Maximize Co-Op Home Storage
Downsizing to a condominium for those age 55 and over presents many challenges. Probably one of the top challenges is what to do with the many possessions that “must be moved” and where to store them. Your “must move” items may go through several evaluations to determine if they are “must move” items. This tip is from Halley Buress at Manna Express , “You might have heard of the four pile theory. When you are going through a downsize or organization, make piles: keep it, sell it, donate it, pitch it.”
Co-Op Home Storage Considerations
When picking out a condominium it is a good idea to review floor plans for storage places for those “must move” items. It is important to document the number of closets and the dimensions of each closet. In addition to closets the kitchen cabinetry should be documented. Your smartphone camera can help with capturing the kitchen cabinetry for later reference.
Along with photographing the kitchen cabinetry photos of bathroom linen cabinets and vanities would be a good idea. It should be mentioned that one should measure the height of the ceiling in the condominium and the height of the kitchen wall cabinets. Taller wall cabinets provide more storage and a storage room in a condominium can hold more if it has higher ceilings . Wall cabinets range from 30 inches to 42 inches high. Thirty-Six inch cabinets are available in some condominiums.
Many condominiums have a kitchen countertop island that can provide a lot of storage as well as seating for two or three people. Most condominiums have a dedicated room within them for a laundry and storage. The dimension of that space and the configuration of it will affect your storage plans. Remember to get dimensions written down including the ceiling height.
Some senior condominium complexes have a below ground parking garage. Often storage cabinets and ceiling mounted storage cages are permitted in an assigned parking stall. Know the garage storage rules before making plans to use it.
Storage Solution Ideas
Kitchen Storage
Let’s begin our discussion of maximizing the storage of “must move” kitchen items. You will have a lot of “must move” items. Some items like silverware, dinner ware, cook ware and kitchen linen will be needed. But how much? Do you really need a dinnerware service for 16 when a service for 8 would be adequate? What about those countertop appliances? Do you need all of them? Do you have a home freezer? Will there be space for it? Do you really need it? Along those lines, do you need as much food storage space now? Only you can answer those questions.
You will want to make the most of your kitchen cabinet storage. To maximize your kitchen storage there are several ways to make efficient use of it and make it easier to use as you age. One popular and easy method is to install slide out cabinet accessories.
One handy slide out is a combination trash bin and recycle bin. It fits nicely within a cabinet and is hidden until you need it. Another is a two tiered slide out that fits under the kitchen sink to store supplies for dish washing and kitchen cleanup. Stretch the storage capacity of a kitchen pantry with slide out shelves and eliminate reaching to the rear of the pantry. There is a wide selection of cabinet slide outs that can be viewed on Internet sites like Wayfair.Com.
Linen Storage
Let’s tackle storage of items related to bathrooms and bedrooms. The greater the number of beds and baths the greater the amount of bed and bath linen to keep on hand. Towels, sheets, blankets, quilts and comforters are bulky items and used regularly. They can eat up a lot of space. If it is just you or the two of you in the case of couples, do you really need to have two sets of everything for that second bed and bath? How many overnight guests can you expect at one time? What about crafted quilts from your grandmother or the table linen you use for Thanksgiving and Christmas?
Depending on the condominium there maybe a dedicated linen closet, one or more linen cabinets, or both. You will want to use them intelligently. One way to avoid wasting space is using clear vacuum storage bags for items that are needed infrequently. With the aid of your vacuum cleaner, you can shrink the size of soft bulky items for storage. Those vacuum bags could be stored under a bed or stacked within a linen closet or cabinet. The problem isn’t square feet, it is cubic feet for storage.
Vanity Storage
OK, we’ve addressed bulky little used items now, let’s deal with the things that a vanity and bathroom hold like spare soap and bathroom paper, cosmetics, medicines, pain treatment devices, cleaning supplies and equipment, and trash. There are two primary vanity types: Standard (30” high) and Comfort Level (“34 to36”) high.
Closet Storage
When searching for a condominium, you will want to record the vanity/s height/s. More drawers are helpful for storage, and the comfort level vanities usually have more drawers. To stretch a vanity’s space use the area below the vanity’s sink basin with a slide out accessory. Use a small waste basket to fit under the sink basin and a slide out to hold the extra soaps, shampoos, conditioners, papers, cleaning supplies and make them easy to reach.
