the space you’ll be surprised how many things you’ll find to get rid of. It can also be a lot easier to throw things away with the bin right in front of you rather than just having a pile sitting in the garage that you’ll get rid of one day.

Taking off your door can free up space in small areas

Creative storage spaces 

Once you’ve decluttered it’s time to get creative – you’ve freed up space in your home so how can you use it effectively while keeping your home tidy? Here are a few ideas.

1. Floating shelves

These are great in numerous spaces around the house. They can double as a table or desk or a place to put your toaster depending on the size. Regardless of what they’re being used for on top, there will always be storage space underneath. 

2. Ottomans 

Ottomans are stylish and can be a great way to add some hidden storage in your home. Look for ones with hollow insides, that you can store DVDs, books or spare cables you might need for your TV.

3. Wall hung storage

Whether it’s the spices in your kitchen, pots and pans, or toys in your child's room, wall hung storage is an effective use of wall space. It doesn’t protrude too much but takes the away the clutter and can be an interesting focal point when done right. 

4. Pull out pantry

Have a space but it’s too narrow to be used for anything useful? Hire a handyman and install a pull out pantry to allow you to use all the space right to the back – you’ll be surprised how much more room you’ll gain.

5. Remove your doors

How many times are you restricted from putting a piece of furniture where you want it because it gets in the way of a door opening? Remove the door and in its place, put a sliding door or a simple curtain to section it off. In some instances you’ll find it can look nice without any door as it can open the space up more.

Put a bench on top of your washing machine to create small but useful spaces