If you’re feeling cramped in your current environment, you might start dreaming about moving to a bigger home or even building an extension. The good news is that there are plenty of steps you can take before any kind of drastic measures. From being selective with your possessions to putting seldom used items in storage, there’s always something you can do to make your home feel more spacious and inviting.

Here are our top five tips for keeping the clutter under control and discovering more space in your existing home.

Choose multi-tasking furniture

Think about all the wasted space in your home. When you’re a child, the space under the bed is just where the monsters hide, but when you’re a grown up, it’s storage space waiting to be discovered. Using under-bed storage boxes, you can hide away items which are rarely used. You could also store bedding, towels and anything that is cluttering up space in your home. Multi-tasking furniture with clever storage solutions will help you to hide things away when they aren’t needed. Storage ottomans and even storage sofas can help to uncover plenty of space in your home.

Cut the clutter

Marie Kondo recently popularised the idea of decluttering on a mass scale. While you don’t have to go quite as extreme as some of her suggestions, there may be ways you can cut back on the clutter in your life. Clear out your wardrobe to get rid of items you no longer wear. Be honest about the items in your home and decide if you really need to hang on to them. If you can’t give them away without guilt, consider moving them into one of our Chipping Norton storage units or our Bromsgrove self storage facility. This will allow you to free up space in your home without getting rid of all of your possessions.

Think vertical

When we try to store items, we often think horizontally. Bookcases, drawers and cupboards keep everything at eye level or below. But what if you look up? Using hooks on walls and ceilings can help you to discover more storage space which cleans up floors and surfaces at eye level. Bookcases can be added around the top portion of your walls or peg boards can be used in the kitchen to store pots, pans and utensils. 

Store seasonally

You likely have a whole section of your wardrobe that you don’t touch in winter, and likewise in summer. By storing your items by season, you can free up space in your closet and streamline your morning routine. You could place items you won’t wear in vacuum bags to shrink them down to a more manageable size and then keep them under your bed. Or you could place these items in your self storage unit to clear out even more space in your home.

Update your rooms

When your children have left home, there’s really no need to keep their bedrooms exactly the same as when they left. Convert old bedrooms into a multi-use guest room. A trundle bed will give you versatile options for when visitors come to stay, while also freeing up space in your home. Think about what you’ve always wanted to do with the extra space. It could become a home office, a craft and hobby room, or even a home gym. This is one way a storage unit can be particularly helpful for clearing out the clutter.

Written by
Simon Fothergill

Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage. He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space. With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.

Customer Reviews

Wigwam Self Storage place picture
4.8
Bruce Joynes profile picture
Bruce Joynes
2 days ago
Very glad we chose Wigwam. everything ran smoothly and the unit is perfect.
Lovely clean place and the app was faultless.
Highly recommended.
Lisa Anderton profile picture
Lisa Anderton
1 week ago
Very easy transaction via phone/email to book a unit. Very pleasant helpful staff during initial contact.
Once contract in place very easy app use to access site and unit, very clear easy to follow instructions. Very happy and would definitely recommend
Clarissa Ardy profile picture
Clarissa Ardy
1 week ago
Wigman Self Storage consistently delivers superb customer service. I received comprehensive assistance throughout the process of securing my storage unit. The facility is impeccably clean, and the procedure was straightforward. The staff I interacted with over the phone were consistently polite, making the entire experience thus far truly marvelous. I highly recommend Wigman Self Storage to anyone in need of storage solutions.
hedi fakhfakh profile picture
hedi fakhfakh
2 weeks ago
Easy quick no hassle
Easy to set up and access the location. Friendly and helpful staff.
Jeanine Hirschl profile picture
Jeanine Hirschl
3 weeks ago
I left a well-known storage unit for Wigwam, mainly because of cost, wigwam are more reasonable, the unit is clean and is entry availablity is upto 10pm. You work off an app that allows entry not only to the building also to your rented unit. It is safe, No fear of loosing keys. The staff very helpful. Highly recommended.
Bryan Sujana profile picture
Bryan Sujana
3 weeks ago
Wished they would tell me the actual total of my 4 months rent and wasn't off by £40+ so I had to redo my budgeting :( other than that great place great staff and the storage is clean and secure👍
Lydia Ebiuwhe profile picture
Lydia Ebiuwhe
3 weeks ago
Lenny was great at helping me get my storage over the phone, and was engaging and fun. I also received some help from a nice guy at the location; I think his name is Adam, a very lovely fellow. Friendly staff they've got. First time using a storage unit, and it was seamless to set up and easy to use the app without any confusion. The price was also really affordable, beyond what I assumed it would be, and I still got a 50% discount for the first 8 weeks. I highly recommend Wigwam.
Sue Hazell profile picture
Sue Hazell
3 weeks ago
Excellent Service & product !
Very easy access with parking right outside the door.
Plenty of trolleys, so no need for muscles ! It maybe a little more expensive than some others, BUT the cleanliness & ease of use perfect.
The staff are VERY patient, explaining how each unit works.
It is great to know the manned office hours & how to make contact if not.
Plenty of accessible hours too.
Ps.... they do like a biscuit or 2 in the office I hear !
J J profile picture
J J
4 weeks ago
Really easy to deal with, Lenny was very helpful and I would recommend.
Chris Hathaway profile picture
Chris Hathaway
4 weeks ago
Really good, staff very helpful.
Units were good and secure.
only critisms - lights turned off automatically too quickly and no onsite toilet.
Sara Hardy profile picture
Sara Hardy
4 weeks ago
Very happy with the service. The staff are very helpful and friendly and explain the whole process right from the start. I can access my belongings easily via an app, which is easy to use.
I Highly recommended this company.