Congratulations! After years of saving money, you are finally able to get your little piece of the American Dream by purchasing your first house. And best of all, it has plenty of space to offer, including a basement for all of your storage and entertainment needs.
For many homeowners, the appeal of the basement lies in the fact that it essentially serves as “free space” within any given home. While areas like the kitchen, living room, and dining room are each designed to serve a specific purpose, an unfinished basement can serve as a blank slate for all of your design-related fantasies. Perhaps you’ve always wanted your own miniature movie theater; or maybe you’ve been dreaming of having your very own home gym. As long as your new home has a basement, the choice is yours – that is, of course, if you can keep your basement clean enough so that it stays usable.
The problem with basements is that some homeowners tend to view them as dumping grounds for all of their otherwise unwanted household junk. In fact, when some people hear the word “basement,” their minds conjure up images of dank, depressing underground lairs filled with nothing but rows upon rows of moldy cardboard boxes.
Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to prevent your basement from falling victim to a similarly bleak fate. Bobby Hughes is the marketing coordinator at American Way Moving PA, a Lansdale company known for its impeccable customer service and experienced team of movers, and according to him, anyone interested in keeping his basement free of clutter should adhere to the following tips:
Keep things organized from the start
One of the best ways to avoid cluttering up your basement is to keep it neat from the start. This means resisting the urge to dump all of your uncategorized boxes into every spare square foot of your basement as you move in. Instead, designate a temporary storage area for those boxes that aren’t high on your priority unpacking list, and set yourself a deadline for dealing with them.
Build some storage closets
It’s natural to want to use some of your basement as an area to store the items that don’t fit nicely into the rest of your house. If your basement is completely unfinished, then build in some shelves and closets for the purpose of storing those items designated to permanently go in the area. By having a designated place to put things, you’ll be less likely to fall victim to the basement clutter trap.
Add storage to your existing closets
Just because your house comes with numerous closets doesn’t mean that they are designed in a manner that optimizes household storage space. If your upstairs closets seem to contain too much “empty space,” then add drawers, shelves, and hooks to make them more usable. The more items you’re able to fit in the main part of your house, the less you’ll have to stash away in the basement.
Take inventory on a regular basis
One of the best ways to keep your basement uncluttered is to take inventory on a regular basis to determine which items you actually want or need to keep, and which items can go. If you have certain furniture pieces, antiques, or family heirlooms that you don’t want to get rid of but that also won’t fit into the upstairs part of your house, then look into your options for low-cost storage facilities in the area. Otherwise, consider donating some of your unwanted belongings to charity or selling them as appropriate. Some items in your collection may be more marketable than you’d think. If you have boxes of books that are in decent condition, then you may be able to sell them to a used bookstore and use the money to help fund your basement organization project. The same applies to items such as unwanted music, collectibles, and even clothing.
Map out your dream basement
Finishing a basement takes time and money, so it’s natural for you to want to hold off on this type of project until you’ve recovered financially from your move. However, just because you aren’t ready to start building your dream basement doesn’t mean that you should let it get cluttered in the interim. If you draw up concrete plans for what you want to do with your basement, then you’ll be less likely to clutter it up. It also never hurts to tell yourself that every box you remove from your basement brings you one step closer to having the underground space you’ve always wanted.
Remember, the less clutter you have in your basement, the more usable the area will be on a whole. By following these expert tips, you can do your part to keep your new basement neat and clutter-free.
