House Hunting: The Importance of Storage
You've decided to purchase a new home. Perhaps it's your first, or maybe you're selling your home to upgrade or downsize. Whatever your reason for buying a new home, you've made your list of must-haves. This list probably includes the type of kitchen you want, the number of bathrooms, and maybe an extra bedroom so you can have a home office. With everything you need, did you consider storage? Storage is one of the most important things a home can offer you, and with each passing decade, it grows even more vital. That's because we expect so much out of our homes. They entertain us, they provide a means to work, sleep, eat, and raise families. As you're looking for your new home, here are some things you'll want to consider.
1. The Ability To Stay Organized
One of the most important things your new home can offer you is the ability to stay organized. Without organization, your various belongings intermix until eventually they look like clutter and you don't know where anything is anymore. This can create frustration, and while you can straighten everything you know that in a matter of days, if not by the end of the day, everything is going to co-mingle again. You don't want commingling to occur among your things, because then you have to dig to find what you need. When you're looking at homes, look to see what organization options they offer. Does the home have a custom drawer organizer in each drawer? Organizers ensure every item always has a home.
2. The Necessity of a Pantry
These days a pantry is a must. As people want to do more gourmet-type cooking in their kitchens, they fill the cabinet spaces with more equipment, such as that must-have stand mixer, the pasta maker, and the plethora of coffee-inspired machinery including the French press and cappuccino maker. All this equipment leaves you without room for your food. That's why a pantry is a must. A walk-in pantry is desirable, but even a pantry closet is better than no pantry. It puts all your food in one area, saving you the time of digging through and emptying cabinets to find that one can of whole tomatoes.
3. Closet Space for Clothes
Could you imagine life 150 years ago when you had your everyday outfit and then you had your Sunday clothes? Did that mean your everyday clothes only got washed on Sunday? Thankfully, today you have an outfit for every occasion. That means you have clothes for work, clothes for exercise, clothes for bed, clothes for swimming, clothes for camping, and clothes for many more situations, weather patterns, and experiences. Closet space is essential. A 100-year-old house may not provide the closet space you need unless it's been through a remodel. If closet space isn't on your list of essentials, you might want to rethink your needs.
4. Room To Grow
A house should also offer room to grow. That doesn't just mean adding children, although if you're young you'll certainly want to consider that. Someday you may need to add your parents back into your immediate family. People are living longer, and as they live longer, they live with more medical issues such as dementia and arthritis. These problems can become so severe that people need extra care they can't provide for themselves. When you look at homes, think about where an elderly parent might sleep should they come to live with you. If it's long-term the couch won't do.
5. Storage in the Garage
When people buy homes they often look at the garage as one big storage room. The problem with this is the same as the problem you have with your drawers. Everything intermingles and soon you can't find a thing. The garage should be large enough that you have a storage area for all your sporting goods, such as tennis, baseball, fishing, and camping. Tall built-in shelving that can be labeled would be ideal. You can provide the storage baskets to set on the shelving. While you're in the garage, is there an area for you to work with carpentry tools? Or to hang your bicycles? You need these spaces. Unless this is your vacation home, a single-car garage isn't going to work.
6. Storage For Linens and Toiletries
Most homes are going to have storage for your linens and bathroom toiletries, but is it enough? In an older home, it might not be. Again, in the past, people didn't have equal amounts of towels, sheets, and blankets that people have today. It would be frustrating to find out after move-in that you'll have to find an extra basket or somewhere else to store towels. Equally important is the type of storage offered. You want a mix of shelves and drawers. One drawer isn't enough in a bathroom you share with other people. Each person should have a drawer to store their personal items such as shaving items, soaps, and other items unique to them. Inspect the storage options in the homes you visit and take note of how they compare to others you've seen.
7. Outdoor Storage
One of the last things to cross your mind was probably storage for the outdoors. Yet, you need places for storing your garden tools and winterizing your water hoses and lawn furniture. You may not find many homes with outdoor storage, but that's not a problem as long as the yard offers a place to put a garden shed. Look for a corner with flat ground, so your shed can be level but out of the way.
As you can see, there's a lot to think about in terms of storage. When you buy a home, it is with the intention that you plan to stay there a while. Why not make sure that the home offers everything you need to make that stay as comfortable and organized as possible. An organized home is a happy home, and a happy home houses happy people.
