When your home has a basement, it can provide convenient storage for your family’s belongings. A cluttered or disorganized basement, however, can be overwhelming and frustrating. Make the most of your space when you take these steps to organize your basement.

Declutter Before You Organize Your Basement

The less you have, the easier it will be to organize. Spend a day or a weekend decluttering the space. When the weather is nice, open up the doors and windows and start sorting.

Put each item into a pile: things to keep, trash, and items to donate. If you’re motivated, make another pile of belongings that you don’t use but that you may be able to sell. Give yourself a month to sell them and donate anything remaining afterward to a thrift store.

After sorting, take out the trash and put the boxes of donation items in your car. You’ll have fewer belongings in the space and can start organizing.

Categorize Your Belongings

Separate the things you want to keep into groups. Depending on your family’s hobbies, you’ll likely have different categories. Choose groupings that make sense to you.

Put all the holiday decor in one spot. Gather any sporting equipment together. Car care items should be grouped in a box or tote. Tools can be rounded up for storage. Make a pile of gardening equipment. When you see what types of items you need to organize, you can plan a system for storage.

Choose a System to Organize Your Basement

For inexpensive storage, use items you have on hand. A large trash can might be used to store long-handled tools or stash sports equipment inside. Use empty bookcases and shoeboxes to organize crafting materials, hand tools, car care items, sewing supplies, and garden seeds. Plastic totes are great for storing out-of-season clothing, linens, or holiday decorations.

If you have money to invest in a well-organized basement, there are storage systems available online and at your local hardware store. Install customized cabinets with shelving and built-in workspace. Purchase sturdy metal shelving for one side of the basement. Install a pegboard system on the wall and outfit the area with hooks, brackets, and shelves that attach to the board.

When you organize your basement and keep it tidy, it’s easier to find what you need. Also, your family is more likely to put items away after use when there’s a designated place to store them.

Home Inspectors of Columbus offers home inspections to the Chattahoochee Valley. Contact us to request our services.