When the weather isn’t playing ball or there’s no time for a big day out, a clear space to play or chill at home during the summer holidays is invaluable.
A tidy home can make all the difference – easier said than done! You’re in good company, too – according to the Clever Closet Survey, 77.57% of people in the UK say modern homes simply don’t have enough storage space. Here are a few suggestions and tips for making home feel like a haven while the children are home this summer:
Summer Storage Ideas
Find Room to Play
Crafting, baking, building Lego sets and making BRIO railways are budget-friendly ways to entertain younger kids.
But finding room to play, not to mention locating the toys and supplies, isn’t easy in a mess! And the thought of buying yet more stuff is not appealing.
And most family homes are filled with even more clutter than usual after the hectic final days of the summer term.
If you can, make time at the start of the holidays to have a serious declutter. But if that’s just not going to happen with kids home around the clock, a summer storage unit can give you room to breathe.
Finding alternative lodgings for bulky winter coats and boots, unloved toys, piles of children’s artworks and maybe even the odd giant stuffed toy can free up much-needed space. And while the noise levels may increase until early September, at least the clutter will be out of the way.
Create a Teen-Friendly Space
Avoid complaints of “I’m bored” from older children during the summer holidays by creating a tween and teen-friendly summer hangout at home. Donate toys, games and clothes they’ve outgrown and invest in a few storage hacks.
Multi-device charging stations bring a little calm to the chaos, while large baskets for shoe storage are great if they’re unlikely to file their shoes neatly in a rack. A self-service snack storage trunk keeps them fed and out of the kitchen – although there’s not much that can be done about the socks down the side of the sofa, towels on the floor or mugs under the bed.
Popping items like nesting tables, free-standing lamps and footstools into a self storage room for the summer can help ensure everyone has room to relax.
Bedroom Glow-Ups
The summer holidays are a great opportunity for a bedroom makeover. If younger siblings are monopolising communal spaces, help teenagers build a refuge in their room.
Start with some serious decluttering before bringing out the paint pots. If you’re feeling really brave, an introduction to paint, rollers and dust sheets can be a distracting summer project!
A storage unit can be a useful place to stash furniture while renovations are underway.
Shed the Clutter
If your shed or garage is packed to the rafters, the play and sports equipment required to make summer go with a swing will be hard to find and impossible to put away.
Clear out some of the clutter you won’t need for a few weeks – and throw out what you can along the way! A self storage unit near you is a handy place to stash bikes waiting to be handed down to younger siblings, the car cleaning kit that isn’t going to get used, power tools and gardening gear.
Not to mention the endless footballs, collapsed goals and the neglected swingball cluttering up the garden – a few hours’ decluttering frees up the space for barbecues and days spent splashing in the paddling pool.
WFH in Peace
If you’re juggling working from home, holiday clubs and childcare during the holidays, the notion of work-life balance can feel like an impossible luxury. A separate space can be invaluable, whether it’s in the spare room, a corner of your own room or a dedicated nook on the landing.
There are some brilliant ideas for compact home offices: fold down desks, cabinets that open into an office, stylish storage boxes that keep documents and kit organised while blending in with your home decor.
If you need to get off the kitchen table for a few weeks, clear out a corner, nook or even the spare room and build somewhere to rattle through the ‘to do’ list and work calls in relative peace so you can get on with cooking, chauffeuring and doing the never-ending laundry.
Activate
If you’re an active family, the kit can take over. Find the right size storage unit for all your gear – camping equipment, inflatable paddleboard, windbreaks, wetsuits and tennis rackets – instead of tripping over it at home. Choose a unit with easy access so you can grab gear when you need it, and store it when you don’t.
Tips for Picking the Right Storage Unit
If you’re looking to temporarily move items into a storage unit during the summer months:
- Get everything together first and work out what size unit you’ll need
- Make sure clothes are clean and dry
- Use vacuum-pack bags for coats and clothes to maximise space
- If you think you’ll want access to your items during the summer, use clear boxes so you can easily find what you need
- Store the items you’ll want access to at the front of the unit
- With the clutter safely stowed, the house is yours again – ready for rainy-day crafting marathons, teenage lie-ins and everything in between. Here’s to a summer with room for everyone.
Welcome to Under 5s—a dedicated resource for families navigating the beautiful, busy whirlwind of the early years. We concentrate on real, everyday advice that families in Yorkshire and beyond can easily follow.
