Your real estate market update for Greater Portland!
Marc Chadbourne
April 2024
Real
There Is No Substitute For Experience!


10 Easy Solutions for Creating More Storage at Home

If you’re frustrated with the lack of storage in your home, you’re not alone. Forbes reports that, “Most buyers are looking for extra storage space to organize and declutter their homes. Garage storage solutions and walk-in pantries rank high for organizing and concealing items.”

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Take a new look at your house

Don’t have enough linen space? Maybe there’s a corner or niche that could be turned into a closet. It might just take an open mind and a fresh outlook to reimagine a space. 

Pick the right furniture

“A hardworking family needs a hardworking living area, one that uses every inch of space available,” said Better Homes and Gardens. “Built-in cabinets stash books and media and provide a bonus display surface. Find or design and build furniture that serves more than one purpose.”

Ottomans are a great option for living spaces because: They’re small, easily movable, can act as a coffee table or an extra seat, and can hide remotes, blankets, and a bunch of other stuff that could otherwise be cluttering up your space.   

Spin the bookcase

IKEA’s KALLAX is one of our favorite finds because it has tons of storage space and you don't need a ton of wall space to use it. It’s finished on both sides, so you can also use it as a wall divider. If KALLAX isn’t your thing but you want to crib this idea, find two bookcases and use them back to back.

Grab some Space Saver Bags

Not everything you see on a late-night infomercial is a waste of money. Space bags are great for off-season clothes, jackets, and bedding because you can compress them to a fraction of the size. According to Amazon, the jumbo size is “More than big enough to fit bulky bed linens with pillows, favorite big winter jacket, entire wardrobes of a season.”

Roll it out

There’s a better use for the space under your bed than dust bunnies. All you need are a few rolling storage tubs to reclaim this square footage for your stuff.

Recycle your coat closet 

Unless you live in a cold climate where lots of jackets, coats, scarves, and boots are needed, your coat closet may be able to serve better uses. Add some basic wire shelving, which you can find in tons of sizes and configurations, and now you’ve got a place to store linens, Costco goods, or anything that doesn’t currently have a place to go.

Go above and beyond

Closets typically have a shelf above the hanging rod, but that space above the shelf may go quite high. Make it easier to store items up there by installing another shelf at the top. That way you don’t have to worry about your stuff teetering or toppling, and you can use all the space available, all the way up to the ceiling.

Hang from the ceiling

Like Forbes said, garage storage is critical. But if your garage doesn’t have much—or much room in which to fit it—you can still make it happen. SafeRacks are hanging garage storage shelves you can buy online or at Costco. They get your stuff up off the floor so you can reclaim the space for your cars. 

Organize your pots and pans 

Maybe it isn’t that you don’t have the space, but it’s just not well-organized—especially in the kitchen if you have giant, shelf-less boxes for cabinets or a small pantry with shelves that don’t allow you to see clearly to the back. The right organizer can change your life. Check out this and this, and your kitchen will never be the same. 

DIY yourself a solution

If you’ve got a good imagination and a few good tools, you can make something that will help meet your storage needs. You’re going to want to put Bob Vila’s secret compartments in the fireplace trim, pull-out drawers in the banquette, and definitely the under-the-stairs trick on your to-do list.



Marc Chadbourne,Broker, NAR Green Designation CRS GRI ABR
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.marcchadbourne.com
Cell: 207-465-5569
Gardner Real Estate Group
207-427-3637
511 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101


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