Since we live in FL we have no basement. I'm finding it more difficult, pain in the be hind, to bring things up and down the attic for decorating at Christmas and all the other decorating holidays. Where do you store your stuff if you don't have a basement?, I need ideas!!!

Guest room closet. Best way in northeast Texas to ruin something is to put it in the attic.

Other ideas - flat rubbermaid-type storage boxes that will fit under the bed (which was a no-no from my mother while we were growing up, but it works for me).

A friend of mine...when she was in her late 30s fell down the attic stairs...broke a leg and really messed up an elbow.

Garage? Off-site storage facility? Extra bedroom?

HAHA We did not take down the Christmas light decorating the family room for 2 years. We told everyone they were movie lights!

My extra bedrooms, which I really have to clean out and organize!

Well, no basement here although we do have a crawl space WITH lights - owner who built this house was afraid of spiders!

We also have an attic with access via the master bedroom closet BUT not really a storage option! I climbed it once when we bought to see the insulation, etc. NOT a place I would ever store things - can't even imagine doing that dance on the ladder while hauling up boxes!

Storage really isn't an issue for us now but, boy, it used to be at our old home so I do hear you. Do you have a garage? If so, mount reinforced shelving (use Molly bolts) all around about 6 feet up. Garage is still useable for parking cars AND lots of room of storage on shelves. I even have one area on the back wall where I mounted double-shelfs for things stored in flatter boxes...

Hope this helps!

If not in the garage, I'd get one of those storage sheds from one of those hardware stores. I think you can get a really nice one, installed, for under 2k.

quote:

Originally posted by Sandlance:
HAHA We did not take down the Christmas light decorating the family room for 2 years. We told everyone they were movie lights!

You are my hero

Under the bed storage bins are your obvious solution. This is typically dead space and under utilized. Adding extra selves to closets and behind the door storage racks are other areas that are usually wasted space and can be called into duty for seldom used decorations. If space and budget permits, invest in a large wardrobe or armoire w/ shelves. These can be handsome pieces of furniture that conceal items such as decorations. Also, look for areas in your home where you can add high shelves and use decorative boxes to contain decorations. Such places as laundry rooms, office spaces, craft spaces, game rooms, large pantries or even cabinetry in family rooms are typical candidates.

Christmas time is a nightmare with the tree and all the heavy boxes to put in the attic. We gave up last year and now we are renting a storage unit for the last few years of our decorating. I am ready though to sell all the Christmas decorations and go to a tiny tree, etc. I also think it is a danger to go up and down those rickity attic stairs with huge boxes.

Our Christmas stuff is in the attic over the garage. DH almost took a tumble this past Christmas while putting stuff back up there. We did break it down into smaller boxes, but still.....

With no basement and no attic, most of our "stuff" has to live in the garage or spare rooms. Having said that, most furniture we bring in to the house does double-duty (night stands are chests for storage or clothes). Under the bed storage boxes and as many bureaus as possible.

We have no garage. After 15 years of paying for a storage unit we had a 10 x 12 barn style shed built. It has a half loft which expands storage and is used for long term storage- the lower part is for tools, garden supplies, bikes, and pantry overflow (like when we stock up at the warehouse store). We can also store a ton of wood pellets under the work bench along the back wall. It rains a lot here but the stuff in the shed stays dry.

The truth of the matter is that eventually any amount of storage space (garage/attic/basement/shelfs/cupboards/closets) etc will become full if additions are continuously made to possessions. We have a full attic with regular walk up stairs, a full basement (no garage) four bedrooms each with a closet, a very large linen closet, 2 additional spaces (like the small computer room I am in now)
Besides the regular rooms.

Of course some spaces are much more challenging than others to store things in esp very small apts.

One solutions Spanish Revival is not to decorate for holidays. That is extreme, but it is what we do (or don't do) now. We have a ton of Xmas decorations in the attic and never use them anymore. Or I might buy something say, for Halloween and then discard it right afterwards.

I collect china (among other things) and large shallow bowls (like vintage and antique wash bowls) can hold a lot and easily fit under pieces of furniture, (like this desk in my d.r.) I also have these bowls under the china closet and another piece of furniture. Napkin rings are kept in a glass jar under a piece of furniture.

People often do not utilize space that is high up in their rooms. A friend keeps all her Xmas decorations on a sort of shelf like projection in a room that has a vaulted ceiling.

Maybe a new piece of cabinetry can be purchased to esp hold the ornaments and decorations.

About alternative storage - we have a large walk-in closet off our master bath. ALL of our clothes are in there - well all of hubs' clothes and my in-season clothes - including underclothes. Everything.

That leaves a rather large dresser with lots of storage space...bed linens and kitchen linens. Each "kitchen" drawer has a season's placemats, tablerunners, napkins, cup towels, wall hanging, etc. One drawer has hand embroidered and crocheted scarves from my mother, aunt, grandmother, and great grandmother. Etc.

Never having a basement, large seasonal decorations are boxed & labled then placed in the garage rafters. Family heirlooms & items that might be compromised by heat cold or humidity are stored indoors (closet) = large table cloths/linens on padded clothes hangers, smaller items wrapped in non acid tissue & boxed.

We rarely decorate for quasi holidays.... the winter-theme wreath (front door) has been replaced with spring flowers

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tessa89,

Thank-you everyone for responding and giving me a bunch of great ideas that I can really put to good use. Everyone had at least one idea I can put into effect, in fact we started today with categorizing and getting everything in plastic stackable bins. Everything is looking better already! Thanks Again!

In my garage we installed those loft shelf things for camping gear and they hold quite a lot. I really like them.

From time spent living in the south I learned that anything stored for any length of time HAD to be in closed containers...palmetto bugs (roaches, to northerners), tree frogs and lizards can find their way into just about anything. Plastic boxes with tight fitting lids are a must! We had a pull down ladder to the attic which wasn't so bad...we went up there all the time (in the winter...too darn hot the other 9 months of the year )

A lot of "secret storage"... ottomans that open up, containers that slide under couches. If there isn't a place to hide a container, I use a "pretty" container or basket that matches the decor of the room. I don't know if you could use a window seat or bench, but I've seen them made out of trunks, using pretty cushions that sit on top.

I have no attic, basement or garage.. but I do have a beautifully built shed- with a loft.
Long term storage is in the back of the loft.
Christmas decorations are in the front. Tools, bikes, pantry overflow- below.

Since we built our own house & I drew it...I included plenty of storage. But we also floored most of the attic. We have a pull down stair for it and DH rigged a pulley with a large basket on it that I can take things up/down without carrying them up/down the stairs...it works for me! You could attach lots of different things, like a tote, for taking things up/down.