Make The Most Of Your Space

Manufactured homes come in all sizes but the single-wides and park models tend to come in the smaller variety. Often the footpad in a mobile home park doesn’t leave a luxurious amount of space for storage or furniture options. But if you make a few smart choices you can have more than enough space for you and your stuff. Here are a few tips, suggestions, and ideas to make the most of your space.

First things first.

The best way to have more space is to not hoard and have less stuff. Get rid of the things you don’t use or need. Like Marie Kondo says “Does this spark joy?” As a general rule if you haven’t used it in the last year you can probably part with it. One of the most cluttered places in the household is the kitchen. Often cluttered with appliances you never use taking up all the shelf and cabinet space. Closets are another big space waster. If you have clothes that you never wear donate them to a charity. Of course, decorative items and valuables are exempt from this rule.

Home layout and furniture placement.

Another obvious solution is the layout of your home. Optimal placement of furnishings will increase the usable space in your home. If your furnishings are arranged in a way as to be obstacles to the flow of traffic or block access to frequently used items it’s probably a good idea to rearrange things.

Bookcases.

Bookcases aren’t just for books. They are an excellent way to organize your stuff. Since they don’t have any doors it’s a great way to store things you want easy access to. And since they aren’t attached to anything you can easily move them around the house as your storage needs change.

Racks, shelves, hooks, and other wall and ceiling attachments.

Attachments to horizontal and vertical surfaces in your home can be a great way to provide extra storage with easy access. Unlike the bookcase, however, these attachments will not be easy to move around once you set them up. Shelves are basically a bookcase attached to the wall. Racks are great for the kitchen since they don’t have a solid surface and can allow air in to let dishes dry or prevent mildew. Hooks are great everywhere to hang clothes or items you use frequently. A hanging rack with hooks in the kitchen is a great way to store your pots and pans and have easy access to them. You can hang your kitchen utensils from them as well.

Baskets, jars, bins, and ceramics.

A great way to organize small objects or pantry goods is through various containers. Baskets look nice and provide a place to store any dry items. Whether it is foodstuffs like onions or your pocket change and car keys, baskets are great for storage and look nice. I have some very large and tall baskets with handles that I use to store things I don’t need very often. Since they are tall they store a lot of stuff but don’t take up much space. They add a great decorative touch.

I love to store food bought in bulk in jars and ceramics of all sizes. Mason jars and glass jars with lids can store dry beans, rice, flour, cereal, or any unrefrigerated food you wish and keep them fresh for a long time. I personally really like the products made by the French company Le Parfait. Their glass jars are made of thick glass so they don’t break easily and are of quality construction. They also look nice so you can store them out in the open for easy access and save storage space for other goods. A kitchen full of jars with foodstuffs in them can really make it look homey and inviting. Not to mention you’ve solved one of your storage problems.

Bins are just a great way to organize any storage space. The advantage is a bin can be rumbled through. You can take it out and search through it for the thing you’re looking for. When things are stored in an inaccessible or difficult to get to area you’re less likely to use your stuff. You can even put labels on them if you want to go full-out organization. I use bins heavily to organize my tools and fix-it supplies. Nails, screws, glues, tape, etc. They are also great in the kitchen or bathroom.

Under furniture storage.

Extra storage under existing furniture is a great way to maximize space. If you just shove things under your furnishings you’ll soon find you can’t access them anymore. A good way to make this space access-friendly is to use rolling boxes or baskets that you can pull out to access your things and then roll back under. This is especially great for under beds where there is lots of space but hard to access. If there isn’t a lot of vertical room to put the basket under you can raise the furniture onto risers to get some height.

Storage furniture.

A great option is to buy furniture with storage built into it. These could be end tables with cabinet doors, a tv hutch, or a buffet cabinet in the kitchen. Storage furniture can be combined with baskets and jars to create a nice aesthetic as well as superior storage.

Storage box furniture.

If you are on a budget or don’t want to invest in deliberate-made storage furniture you can make your own. Storage boxes can be turned into furnishings by placing cushions on top or a solid surface like a board that looks nice. If your storage containers aren’t aesthetically pleasing you can place a simple sheet over them to disguise the boxes so it all looks nice. Just make sure the boxes can handle whatever weight you intend to put on them. If it’s a seat you should have sturdy containers made of wood or strong plastic.

A storage shed or outside box.

If you have a carport attached or even just a parking area you might be able to fit an outdoor shed or lidded box into the space. You should check with your HOA (Home Owners Association) to make sure you are allowed to place this as sometimes they have rules against it. An outside shed is a great place to store tools as well as any overflow from the house.

Under home storage.

If you have your home on blocks with skirting you can remove some of the skirting and place organized storage under your home. This can be made to blend perfectly with the decor of your home and provide a massive amount of extra space to put things in.

It’s surprising the amount of room available with a little creativity. Just remember to keep things you access regularly within easy reach and things you only use now and then stored in the less accessible areas. Happy organizing.