Have a Child Going Off to College? 5 Tips on Storing what They Left Behind

The emotions of sending your child off to college have subsided, and now you’re left with a room full of clothes, books, high school memorabilia, baseball cards, and other junk that wasn’t deemed worthy of making the move to a college dorm room. You don’t want to throw out your child’s possessions, but it’s time to make more space and get rid of some of the annoying clutter. Here are some great options for storing your child’s items in an easy, secure, and cost effective way.

• STORAGE UNITS

One of the best ways to store your child’s junk without creating clutter in your home is to get a storage unit. Hanover MD storage  has even said that about 10% of  American homes use some type of self storage for one reason or another. If the attic or garage isn’t going to cut it for you, try a company like: Hanover Extra Space Storage or one in your local area. It is fairly inexpensive, easy, and secure, this is a great way to have all of your child’s items waiting for them when they’re ready to sort through them or move them into their own home, without having them sit in your house until that time comes along.

• USE YOUR EXTRA SPACE

If you don’t mind keeping your child’s items at home, but want to get the clutter out of their former bedroom, consider how best to store their stuff. Use plastic storage bins for clean, secure organization that is water proof, dust proof, and largely damage proof. Label everything clearly so that it will be easy to go through in the future. Have your daughter or son assist you in this project during fall break or winter break, or even over the Thanksgiving holiday. It may seem arduous, but you will be able to incorporate their feelings on what to save, ditch, and store, and avoid frustrating arguments down the line.

• REPURPOSE OTHER SPACES

With your child out of the house, there may be a lot of changes in your home. Consider how spaces will be used differently without your child around. Their former playroom or TV room may go unoccupied, and it may be easy to keep some boxes or a chest of drawers there full of your child’s stored items. The area of the garage that was once dedicated for their sports equipment or bike may be replaced with other types of storage. Your child is out of the house now, so many areas of your home may be able to be re purposed for new types of storage.

Consider these ideas and your issues of clutter and storage may be solved easily and inexpensively. Many changes are happening in your life, but dealing with your child’s left behind stuff may end up being one of the simplest changes to deal with if you incorporate these tips.