Storage tips for smaller homes please!

[Giiia]

We have a 3 bedroom (so not tiny but the 3rd bedroom is really small, fits DD’s cot bed and a chest of drawers in nothing much else if she wants some floor on shoe in there haha!) downstairs 1 sitting room. One kitchen with a dining table. Open plan. Porch no hall

We can’t really move yet. 2 sets of nursery fees and I’m looking to reduce my hours so less income means we can’t get a higher mortgage yet.

so what’s the best storage tips? I have the Kallax unit for the toys! 4 rows 4 columns so a large set. Sideboard in the living room which I pop stuff ib

is there any other little tips to help?

Like you I'm in somewhere small. (Just me here) I have an ottoman bed so have under bed storage. You can also get boxes that go under the bed and are on wheels.

My kitchen is tiny but I have 2 full cupboards plus shelves on the other walls

I think there must be a law of physics that states the amount of stuff you have expands to the amount of storage you have.

2 of us live in a 2 bed flat and have filled up the storage including an even bigger kallax. Previous tenants had 3 kids and managed to fit in just the same!

What stuff are you trying to store that you can’t now?

Ottoman beds

How old is your eldest if you have 2 sets of nursery fees? Depending on age I'd put eldest in a mid sleeper with storage underneath (Argos shorty one and you can get a kallax under it)

You can get sofas with loft up seats too for storage underneath

I've also looked at renting a storage unit as well...not as expensive for a fairly small one only about £15 per month

Get a bigger shed in the garden and put kallax in that too

Bin stuff!
Seriously, that's the secret to happiness in a small house

Have less stuff. It's the only answer IMHO. Try the minimal mom blog on youtube. She's a bit cheesy but lots of tips for storage and organisation and decluttering.

Storage under beds and sofas
Ottomans double as seats
Over the door storage

As a child we had small high cupboards to the ceiling which were used for items we didn't use much, or things like lightbulbs, tape, wrapping paper, etc

I am finding having less stuff is the key. Declutter and throw stuff out to charity regularly. Easier said than done though. I am traditionally of the "if in doubt, buy another kallax" mindset.

Keep minimal stuff. The more storage you have the more you will fill it.
I go by if it's not been used within a year it goes, for things like gadgets and random stuff.
Toys if I don't see my kids play and enjoy them they go to children's ward or local sure start. Much rather they get some use.

If that's not possible, underbed storage boxes?

I wouldn't get ottoman beds as they are dangerous. But make sure there is storage under all beds - either divans with drawers or just open frames with storage boxes underneath.

Same under sofas - get something with feet so you can slide low boxes underneath, or a futon with a drawer.

Utilise the tops of cupboards with boxes.

You can add shelving above doors.

Use hooks and bags.

Have fold up items such as spare chairs or small tables/desks so you can slide them out of the way when not in use.

But in a small space you do just have to be a bit strict about getting rid of things. Don't waste space on anything that is just clutter.

1. Ottoman bed with storage underneath/storage boxes under the baby’s cot and toddlers bed
2. A sideboard with storage options as a tv unit
3. Boxes in the bottom of wardrobes and on the top of wardrobes and those over door storage bags on the back of wardrobe doors for shoes / accessories / socks & pants etc
4. A fully boarded loft for out of season clothes etc, boxes in the bottom of wardrobes

I try and make sure the boxes are pretty decorative ones so it’s not just stacks of plastic boxes everywhere, and whilst it might not sound like it from above I regularly declutter and pretty ruthless, but anything I can’t bear to part with but don’t immediately need goes in a labelled plastic box in the loft

Thank you!! We’re missing out on our bed storage tbh it’s a sleigh bed that just goes to the ground :/

but eldest just turned 3 so looking at a ‘big boy ‘ bed and I did think one with some drawers ?

boxes on top of wardrobes is perfect too thank you!

Toys are a bit of an issue atm. Usual just had Christmas but both of our kids birthdays are within 2 weeks of Christmas either side - so we’ve had a huge influx of toys (even when I asked grandparents not to get they add a toy in cos they feel they need to which is hard when we have 0 space for them)

I’m going to do a charity shop run, and look at other donation points!

I feel like our house is always cluttered I don’t know how it gets like that

I wouldn't get ottoman beds as they are dangerous.

Agree with this. There was an awful news story about a woman who died having got trapped head first in one of these...

I don’t like Ottoman beds either but definitely beds with storage underneath.
agree that de-cluttering is key - this has really helped us.
Having a clearly labelled home for everything too and using height as much as possible.
Storage in every nook and cranny you can - including behind doors / awkward corners - Ikea was our friend !

Toys is our hardest part tbh - kids are 1 and 3 so our toys are bulky - dolls house, walker, kids kitchen etc. I use our sideboard for toy storage downstairs, then upstairs have a bookshelf, 2x2 kallax, and a little basket in each of their rooms for smaller toys. I also vacuum pack soft toys that they don’t often play with (we’ve honestly been gifted about 100 annd neither of them are that fussed) and get them out every now and again for a teddy bear picnic.

apart from the soft toys, which feel weirdly personal to donate / sell, I do declutter regularly and have also got better at asking family not to buy bulky toys/if they do, apologising and saying we don’t have room would they mind either having it as a toy at their house or swapping for something g smaller.

Get ottoman beds all round. Floor to ceiling wardrobes in the bigger bedrooms, IKEA Pax are very versatile. If you have space have a chest of drawers as your bedside cabinets. I have some with legs that look nice and atoee loads. Utilise the understairs space. Deep kitchen drawers instead of cupboard you just pull them out and can see and reach the pans etc at the back rather than having to pull everything out of a cupboard. Give everything a home so it's quick to tidy up.

Also, Joseph Joseph have some very handy kitchen storage bits!