Nine Ways to Find Storage Space You Already Have

Clutter grows in winter. Coats, boots, blankets and the first Christmas shopping all arrive indoors at once, and the rooms you live in most fill up fastest. The answer is rarely a bigger home or another set of plastic boxes. In most homes, the space already exists. You only need to start using it.

Clear first, then store

1. Empty one area at a time. Take everything out of a single cupboard or shelf and sort it into keep, give away and throw away. Only what you keep goes back. Storage you add before you clear simply holds more clutter.
2. Store by how often you use things. Daily items belong between your shoulders and your knees. Seasonal items go high or low. Things you use once a year, such as the Christmas decorations, go to the loft, the top of the wardrobe or under the stairs.