How To Finally Organize Your Basement

The basement is one of those parts of the home that can often get overlooked quite easily. If you are wondering what you might need to do about it, one of the first steps is simply to begin organizing it. However, this process can often seem a little overwhelming, and you might find that you need to think about how best to approach it if you are going to really make the most of it. Fortunately, that’s relatively easy to do.

In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the things to bear in mind when it comes to organizing your basement. As long as you have done the following, you are going to end up with a much better-organized basement, and one that is really going to serve its purpose a lot more effectively.

Start With A Clean Slate

Before you can really hope to organize, you need to see what you are working with, so it’s important to pull everything out before you begin. Yes, that means everything. As you do so, start sorting it all into categories: keep, donate, sell, and throw out. This will mean you have a lot less to think about in the first place, and you should find that you are really going to notice a huge difference with how easy it is. Try to be as ruthless as you can. Set yourself a rule that if you haven’t used something in a year, you don’t need it and you can probably get rid of it.

If you want to be really strict with yourself, you might want to put your donate and sell piles in your car straight away – otherwise you might find that they find their way back inside pretty soon. In any case, make sure you give yourself a clean slate to work with.

Map Out The Space

Next up you will want to start thinking about how best to use the space, and this means that you probably need to map it out a little. As your basement is now empty, you can start to see the layout a lot better. Make sure you can see it, though – a lot of basements are very dark, so you might need to install some more lights, or use a headlamp for those really dingy corners. In any case, then you are going to be in a position to start mapping out the space that you have available.

You might want to consider having various zones that you can use. You could have one for storage, one for tools, one for laundry and so on. If you are hoping to turn one part of your basement into a home gym or a home office, then now is the time to decide where that is going to be. In any case, you’ll want to sketch it out and mark on the floor with tape where everything is going to be. You don’t need to keep the tape there forever – it’s just to help you as you mark the space out.

Remember that you can be flexible here, and it’s ultimately up to you how you use the space, so don’t be afraid to play around with it a little and find some ideas for your basement.

Make Use Of Shelving

Because you are probably going to use your basement as storage, for one part, you should make sure that you are going to make use of some shelving. Having an appropriate amount of shelving in the basement space is really going to make a huge difference, and it’s the kind of thing that is always important for you to consider. It’s a good idea to invest in some good quality, sturdy shelving units. Avoid cardboard boxes – they will attract moisture and pests, and are not that well suited for such a space.

Make sure you label your shelves, and any plastic boxes you might use, so that you always know where what you need is going to be. That is going to help you really make the most of the basement space. Similarly, ensure that you are stacking your items vertically to save space, and put seasonal items in harder-to-reach spaces, while frequently used items are kept at eye level and in easy-to-grab spots.

Make Use Of Ceiling & Wall Space

If you want to be as efficient as possible, you might consider trying to make good use of the ceiling and wall space as well. That means utilizing hooks, pegboards, ceiling racks and the like, so that you can easily store bikes, tools, ladders and cords, and keep them out of your way. As long as the wall or ceiling can carry the load, there is no point in wasting valuable floor space. This is a simple rule of thumb that is going to save you so much space, so you really may as well make sure that you are thinking about this.

Create A Maintenance Habit

Now that your basement is well organized, you will want to stay on top of it. Fortunately, this is a simple thing to do – you just need to set aside some time when you are able to tidy it up. It will probably only take about 10 minutes once a month, so it should be relatively easy to keep on top of it. But beyond that, you might also want to make sure that you are giving it a deeper clean every now and then. And once per season, you might want to reassess the space as a whole, asking yourself if there is anything in there that can probably go now.

Deal With Moisture

A lot of basements gather moisture over time, but they don’t have to – you can always deal with it. And you should, because otherwise it can make the space unpleasant and even damaging for the good inside it as well as the house itself. Consider setting up a dehumidifier in the basement, and make sure you seal up any cracks that may have appeared.

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Becky

Meet the award-nominated UK lifestyle blogger behind Spirited Puddle Jumper – a mum of three living in South East London! Becky shares the real ups and downs of family life, parenting tips, and lifestyle inspiration, proving that being a mum doesn’t mean you stop being fun or having other interests! Follow along for honest insights into UK family life and opinions on a whole range of topics, from travel and food, to beauty reviews, home and DIY, business and health and wellness.