{"id":5293,"date":"2015-02-15T07:43:21","date_gmt":"2015-02-15T12:43:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/professional-organizer.com\/WordPress\/?p=5293"},"modified":"2015-02-15T07:43:56","modified_gmt":"2015-02-15T12:43:56","slug":"organizing-a-basement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/professional-organizer.com\/WordPress\/organizing-a-basement\/","title":{"rendered":"Organizing a “Texas Basement”"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It’s quite funny but in southeast Texas we have no underground basements. The same applies to southeast Louisiana.\u00a0 Due to the water table in Houston, our “Texas basement” is storage above the garage.\u00a0 (In other parts of the country this is called the attic!) It can be accessed by a pull down ladder or through a door.\u00a0 No matter where your basement is located, Texas or not, some of the same organizing strategies apply!\u00a0 Organizing a Texas basement is the same as other basements.<\/p>\n

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Partner up, partner.<\/h3>\n

It’s always best to work in a partnership with a big space. Your Texas basement can be overwhelming otherwise.\u00a0 Choose a partner that helps you make good decisions about your stuff.\u00a0 Your partner could be the owner of some of the stuff or just help you reflect on whether it can be donated.\u00a0\u00a0 Have a conversation ahead of time about priorities and what help you need to make decisions.\u00a0 It’s also great to have another set of hands to help move your boxes and bins together.\u00a0 It helps offset accidental injury.\u00a0 Set a date on the calendar that can’t be changed, no matter what.\u00a0 Get your partner and get going partner!<\/p>\n

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Use vertical space wisely.<\/h3>\n

There’s always lots of wall space in our Texas basements.\u00a0 Use this vertical space well by adding storage with shelves.<\/p>\n

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\"Sterilite<\/a>

5 tier shelving<\/p><\/div>\n

Using these inexpensive, 4 or 5 shelf units in your basement or attic gives you loads of additional storage. You can stack bins on them, store luggage on them, or even place large holiday decorations on them. Line up 3 or 4 shelving units for maximum storage.\u00a0 Since these are light weight and portable these are a great asset for your space.<\/p>\n

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Use plastic bins\u00a0 to contain your goods.<\/h3>\n

Here in Texas we have a lot of big insects! We like to protect our goods by keeping them stored in plastic bins, rather than cardboard boxes. Cardboard attracts\u00a0 bugs<\/a> and we want to be sure our items are secured away from bug stuff.<\/p>\n

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These 66 quart bins with a latch make it easy to carry your stuff up those stairs to your Texas basement.\u00a0 It’s not too big or heavy.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s best to label two sides and the top of your bin to know what you are storing.<\/p>\n

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Choose wisely what you store<\/h3>\n

Because we have limited storage, we need to make good decisions about what to store. In Texas the heat is definitely a factor in what to store in our Texas basements.\u00a0 With temperatures in the 90s during the summer, you want to store only items that can withstand that heat.<\/p>\n

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Typical storage includes:<\/p>\n