I can easily find what I need when I need it. I can easily put things away when I’m done with them. Donnie is more excited about DIY projects because he has a neat and tidy workshop to do them in. Connor loves spending time shooting hockey pucks in the basement because it is clean and uncluttered. (And his shot has improved immensely because of it!)
I could go on and on. I had no idea what I was missing before!
Looking back, I can see several mistakes I was making (or mistakes I’ve observed in others’ storage spaces) when it comes to organizing a basement, garage, attic, etc.
I thought I’d jot them all down in a single post as a reminder of things to avoid when you’re going to organize your own storage space!
Top 10 Organizing Mistakes People Make in Storage Spaces (Basement, Garage, Attic, etc.)
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
1. They put off starting the project because they don’t have a full day/week/month to work on it.
I was completely guilty of this one! I knew my spaces needed work, but they felt so overwhelming! Before I got started, I thought that I needed a huge chunk of time to be able to make progress. But life is busy, and huge chunks of time rarely just appear.
I finally started just plugging away bit by bit. 15 minutes here. 30 minutes there. An hour or two on Saturday.
Basement Workshop Before and After Photo
Taking a few minutes to just clear the floor in Donnie’s basement workshop made a big difference and was really motivating!
The majority of the organizing in my basement and garage was completed in shorter stints rather than in day-long organizing marathons.
Just start! Even if it’s taking 20 minutes to clear out some trash, all of those little bits of time add up and can make a big difference.
2. They buy bins or other storage pieces first.
Let’s be honest: the most fun part of an organizing project is picking cute bins, right?! ?
It’s so tempting to start a project by heading to the store and buying all of the organizing tools, gadgets, containers, and more. But when I start with buying organizing pieces, I often end up with many pieces I don’t need. And I find myself running to the store again and again because inevitably I discover that there’s a piece I could use but don’t have.
I’ve learned that it is important for me to go through all of my items first, discarding anything we no longer use or need, and sorting the remaining items into categories.
Tools Organized by Type
organizing tools by type so we could determine the best containers for them
Once I see what I have to store in each category, then I can make a plan for shelving and containers and go out and buy them (or even better, use what I already own)!
3. They give up because they don’t have the perfect storage pieces.
Sometimes the organizing budget is small, and though we would love for our space to look like a picture in a magazine, we just don’t have the resources to make that happen.
The good news is that there’s no rule that says that we have to have the absolute perfect storage pieces in order to be organized!
When I first started organizing our garage, we weren’t ready to go out and buy all sorts of shelving and hooks and bins. What’s more, we didn’t even have any storage pieces available because the ones that we owned had stayed with our last house.
I wasn’t going to let that stop me, though. I did what I called a “phase 1” organization of the garage, decluttering everything I could and arranging it as neatly as possible using items I already owned.
Phase 1 of Garage Organization
“Phase 1” organization in garage– far from perfect, but a definite improvement!
It wasn’t a space that would go viral on Pinterest, but it was a vast improvement from where it started. I could also find what I needed more easily, and we could park one car in there, which was definitely a win!
Even though it wasn’t my “dream organization” scenario, it worked and was well worth the time and effort we put into it.
4. They keep too much stuff.
Of all of the organizing mistakes, this is probably the VERY BIGGEST one I’ve seen both myself and others make.
Storage spaces easily become a “catch all,” and therefore we tend to be more flippant about what we throw in there because the space is made to hold all of our extra stuff.
But even though it’s a storage space, if we want it to be organized, we still need to go through and consciously choose to keep the items we use and love and discard the rest.
I know it’s hard. Believe me, I’ve spent hours sifting through bins and bins of sports gear, mementos, tools and DIY supplies, seasonal decorations, and more.
Decluttered Mementos Bin Before and After
Donnie initially had an entire shelving unit of mementos bins. He was able to narrow them down to one bin of only his most special items!
It may not be the quickest job, but it is the best feeling when your space is holding only items that you actually use and enjoy, rather than being cluttered with items you might find a use for “someday.”
Related: How to Declutter when You Have Trouble Letting Go of Things
5. They don’t get rid of “discard” items quickly.
Even after I decide which items I am going to donate or sell, it can sometimes be a big job to actually get rid of them! I dragged my feet on finishing our basement for months, simply because I wasn’t sure of the best way to go about getting rid of items.
Items to Get Rid of
Most of the items in this photo were part of our “donate” pile, but it took me way too long to actually get rid of them!
Unless I have a really high priced item, I almost always give away the items I’ll no longer need. It’s much quicker than selling, with less back and forth and the hassle of people backing out. It’s also usually a blessing to the recipient, which is fun as the giver too.
I usually check with friends and family first, then with Facebook friends, and if I still don’t have any takers, I look for a charity that could use the item.
My friend Jessica of The Organized Mama has a fantastic post that lists tons and tons of charities that accept donations if you’re looking for a place to take your stuff.
6. They stack bins rather than using shelves.
Now, I included this one because it was an “aha” moment for me, but #3 trumps this rule if need be. If you don’t own shelving and it’s not in the budget at the moment, by all means, stack the bins.
But if shelving is an option, it can really be a game changer for organizing your storage space.
I used to dread going into our basement to look for a specific item because it was inevitably buried in the bottom bin, and I would have to unstack and move around a bunch of things to get to it.
