Smart Storage Solutions to Add to Your New Tradition Homes

When you’re building a new home, every room matters. It’s important to create not just space, but space that’s usable.

We know how frustrating it can be to have wasted space in your home. Chances are that’s why you’re leaving your current home and building right here at New Tradition Homes. Now you get to design things your way. Now you can use every square foot of space in the best way possible.

But how do you ensure you accomplish all that when all you have in front of you is a blueprint?

Storage takes on different shapes and forms. By spending time designing a well thought out, well-organized system, you’ll love your new abode for years to come.

Let’s start out with some basic questions.

How Will Storage Impact Function?

Different rooms have different needs. We can all agree that you’ll need more storage space in a kitchen then you will in a family room. You’ll also have busier rooms – you’ll spend more time in a mudroom than you will a guest bedroom.

Your first step in creating a well-organized home is to consider every room, finding the best ways to keep them organized and clean. As you mentally walk through every room in your new home, consider:

-Who will be using each room?
-How will your family enter your home?
-How will your guests enter your home?
-What areas of your home have the most traffic?
-What activities will take place in each room?

The busier the room, the more activities that take place in a room, the more efficient you should make the organization system.

For example, your new home may have a mudroom attached to the garage to give your family a place to drop off coats and boots before continuing inside. This gives you an opportunity to organize the space that best suits the needs of each member. It also ensures that everything is where it should be when you’re looking for it, as the average person spends ten minutes a day looking for things they’ve misplaced. Make sure storage gives you the space you need; small baskets can be perfect for hats and mittens, while larger containers may work well for umbrellas or sports equipment.

This can also leave more room near the front door where your guests enter, which gives you the opportunity to create an entry for both beauty and functionality, keeping everyday necessities out of the way, but easy to access.

Focus in on the areas your family uses most. Also, consider storage solutions that work the best for your family, and can grow with you as your family ages. While toy boxes may be required for preschoolers, how can you change up the space as they age into their tweens and teens? Many storage solutions are interchangeable, giving you different uses for different phases of your life.

How Will Storage Impact Efficiency?

In addition to functionality, each space in your New Tradition Home should also be created with efficiency in mind. Will your mudroom be too small to incorporate the needs of your growing family? Is there a way to design an organizational system that has them out the door in seconds each morning?

Before you find your solution, ask yourself a few questions:

-How will your storage needs change in the coming years?
-Does the space in the room need to be functional or practical?
-How can you make your life easier?

For instance, how many days do you spend digging for paperwork you just can’t find? Maybe an organized system would help. Consider building individual “inboxes” to give every family member a place to put important documents. Your kids can drop off notes and permission slips that require your attention. You can fill it with flyers or tickets that you’ll need on your way out the door to take with you as you run errands or make your way to events.

While it’s important to create individualized systems that work for your family, it’s equally important to create systems that stand the test of time. Baskets that fall apart in a few months can leave you frustrated. Quality storage will not only look beautiful on the day it’s installed, but will also provide you with functionality for years of use.

What Should You Include in Each Room?

While organization methods are a personal choice, as home builders, we’ve helped many families just like yours incorporate the best solutions into their new home plan. As you design your space, it’s important to remember that you have a blank slate of opportunity. Use it to create something special, something that will make you love your home for years to come.

Here are just a few of our most popular ideas.

Mudroom
This is one of the best places to let your imagination run wild. Whether you need a place for coats and jackets, backpacks, shoes, or have a budding hockey star on your hands, create specific solutions to meet every need.

Designate a hook or cubby for every member of the family. Then give them the resources they need most: baskets, tubs, hooks, or drawers. It’s a perfect way to keep everything neat and tidy, and easy to find when you’re running out the door.

Closets
What most people love about new construction is the closet space. But that doesn’t mean you can’t customize it and add personality and efficiency based on individualized needs. With today’s closet systems, you can create the perfect space in every closet in your home.

-Add height for dresses and longer clothing items
-Add double hanging rods to make better use of your space
-Create drawers and shelves for sweaters and jeans
-Add accessory compartments for scarves and belts

Once you start personalizing, you’ll not only find your closets are even more functional, they’re beautiful too.

Pantry
Many modern-day pantries are nothing but shelves and messes. Cans, boxes, and bags are thrown in every which way, with many things shoved to the back, never to be seen again. But pantries can be so much more with modern-day organization methods. You can create a spot for everything – building both horizontally and vertically to ensure everything is in its proper space.

What’s most important to you? Do you need lots of room for spices? Do you have linens and cookbooks you want on display? How about easy access to the staples of the kitchen? Don’t install something because of its looks; find solutions that work for your lifestyle.

Laundry Room
An efficient laundry room should give you plenty of space for sorting, cleaning, folding, and ironing. The more pleasant your laundry room is, the easier it’ll be to stay on top of this seemingly never-ending chore. Open shelves can make everything within easy reach. Or place them behind closed cabinets for a neat and tidy appearance.

By defining each space in your New Tradition Home, you’ll see a functional, efficient home from the moment you move in your first box. And you’ll love your new home for life.