With the arrival of Spring this month and spring-cleaning projects perhaps on your mind, it’s the perfect time to share my best basement storage organizing tips. It may not be the prettiest space to organize, but I promise, having an organized and functional storage room will make your daily life easier!

An Organized Storage Room Makes Life EASIER!

Although we don’t do a lot of “living” in our storage spaces, we access them regularly because they’re home to so many things we need, use or love. Laundry facilities, seasonal décor, back stock food and kitchen items, sporting equipment, tools, home maintenance items, seasonal equipment and clothing and more are often in this space.

Creating streamlined and functional systems to see and access what’s needed quickly will save you time and frustration every time you enter the space. So, let’s get to the tips!!

Step One: Pull Everything Out & Sort

Start by pulling everything out and sorting “like with like” (all sports equipment together, all Halloween décor together etc.). And I do mean pull it ALL out.

When you pull it all out, sort similar items together and lay everything in front of you, you see HOW MUCH of each category you have.

It’s always a very informative experience that has a BIG impact on the decluttering process. You do not get the same results by just shuffling things around a space.

Step 2: Edit/Declutter

When sorting is complete, begin editing/decluttering. Let go of things you no longer need, use, love or that are not in good repair.

If you have trouble decluttering, click here for a free 1-Page printable of 13 Questions to Let Clutter Go and here for general tips to make decluttering easier.

Step 3: Create Zones

Once decluttering is complete, assess what’s left and your available space to create zones for the different categories of items. Having designated zones for each category means you only have one place to look for something when you need it (and you know exactly where to return it to when done)!

When creating zones, consider the following:

1) How often you use the items:

Keep your most used items in the easiest to access/reach areas. For example, store seasonal décor you access once a year at the back of the space and food back stock you access weekly at the front.

2) Add Shelving

Shelving takes advantage of all the vertical space. Adjustable shelving is ideal as it will adapt to your changing needs, but any shelving will increase storage and improve function.

Here is a great adjustable shelf from Gladiator, and here is one of my go-to non-adjustable shelves for basement storage rooms. If shelving isn’t in the budget, make sure to get containers that stack securely (more on containers in a minute).

3) Creating zones for items that can end up clutter around your house. 

A few of my favourite zones to add in storage rooms are for donations, “kids clothes to be grown into,” and items that require particular disposals like batteries, lightbulbs, electronics and ink cartridges.

Defined zones stop these items from becoming clutter in your home by giving them a place to “live” until you can make a donation and disposal run or your child grows into the clothes.

Step 4: Contain

Containers, baskets, bins and totes aren’t required to get organized, but they make it easier to STAY organized by keeping “like” items together AND separate from other categories of items. They also make retrieval and return of items easier and provide limits for the categories they’re holding.

A few containing tips:

1) Avoid carboard boxes whenever possible

Cardboard is attractive to pests like rodents, insects and spiders, and it attracts moisture, creating ideal circumstances for mould growth. This increases the risk your possessions will be damaged and can create a health risk.

2) Don’t buy containers until AFTER you’ve sorted and decluttered.

You don’t know what size you need or how many until you determine what you’re keeping.

3) Size matters!

If the containers are too big, you may not be able to lift them when they’re full. If they’re too small, you’ll end up needing more to store everything, which gives you more places to look when you want something.

Plus, don’t forget to make sure the containers, bins or totes will fit on your shelving.

4) Contain large and bulky items in tall laundry baskets, wastebaskets or recycling bins. 

Large seasonal décor, fishing rods and sports equipment don’t fit into standard bins. So instead, contain these items vertically in a tall container to keep them AND you safe from damage/injury because of falling, which is far more likely if they’re just stacked loosely against one another.

Step 5: Add Labels

Labels let you (and everyone else!) know in one glance what’s in a bin without having to open it up and search through it, saving you time and frustration. They also increase the chance an item will make it back to its proper home.

Conclusion 

That’s all there is too it! While it’s not the prettiest space to tackle, I promise, following these tips to get your storage space organized once and for all will make your daily life easier!

Is your basement the primary storage space in your home? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Organizing!