Where do you put 'stuff' if you don't have a loft or garage?

[weatherall]

We are moving to a flat with no storage. No fitted wardrobes- nothing.

I don't know where we'll put all our stuff.

What do people do with, for example:

Books that are too young for eldest but too old for youngest

Clothes one size too small for me

Winter clothes

Household paperwork

Tools

Lightbulbs/batteries/Sellotape/wrapping paper etc

Christmas tree and decor

Halloween decor

DCs' old school work/drawings

Car stuff eg oil/ice scraper

CDs

DVD box sets

Books you want to keep but don't need 'out'

Spare extension cables

Musical instruments

Old sentimental stuff from each family member eg report cards

Photos

Sewing box

Stationery

Arty/crafty stuff for DCs

Excess hair/make up/toiletries/jewellery only used on special occasions

Special occasion clothes

Unwanted gifts being saved for regifting

Etc etc

We are stowing under 'stuff' but I don't think any of it is 'throw outable'

What do people with little storage do?!

We have an ottoman bed as well, it's a king size and stores a lot!

DS has a cabin bed which has a decent amount of storage space underneath.

We have large Ikea Pax wardrobes - bigger than we need for clothes storage, but they're used for things like paperwork, occasion clothes, spare toiletries, artwork. They are a bit shorter than the room height so we put stuff on top of the wardrobes as well.

I'm definitely not a natural declutterer and I fight against getting rid of sentimental/hand made 'stuff' (like school work). Luckily only have one dc so we have enough room for that. I've been happy to get rid of CDs/DVDs as they can always be sourced, but we just download stuff now. We tend not to buy new books, or only on kindle, but it's harder to get rid of nice books we already have.

Books that are too young for eldest but too old for youngest - on a high shelf

Clothes one size too small for me - vacuum sealed bag under our bed

Winter clothes - vacuum sealed bag under our bed

Household paperwork - in box files in an ikea wall cabinet

Tools - Tool box in our (only) fitted cupboard

Lightbulbs/batteries/Sellotape/wrapping paper etc - chest of drawers in our bedroom

Christmas tree and decor - wedged down the side of our wardrobe

Halloween decor - n/a

DCs' old school work/drawings - in a box on shelves above our bed

Car stuff eg oil/ice scraper - in the car

CDs - uploaded them onto computer and sold on music magpie

DVD box sets - tv cabinet

Books you want to keep but don't need 'out' - large ikea display cabinet

Spare extension cables - n/a

Musical instruments - n/a

Old sentimental stuff from each family member eg report cards - above our bed

Photos - in frames or stored on computer

Sewing box - ikea cabinet

Stationery - ikea cabinet

Arty/crafty stuff for dcs - ikea cabinet

Excess hair/make up/toiletries/jewellery only used on special occasions - behind my mirror (ikea stolmen)

Special occasion clothes - wardrobe

Unwanted gifts being saved for regifting - tv cabinet

Thanks for the tips.

Where we are moving is temporary so can't put up shelves.

My books are a niche collection that has taken me 15 years to build up. Most are irreplaceable. I'm triple stacking them to save space.

We are going to sort through the CDs and DVDs. We can't afford Netflix etc and I've never 'done' digital music in my life so wouldn't have a clue about that. But we can case up more.

I just can't wait to have a loft!

There are things I want to keep so I have them in 20 years but I don't want cluttering up my life now.

Buy the really tall Ikea Pax wardrobes instead of paying for storage. Then you can take them with you.

Honestly, it is SO liberating living without a loft! I have a large understairs cupboard and a small plastic lawnmower shed in my garden, and even so, I'm always finding stuff that can go!

As it's a temp move into a furnished flat we can't buy wardrobes. I think we are going to live in clutter for a while!

