It always seems to be the case that no matter how much storage, cupboards or wardrobes your home has it’s never enough.  Creating additional storage can be a very simple DIY job i.e. putting a hook on the wall to a more complex solution such as building a cupboard in to a wall.

This DIY Guide to storage will provide a number of options to maximise the storage you have in your home.

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Make the most of the storage space you already have.

If you need more storage for your home the first thing to do is maximise the use you make of existing storage.  Often a good way to do this is having a good clear out, if you are ruthless about what you need to keep you can free up a high proportion of the storage space in your home.
Identify where additional storage can be located

Have a good look around your home to see where additional storage can be located.

Bedroom Storage

In the bedroom for example wardrobes are often not optimised for storage e.g. a wall to wall, ceiling high built in wardrobe will often be able to store much more than a self standing wardrobe unit.  If you have self standing waredrobes and do not want to replace them, think about what could be stored above and beside them.

Under the bed, many new beds have drawers fitted with in the bed base unit, if yours has space underneath then a couple of under bed drawers can be very useful for storing spare blankets

The bathroom

In the bathroom the space under a basin can be used for a cupboard.  Make sure you seal the basin to the cupboard work top and the wall to prevent any water leaking into the cupboard.

Under the bath is also a possibility to create additional storage.  Some people install safes under the bath as a hideaway for jewellery etc.

Children’s bedrooms

If you are considering storage in a child’s room, you need to think of the room in layers.  What storage do you need the child to have access to e.g. a toy box and what storage is to be only accessed by adults.

Making storage in a child’s room need not be just functional,  often shelves can be shaped or cupboards customised to be more interesting and fun for children

The Living Room

The living room can also be used to create more storage.  A coffee table can include storage,  if you have a foot stall, some are fitted with storage in side, even sofa arms sometimes have storage built in.  Take care in enclosing electrical equipment as you need to ensure adequate ventilation.  Its amazing how much heat a sky box, freeview box or a PVR will generate.  A modern plasma or LCD TV takes up a lot less room than the older CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) Televisions (cant be bad – i bet you never thought you would be able to justify a new TV that way ;-) )

The loft

The loft is often the biggest amount of storage space a home has apart from the garage.  Most lofts are just piled high with old junk.  A proper storage solution of boxes, shelves and cupboards can transform a loft from a dumping ground to an effective storage space.

Whilst you are in the loft its worth looking at how much insulation it has or if it is worth boarding the loft to make it more useable.

The Garage

Garage storage solutions are plentiful.  If you are looking for a solution to store DIY tools, shelving or secure cupboards there is plenty on offer.  If you need more storage you should also look at the roof area of the garage.  There are a range of easy to install innovative storage solutions to store larger items such as roof boxes, bicycles and much more.

Try to ensure that you store as much as possible above the floor as garages can sometimes get damp or flood in a time of heavy rain.  Take care in storing nails and screws especially if you keep your car in your garage as well.

Long items such as planks of wood and ladders can be stored on custom wall brackets or on the roof of the garage.