As a renter, I know all too well the importance of having enough storage at home. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no such thing as too much storage.
When you’re renting in a small space and can’t make too many changes (we all want our security bond back), you have to come up with innovative ways to create more storage space while making your rental feel more like a home.
Here are 14 ideas I came up with to create more storage opportunities
- Create an extra narrow shelf in your cabinetry to store spices. This gives you multiple levels of storage (depending on the space you’re working with) as you get to take advantage of the height. You can try this one here
- Tension rods can be used to hang items above your cooking area or sink
- A removable double-sided tape is a life saver for a lot of things. The best part is that it comes off easily without damaging your walls
- A removable box that acts as an extra shelf on your countertop/bench. It adds extra shelf space without having to drill any holes – you can use a decorative light box for this
- Another way to add storage space is to have a kitchen cart on wheels. This can serve as an extra counter top, fruit and veg storer, wine rack, serving platter holder etc
- Make the most of your vertical space by having a permanent step ladder in the kitchen that is collapsable
- Use 3M stickers to hang your paper towel holder from the wall to save on counter space. Try using a plastic paper towel holder as it’s lighter in weight
- If you can, look for an automatic rubbish bin to free up your hands and keep dirt at bay
- Tall narrow shelves with glass doors serve as a makeshift linen closet. The glass door keeps the dust away and the transparency makes your space feel even more spacious
- If you’ve got a completely open plan space that you want to use as a living room and an office, use an area rug (small rug) to define the living room space and a desk to frame the office space
- Instead of having a regular TV stand, get a cabinet with lots of storage where you can store more things and possibly hang your TV off the wall
- Make use of all the corners (L shaped spaces) in your home by putting in corner shelving/cabinets
- If you don’t have space for an entryway (hallway) table, you can use some 3M tape to mount a picture frame on your way and store your keys there. You can also mount a file holder there to store your mail
- If you’re feeling extra fancy and up to the task, go on Room Sketcher, put in the dimensions of your home and map out your decoration and storage plans (in 2D and 3D) before arranging your home
If you’ve got any tips that I haven’t mentioned and are renter-friendly, please feel free to share in the comments below
