Too...much....STUFF!!!!
 

What are some of your solutions for when you have too much stuff and not enough house/apartment to put it all in?

(I mean creative ways to keep all your stuff without sending it to storage.)

I am planning for a move by the end of the summer and I know I won't be able to take everything with me.

I once used file cabinets, but when I started invoking the 1-year and 2-year rules, I got rid of them and saved space by keeping the files in boxes under the stairs instead of using the space for a file cabinet which was never used.

It's also likely that I am going to go through my books and DVDs (again) and decide whether or not I'm going to have a book sale or swap to get rid of some of them.

Any cute storage ideas?

And yes, my trunk I discussed in another post is a God-send. However, it is pretty big.....Great for storing stuff I don't need to look at often.

I solved that problem with getting rid of a lot of my stuff. I moved to a space that was 1/4 of the size I had a few years ago and just got totally overwhelmed. I go through my clothes twice a year after the season and get rid of everything that doesn't fit, isn't comfortable or looks tattered. All I have left is my favorite clothes, which were the only ones I wore anyway. Books I donate to a local school or library twice a year-though I like the idea of a swap....

My advice is to visit your local container store or go through Bed Bath and Beyond. Window shop for storage solutions. A great magazine is Real Simple and a great book is Organizing from the Inside Out. TV shows that give me inspiration are Clean House, Clean Sweep and Neat.

As you can probably tell, I love to organize. I have had people who wanted to hire me to help them.

Thanks! I will definitely visit Linens & Things in the near future. (It's closer to me than the nearest container store and BB&B.)

I have a lot of APO and Alpha shirts that are currently in bins, but I am more seriously toying with the idea of making quilts (having them made) -- especially thanks to the PM I got with an awesome fabric!

It's funny, I get inspiration from those shows too. I should start actually using it!

I can't convince my mom to go through her closet though. :-( She also refuses to get rid of books. I'm like ma, I bought you NYPD Blue on DVD like four years ago. PLEASE WATCH IT OR GET RID OF IT lol....she won't do it!

Isn't Linens and Things bankrupt? If so, are they having any good sales? :D

Uh oh! I will have to check! I will be heartbroken if the one next to my Borders is gone!

'Shid, here's a site for you:

www.flylady.com

:p :p

I like furniture that multi-task as storage. My living room table also functions as storage. In my bedroom, I have a leather bench that opens up for storage as well. Look for pieces that do double duty when you live in a small space.

I also invoked the "2-year" rule too - if I haven't used it within 2 years, it's donated or given away. For clothes, if I can't fit it, it's donated. This REALLY cut down on the clutter for me and left me with more storage within my closet.

I am finding that space bags are a great tool for the storage of seasonal clothes, extra bedding, and sleeping bags. They are becoming a great tool for travel for us too as we are preparing to leave in 23 hours for our two week road trip out west!

I just bought ours on sunday at Bed, bath, & beyond. I was skeptical at first, but I was desparate to have more room for more stuff in my suitcase. They really do work.

Rashid, I feel your pain! I already have a house with way too much stuff and just inherited another house with too much stuff:eek:

Imma gonna have to throw out a shitload of things.

I agree. The space bags, once I figured out how to successfully use them (which took several tries for me lol) were great.

As other people mentioned you need to go somewhere like Bed Bath and Beyond and get some organizational stuff like under the bed,cabinet, and closet organizers.

Also, get rid of ALL the clothes in your closet that you are not wearing.
This means some of that 'nalia you are holding onto. A Neo would love that stuff!

Don't be afraid to spend a day organizing by size and neatly stack boxes in your closet, coat,or outdoor closet.

I was a space bag skeptic, too, but they really do the job! I especially like them for out-of-season clothing.

Along the lines of getting rid of things, we are also moving. I need to get rid of some of the "stuff" I have accumulated in the ten years in this apartment.

Any suggestions as to what to do with hardback fiction books. I tend to share them with my mom, but now I have a bookshelf full of them. Any way I can get some of my money back on them? (IF not, I will probably donate them to the library or a local literacy program.)

If you have a used book store near where you are moving, they will usually give you a store credit. You could always yard sale it or sell them on ebay. There is an online book exchange also, but I can't remember their website.

Thanks RaggedyAnn and KSUViolet. I will keep both of those things in mind when it comes time to get rid of the excess.

See, it's threads like this that reinforce my belief that GC has the answer to EVERYTHING! I just started thinking about packing because I have to move out really soon (after finals! ugh!) and it's going to be quite a challenge. Maybe I should work on that today...

I have to say that we have sold a lot of things on eBay that we didn't think would. Books and DVDs are hot items online, especially if they are in great condition. We have been able to sell a lot of our (HIS) tv series DVD collections, computer books, and CDs.

He also sells older computers and peripheries, mp3 players, cell phones, etc., when he wants to upgrade. We have a deal that if he can make half the amount of money that a new product would cost, it's a deal. Lately, we have been coming out ahead by getting rid of things we don't use anymore.

Ebay does, in fact, rock when you want to get rid of stuff. The alternate is to give stuff to charity, libraries, etc.

About those space bags...

If you're traveling and you use them, how do you compact them again while you're on the road? Don't you need access to a vacuum?

Be sure to check out IKEA as well. They have some really out "of the box" ideas for space saving. We have a pot-lid organizer that hangs on the wall. People go crazy over it, and it saves trying to stuff it in our already too-full kitchen.

Ebay and craigslist ;)

i love the space bags for off season clothes and extra bedding, but they never stay completely vacuumed/small. They always start to get air in them after a couple weeks. anyone else have the same problem or am i just stupid and don't use them right (i'm not sure how that could happen since they are so simple....but i am blonde!)?

They have travel space bags that work by rolling the air out. So you fill them about 2/3 full (there's a fill line), then seal like a ziploc bag, then you roll from the top and the air goes out the bottom.

The work pretty decently for a couple trips, especially long trips. I have had the problem of them only lasting a trip or two though. The coleman ones my mom gave me have lasted a lot longer.

Moving every 2 years can be dicey. Our Army quarters have been from 1,000 sq ft all the way up to over 4,000 sq ft so we have to be able to fit all our "junk" in either size. One trick I love (and is dirt cheap) is to buy a cheapo outdoor trash can (no wheels) and buy a 3 legged "designer" table with round circle top (about $7). Now, throw the 3 legs away and put the round wood circle top on top of the trash can. Cover with a pretty 70" round tablecloth and you have a big trash can (clean) for your out of season clothes, down parkas, bedding, etc.
In your dining room make a "buffet" out of plywood and use 2 file cabinets or whatever to hold the plywood. Put a pretty tablecloth on top (floor length). Store Rubbermaid huge bins underneath. It gives you a great place to serve from at a buffet dinner and when you need stuff, just lift up the cloth. I've done this for "low priority items" that I didn't want taking up valuable storage space.

^^^ I like those ideas!

[QUOTE=DaemonSeid]Ebay[QUOTE]

Oh yeah! EBay is great. That is the first place I go to sell surplus stuff that is worth some money.

As for new storage-I got a new bed in November and this time made sure the frame was a few inches taller than my last one. It is amazing how many boxes fit under a bed if you have enough clearance. Huge difference.

Also, when I got some new living room furniture at that time, I made sure all coffee tables had a shelf underneat or a good sized drawer drawer. Even the dining room table I bought has a big shallow drawer which can hold lots of stuff. That also can make a big difference.

I have thought about temperature controlled storage in the past- but a small unit around here runs $80 or so. Does not seem bad until you realize that is almost $1,000 a year to store stuff you are seldom going to look at.