How to Make Your Storage Space Look Like a Million Bucks

Whether or not you think much of your storage spaces, they still have much to offer you. From storage space to unofficial living space, storage areas could be the solution to your problems. Regardless of your current needs, if you plan on selling your house, having an organized, functional, and attractive storage space can increase your home's value. Today, we’ll look at a few updates you can make to four different storage areas to make them work better for you. 

Before we begin: Because of the nature of these spaces, these tips will cost more than the ones we’ve discussed in other areas of your home. Ideally, you’d do one at a time over time, so don’t feel overwhelmed by some of the projects' costs or size.

Garage

Perhaps the most common storage space people utilize is a garage. While garages are intended to protect cars, many people store things in their garages. This is because garages are typically more accessible than basements and attics, and most people don’t live in climates that are particularly harmful to cars. However, if you store things in your garage, ensuring you stick to an organizational system is essential. Let’s look at a few ways you can elevate your garage. 

Have Shelving and Cohesive Bins

If you’re going to do anything in your garage, please do this. Putting boxes on shelves not only gives you more ease of access, but it also looks less cluttered. Shelving may seem unnecessary, but trust me, it makes a HUGE difference. I suggest looking on Amazon or at Home Depot for the shelving, but most places will have some shelving available. Just make sure to pick shelving that has a sufficient weight limit. After choosing your shelving, it’s time to select your bins. You’ll need to keep shelving height in mind when selecting your bins because otherwise, you’ll either have unused space or unusable containers. I’m all about using what you already have, so if you have containers you like, use them! If you need more bins, just find ones that complement your current containers well. I also recommend using tape to label your bins without permanently marking them. You never know when you may need to adjust your categories!

Use Adequate Lighting

If you have a standard garage, your chances of poor lighting are relatively high. As we’ve said over and over again in this series, lighting is your biggest asset or your worst enemy. Because garages tend to be larger spaces with less wiring for lightbulbs, you’ll need to ensure that your lightbulbs are bright enough. I recommend LED lightbulbs for their energy efficiency and long-lasting life. While LED lightbulbs are more expensive upfront, they’ll save you the initial difference and more over time.  

Care for Your Flooring 

Your flooring may seem like the last place you’d need to update in your garage, but I’d argue it’s one of the most important. While the upgrade recommended will significantly depend on your personal use for your garage, I’ll focus on two great options today. If you don’t typically have your car in the garage, I recommend adding an epoxy coating to your garage floor. Epoxy coatings will make your floor shine and make your concrete flooring much easier to keep clean. If you keep a car in your garage, I recommend using a degreaser and power washing your floor. While this won’t get everything out of the concrete and won’t protect the floor from future messes, it will give the garage a bright, clean look. Just because your garage floor is concrete doesn’t mean you should ignore it. You’ll be impressed by how much of a difference a clean floor makes.

Basement

A basement is a great place to store things you need more often. Since basements are typically more accessible than attics, I recommend making this more appealing and functional storage space. You won’t want a dungeon with stuff randomly stacked on each other!

Paint the Ceiling and Walls

Your basement is the perfect place to put a light color on your walls. I recommend white, a light grey, or a light beige because these colors will make the room feel more airy and open. Basements are known for their dungeon-like qualities (aka, dark, prone to moisture build-up, and hidden from the rest of the house); therefore, light paint colors are critical. I also recommend painting your ceiling. While this may seem intimidating if your basement has some exposed piping, it will be worth the time and effort. Painting the ceiling the same color will instantly make the room more cohesive and settled.

Update Lighting

Once again, we see that lighting is vital to a space, and it’s even more important here because basements traditionally lack outdoor lighting from windows. Updating your lighting in the basement may be tricky depending on the current wiring for your basement, but at least consider exchanging your current lightbulbs for brighter ones in an inviting temperature. If you need more lighting to see in your basement properly and aren’t willing to add more wiring, buy a few battery-operated lights with a motion sensor to fill in the gaps.

Add Functional Space

Finally, consider adding a functional space depending on how big and finished your basement is. If you have the luxury of a finished basement, consider making a usable space the priority with just some storage shelving. If it’s an unfinished basement, I recommend prioritizing storage and having a small space for laundry or whatever else you may need room for. This space can be exceptionally versatile and laid back because most people don’t hang out in other people’s basements. So think it through and have fun with it!

Attic and Shed

Attics and sheds can benefit from several of the above ideas, so instead of repeating ideas, I’ll give you one specific idea for each area. Just remember to consider the other tips above! 

Waterproof Your Attic

This is more practical than glamorous; however, you won’t want your things ruined by moisture. Get a moisture test done, or do it yourself, and if there is a moisture problem in your attic, get a dehumidifier. The dehumidifier may be enough to address the problem, but if not, look up “waterproofing your attic” for more solutions. Ultimately, each attic is different, and the climate you live in will have a significant impact on your needed solution as well.

Add Plants to Your Shed

If you have a shed that you utilize, chances are high that it’s also a focal point in your yard. First, consider painting the outside of your shed. Black or white are always great options, but if you like a bold look, red or blue are also classic options. Next, I recommend adding some flowers to frame the shed. This will help your shed be more integrated with the rest of the yard without too much work or money. Go to your local nursery or hardware store (like Lowes or Home Depot) to find flowers or other plants you’d like to use. While there are other things you can do to elevate your shed, these two upgrades will make your shed pop in no time. 

Conclusion

Overall, there’s a lot you can do to make your storage spaces work for you and look fantastic. Of course, what you can do with the area will depend on your budget and time constraints. Remember to balance what future buyers want and your preferences and needs when making decisions in these spaces. A finished basement can add significant value to your home, but having a tidy, organized storage space will also add value to your home, so don’t feel like you need to do unattainable things. Updating areas in your home is firstly for you, so try something new today!