Some spaces just have too much… stuff. Desks overflowing with paper. Closets that shut only because gravity is on your side. A kitchen drawer you haven’t opened in two years because you’re afraid of what lives in there now. Whether you’re trying to make your home feel a little less like a storage unit or just want to avoid tripping over a box of forgotten office cables, it might be time to take back some room.
This isn’t a pitch for minimalism or a call to throw away all your worldly possessions. It’s more about making space work harder so you can breathe a bit easier.
Here are six practical ways to get your space under control again, one small victory at a time.
1. Use Storage That Isn’t Your Hallway
The fastest way to reclaim space is to admit when you just don’t have enough of it. That’s where self storage units in Preston come in. They’re ideal when you’ve run out of spare cupboards or you’re tired of stepping over business inventory every time you head to the kitchen.
Old furniture, seasonal stock, archived paperwork — anything you don’t need in arm’s reach every day can go there. Just don’t treat the unit as a dumping ground. Label your boxes, make a quick list of what’s in there, and give future you a fighting chance.
2. Remove Things That Never Earned Their Place
We all have items that just sort of ended up where they are. That random stack of magazines from a year ago. Five USB cords with mysterious, outdated ends. A “just in case” box full of items you haven’t touched since 2017.
The less time you spend justifying why something might be useful one day, the faster you’ll get results. Pick one drawer or one shelf and start small. Keep going if you feel like it, but if not, stop and come back later. Better to chip away than burn out on day one.
3. Look Up. Literally.
Walls are usually better at holding stuff than floors are. Shelves, hooks, tall cabinets — they’re all underused heroes in homes and offices alike. Think coat racks, wall-mounted desks, or vertical filing systems. All functional without eating into floor space.
Be mindful of scale. A six-foot bookshelf in a small office might do more harm than good. Go vertical, not overwhelming. It should store things, not loom over you like a judgmental librarian.
4. Keep Some Things on Rotation
Not everything needs to be out all the time. Winter coats in July? Not helpful. Twelve binders from old client work you don’t even reference anymore? Questionable.
Try keeping off-season or low-use items in clearly marked containers, tucked away in a closet or stored off-site. When the seasons change, swap things out. It keeps your daily environment lighter and gives you a regular reminder of what you actually use.
5. Make Furniture Do More Than One Job
A basic rule: if a piece of furniture only does one thing, it better do it really well. Otherwise, it’s just taking up space. Look for items that serve a dual purpose. Think storage benches, beds with drawers, coffee tables that hide clutter, or desks with built-in shelving.
Even swapping out a side table for a filing cabinet can quietly shift how well your space functions. You don’t need to buy everything new. Sometimes it’s just about rearranging what you’ve already got to be more useful.
6. Stop Letting Stuff Sneak In
Once you’ve cleared out, the real challenge is keeping it that way. Set a few boundaries around what comes into your space. Junk mail goes straight to recycling. New purchases need a clear place to live — no “I’ll find somewhere later” piles. Office supplies get restocked when they’re running low, not because they were on sale.
Small habits go a long way. Otherwise, that cleared shelf you were so proud of turns into the new dumping ground in about a week.
Making space isn’t about being tidy for the sake of it. It’s about giving yourself room to think, move, and work without knocking over a pile of unsorted paperwork and finally throwing out that drawer full of mystery cables. It doesn’t take much to feel like you’re back in control, even if the junk drawer stays, just for old times’ sake.