Books that are too young for eldest but too old for youngest in under bed storage boxes under the dc's bunk beds with all their other books, we have a book cull/charity run when the boxes are too full

Clothes one size too small for me charity shop - unless they are really special, in which case in my wardrobe with the rest of my stuff

Winter clothes in my wardrobe/drawers under the summer stuff, I cull when my drawers/wardrobe is too full

Household paperwork on a shelf under the pooter desk

Tools kitchen cuboard

Lightbulbs/batteries/Sellotape/wrapping paper etc Lightbulbs in the kitchen cupboard, the rest in the kids craft box, which is just a large storage box against their wall, next to the drawers

Christmas tree and decor on top of my free standing wardrobe - tree goes inside it, behind the clothes

Halloween decor with the christmas stuff

DCs' old school work/drawings bin, unless they are really special, then they go in a folder, under the pooter desk

Car stuff eg oil/ice scraper don't have a car, but would use under sink cupboard

CDs don't have any, totally digital

DVD box sets as above

Books you want to keep but don't need 'out' under bed storage box, though I normally buy e-books

Spare extension cables under bed storage box

Musical instruments don't have any

Old sentimental stuff from each family member eg report cards In the folder under the pooter desk

Photos digital or in frames on the wall/fireplace

Sewing box top shelf of my wardrobe

Stationery kitchen drawer

Arty/crafty stuff for DCs aforementioned craft box

Excess hair/make up/toiletries/jewellery only used on special occasions large vanity case on a shelf in my bedroom

Special occasion clothes in my wardrobe with my normal clothes

Unwanted gifts being saved for regifting ebay

Storage boxes are your friend, you can get some really pretty wooden ones now. I got one off FB with a leather seat. It's at the end of my bed, I use it for bedding, but it also has shelves/drawers in it for little things.

Oh and I would keep all car stuff in the boot of the car in a box

Ahafter all that you don't really intend to downsize/declutter - just temporarily store before returning clutter to loftspace in a new house!

You really do need a different mindset if you're serious about reducing "stuff".

Will read properly later, but you need pavlovthecat- she's awesome at this sort of thing

If by temporary you mean less than a year, put as much as possible into storage.

Pre dc we lived in a flat with no storage. We stored all sorts of things under our bed, on top of our wardrobe etc.

Rainbow- yes - I hate minimalist homes, I don't want that. Hopefully next year we will have a loft so all the old sentimental stuff can go there. I just need a cheap temporary solution.

I use unserved storage now- it is great. But we'll lose it when we move. The new kitchen is huge though so I can put lots in there.

Some things I can change though. I have a big boxful of real photos. I need to get photo albums to put these in. They will look nicer in albums in a shelf than yet another box. But albums are so expensive £10 each out of wh smith. I'd need quite a few. Where can I get cheap ones?

I only have my iPhone and I've only done online shopping 4 times in my life, not keen

On it so need high street options.

I've also never used online/digital music. Wouldn't know how to change CDs. Or how I would listen to them. I don't have an iPod/mp3 player. Don't know how to use that part of my iPhone.

But I really should learn this stuff.

Have a look at the ikea expedit. its called something else now but the biggest size takes up very little floor space and you can store so much in there. I have lived in 3 places with rubbish storage in the last year and expedit was my life saver! Plus you can get some cheap boxes as part of the range so you choose what to leave on display.

do you actually look at those photos? Will you do so if they are in albums?

don't shop at WH Smith unless you are made of money.If you don't want to shop online, visit a Wilkinsons.

another option is to find a costco or similar - they scan big piles of photos on to CD. Instant space reduction!

I find Boots a bit cheaper for photo albums- they always seem to be either half price or BOGOF.

We're not at all minimalist but have decided to remove things we don't use. Honestly whether your loft has junk in it or not won't affect the look of a house!

Stuff you don't use or like the look of is just clutter and takes up expensive space.

Sometimes Poundland have cheap photo albums, although they won't hold huge amounts but can still work out cheaper. I've had cheap ones too from Superdrug. WH Smith can be good value if you wait for a good promotion (sometimes they have multibuys and you can get money off your total purchase on top).

I'm the kind of person who does review old photos/schoolwork now and then (and sometimes create new projects out of them), I don't just file things away and never look at them again. Most of my newer photos are entirely digital, and digital backups are a good idea, but not a replacement for precious original old photos imo - it will not be at the same resolution.