It’s time to talk about your wardrobe, everything from hats to shoes and everything in between. Like most people, your clothes are probably hanging in closets or stored in dresser drawers. But are they stored optimally? If you want to maximize your condominium storage then it is necessary to seek out solutions to put as much as you can in a small area. There are a number of ways to maximize your closet spaces. An effective means is wire rack shelving designed to hold hanging clothes of different lengths. Hangers that hold several pairs of slacks or skirts with one hanger will help as well .
Kit Shelving Concepts
Along those lines, there is the option of using kit shelving concepts where drawers, shelves and rods work together to maximize space. The top most shelf can be used for luggage, baggage and purse storage. Remember to fit smaller suit cases inside of larger suit cases. The areas below the top shelf can be used for the hanging clothes. You may want to store some items in the luggage to gain space. Shoe racks are another way to stretch closet space and keep them organized.
Bedroom Furniture Storage
Dressers and night stands provide lots of places to store things. Even then, there are ways to maximize their capacity. Bulky items like seasonal clothes can eat up drawer space quickly. Going back to using vacuum storage bags for storing seasonal clothing in a dresser is a good idea.
There is also the option of different bedroom furniture. A large tall nine drawer dresser with six large drawers and three small drawers above them maximizes floor space and storage volume. Matching night stands with drawers can supplement clothing storage and not take up a lot of floor space. Remember, you’re trying to make the most out of the space you have. The more items sitting on the floor, the less space you have. Any unused drawer is a candidate to store photo albums and hobby materials.
Laundry Storage
Most likely your condominium will have an in-unit laundry room with some room for storage. There are many creative ideas that can be found on the PINTEREST website for storage. Much of what you can do will be determined by the floor space available and the configuration of the room.
Again, go back to the idea of height being your friend. Obviously shelving is an answer. One recommendation is buying tall metal wire shelving with casters or wheels so it can hold heavy, bulky items and be easily moved. Another possibility for increasing storage is the area above the washer and dryer. Some wall cabinets or custom storage above the washer and dryer would create additional storage space.
Garage Storage
As mention earlier garage storage is possible whether above or below ground. The focus here will be on below ground garage storage. If you want a lot of storage, the storage cage offers several cubic feet of space. It would be capable of holding several plastic tote boxes, golf clubs, Christmas decorations and coolers. If you have trouble lifting items above your head you may want to consider the alternative of a smaller metal storage cabinet that sits on the floor and can be rolled. It can be used to hold automotive supplies, golf clubs, fishing gear and things you do not want in your condominium.
Well Designed Co-Op Home Complex
At the Vintage Cooperative of Ankeny the co-op homes were designed to make storage of “must move” items easier. Most of the kitchens have 36″ inch wall cabinets and a food pantry. All units come with a kitchen island. All the suites have 4 or more closets or linen cabinets. All bedrooms have a closet. All ceilings are approximately 9′ feet high. If you are unable to install or assemble slide outs and shelving the cooperative has a maintenance person to assist. Garage storage is possible and there is a shared bike storage area. You’ll find that storage does not have to be a detriment to downsizing at this senior housing cooperative.
| Suite | MBR Walk-in Closet | Linen Cabinet/s | Laundry Storage Room | Entry Way Closet |
| Oak | 6’X10’ | 1 in Mstr Bath | 8’X5’ | Yes |
| Poplar | 6’ X 7’ | 1 in Mstr Bath | 5’X5’5” | Yes |
| Chestnut | 6’8”X10’ | 2 in Bath Rms | 12’7”X5’1” | Yes |
| Elm | 6’8”X10’ | 2 in Bath Rms | 11’7”X5’1” | Yes |
| Blk Hickory | 6’X10’ | 1 in Guest Bath | 5’1”X10’ | Yes |
| Locust | 6’5”X7’ | 1 in Guest Bath | 7’10”X10’ | Yes |
| Hickory | 6’6”X7’ | 2 in Bath Rms | 9’8”X4’10” | Yes |
| Birch | 6’8”X7’ | 2 in Bath Rms | 5’6”X7’ | Yes |
| Cedar | 7’X10’7” | 1 Mstr+Closet | 7’X12’8” | Yes |
| Hawthorne | 6’8”X10’ | 2 in Bath Rms | 10’X9’ | Yes |