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3 DIY Projects That Add More Storage To A Home

Most homes need more storage but don't always have the space for this but there are plenty of DIY projects that add more storage to a home.

24/06/2023

 

 

 

 

Snap on your tool belt, grab your DIY kit, and get ready to give your home all the extra storage it needs!

 

 

When a house runs out of useful storage space, sooner or later everything starts to pile up and, with nowhere to put it, it soon tends to take up valuable space that could be used for something else. I'm sure many of you know of at least one person who has a spare room stacked with stuff, boxes and boxes, exercise equipment that is no longer used, kiddie's toys, and so on. It becomes a problem when there is nowhere to store items and the last thing you want to do is to move or have the cost to add on an extension. So, with this in mind, we put forward a few DIY suggestions for relieving the storage shortage in a home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Create Storage in the Roof Space

I know it has not been a thing for South African homes to have an attic space that can be used, but that doesn't mean you cannot create one yourself. Every roof space has an access panel and it is easy enough to set up a ladder to get up there. A roof space has so much room that is going to waste that using it for storage makes a lot of sense.

 

For safety, put down OSB or chipboard flooring over the ceiling beams so that it is safe to walk on. Install a tap light or two to light the way, and you can store plenty of lightweight, non-bulky items up there.

 

 

No window? You can easily take a portable LED light to provide light in the roof space and clad the beams with OSB or chipboard to provide a safe place to walk.

 

 

 

 

Using a roof space as a storage area will not cost that much and it is up to you what you do with the space other than use it for storage.

 

 

 

 

2. Add Storage to a Garage

If there is one area in the home that has plenty of space available for DIY storage solutions, it is the garage. A motor vehicle or two only take up a third of the height space in a garage, leaving plenty of room for some quick and easy DIY solutions for much-needed storage. Think storage shelves hanging from the ceiling, or if you don't have a ceiling in the garage, you could always mount shelves onto the wall. Both are great ideas but if you have some heavy items you need to store, the latter option would be the best if you have to raise and lower heavy items.

 

 

 

 

Make basic 'I' beams using untreated unplaned pine from Builders. These are secured onto the ceiling beams above the ceiling board and are made to accommodate plastic storage bins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For heavier or bulky items, wall shelves would be the better option and these can also be made using untreated and unplaned pine that you can buy at Builders.

 

 

 

 

3. Streamlined Storage Anywhere

I often wonder why furniture designers and manufacturers do not offer a streamlined option for those homeowners with small living spaces. Surely there is a demand for furniture that has a slimmer profile? For example, rather than a floor-to-ceiling shelf unit that is 500mm deep, why not offer one that is 300mm or 400mm deep? It is much slimmer, and still offers storage space, but takes up far less floor space.

 

 

Cupboards for wall-mounted kitchens are 300mm deep rather than the 500/550mm for floor units, and this makes them ideal for use as a foundation for a streamlined, thin-profile wall unit.

 

 

 

 

Find the instructions here on building the above thin-profile wall unit.

 

 

If you prefer to build a freestanding storage unit, try this slim sideboard that is also made using bought readymade kitchen wall cupboards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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