New clients always want to know what storage products to buy before we meet. My recommendation is not to buy anything until after assessment of their needs. Needs assessment in terms of acquiring additional storage comes later in the organizing process.
During the first step of the organizing process, which is the sorting step where we put like items together, we will empty all sorts of storage products. They come in all forms, such as baskets, plastic or glass containers, boxes of every size and shape, shelves, bookcases, etc. All of these containers can be repurposed for organizing systems.
I’ve talked about what storage products, or containers are in other posts, and I’ll mention this again here for context; every drawer, cabinet, bin, basket, shelf, rack, room and even the house itself is a storage container.
When we empty the containers as mentioned above in the sorting step of the organizing process, we end up with a supply of storage products to use. This supply of containers will be reused, or recycled in the next steps of the organizing process.
So, now you understand why I recommend not to make a purchase before assessment of your needs. If you buy before assessment and you don’t end up using a purchase, it then becomes clutter.
You may decide after assessment that you want something more aesthetically pleasing then the supply of containers emptied out during the sorting step. Or you may want all the containers in a category to match. Those decisions are based on the assessment and indicates it’s time to buy storage products to fit the need.
Below are some tips related to storage to help you on your journey to organizing your spaces.
- Choosing storage that is fun and decorative, as well as functional could motivate you to stay organized.
- Before you buy storage products, determine what will be stored in them and where they will live.
- Go green by repurposing yogurt containers, jewelry boxes and small plastic containers with no lids as drawer dividers.
- When you label containers for storage, you are creating boundaries for categories of items. This concept avoids misplacing items, and you know how many of that item you own. It’s also a good gauge for understanding how many items of 1 category that will fit in the allotted storage container.
- Storage products need to have easy access. Something as simple as having to take a lid off of a container, may deter someone from putting an item back where it belongs.