Digitising your music collection is a good idea, no idea about using iphones but make sure it's all backed up (probably quite easy with iphones) as you don't want to lose all your music if you lose your phone. But, think about how you save the music - when you save to mp3 it's not at the same resolution as on the CD - probably fine if you just want to listen to it at home but it's a noticeable difference if you wanted to use it for say, playing at a function.

All the advice may not have helped the OP but its spurred me on on the grand end of term declutter.

Clothes too small for the kids have gone, old school work this term sorted into keep and bin, book shelf decluttered with books too young/not read and a big sort of paperwork.

It's hard work keeping on top of all the stuff with a small house, but the time and energy is worth investing to slimline the junk. Makes space for the truly lovely things and special mentoes. More room to play :)

The other thing weve found is cutting down things in drawers/shelves. If stuffed full its hard to get in or really choose. If its 70/80 percent full theres wriggle room. Things get used more.

We've done the same with the kids playhouse. They had several tea sets and a ton of food and cooking equipment. We streamlined that sp instead of sewing buckets of "stuff" there's now one teaset ona shelf, one set of cooking cutlery and a small tub of food they actually play with. It means they play with it more :)

Books that are too young for eldest but too old for youngest - bookcase in the kids' room. Reduce it to those they really love. Buy a kindle and use the library.

Clothes one size too small for me - get rid of them. They aren't that motivating, or you'd be wearing them. (It's taken me many years to learn this!)

Winter clothes - suitcase on top of the wardrobe.

Household paperwork - one expanding file for house. You need to keep on top of shredding paperwork... There's not a lot you actually need to store.

Tools - tool case in cupboard under sink.

Lightbulbs/batteries/Sellotape/wrapping paper etc - you need no more than one bulb of any type at any time. If you have two rolls of Sellotape, bin one! Ours live in chest of drawers in the hall.

Christmas tree and decor - get a small, real tree each year. You probably have too many decorations. Ours are in a large cake tin on the top shelf of my wardrobe.

Halloween decor - bin these!

DCs' old school work/drawings - rationalise these. Best one or two pieces each year. Photograph others if you want. Stored in a box file per child at top of husband's wardrobe.

Car stuff eg oil/ice scraper - chest of drawers in the hall, along with gloves, dog leads, poo-bags etc.

CDs - small bookcase in dining room

DVD box sets - bookcase in sitting room

Books you want to keep but don't need 'out' - if you don't want them out, why do you want them at all?

Spare extension cables - how many have you got, and why?

Musical instruments - do they really get played? If so, I'd give them space in the dining room, or under the chest of drawers in the hall. But if they don't get touched from one month to the next, I'd donate them to so one who'd appreciate them.

Old sentimental stuff from each family member eg report cards - file with birth certificates etc.

Photos - frame them and put them on the wall, in albums on book cases, or scan them and bin them

Sewing box - can't help you here... Mine has gone feral!

Stationery - rationalise it. What has sat unused for the last year? Bin it/charity shop it. The rest goes with the wrapping paper.

Arty/crafty stuff for DCs - as stationery.

Excess hair/make up/toiletries/jewellery only used on special occasions - bedside cabinet.

Special occasion clothes - how many do you have? Time to get rid of some? The rest, as winter clothes.

Unwanted gifts being saved for regifting - anything bulky, just charity-shop it. The rest, as stationery.

Having moved several times, my advice is to sell or charity shop as much of the books and dvds as you can. Its a big wrench at first but it changes the way you look at such things. I only keep books that I am sure i will read again, my hardback Harry Potters mainly. I'm not much of a re-reader.

I always now buy books in the charity shop for about £2 each and then take them back when i am done. I also need to start making more use of my local library.

For DVDs and Boxsets, LoveFilm and NetFlix are the way forward. DP wasn't keen on paying the subscription but its actually cheaper than buying cheap £3 dvds from the supermarket. Even Sky Boxsets are good if you have Sky. Again, I only have old favourites now.