I'm going to be moving from a 3 bed 1930s semi with garage to a one bedroom flat in Victorian house which has massive rooms with high ceilings but not much in the way of storage space for my tools.
All there is really is the under stairs area and I'm looking for suggestions as to how best to store my tools both in this kind of a flat generally and in the under stairs area.
Buy toolboxes/storage cabinets from Screwfix or similar.
Under the bed?
With such high ceilings, can you build an elevated floor covering the floor area of the whole flat, and hence storage underneath?
Stacking containers as sold all over the place now quite cheaply should work well. I saw some in Aldi during the week. You could file the tools by type or sometimes by task which can work well in you are into lots of things. Depending on levels of OCD, numbered bins and a spreadsheet perhaps?
I sympathise but don't see how anyone can offer firm advice without a better idea of (a) the nature and quantity of the tools and (b) what other stuff[1] you need space for in the flat. But some obvious options are platform(s) over the bed (sort of like bunks) and floor-to-ceiling shelving with Spur or similar. Bear in mind though lifting heavy boxes down from a shelf 10' above the floor can get tricky as one ages.
[1] or perhaps I ought to say "what if any" in case your tools really, really matter :)
If downsizing be brutal with throwing out anything you have touched for
5 years. I know someone who spent a lot of money transferring 'possessions' from one location to another which will be stored in unopened boxes for the next decade.
That's an interesting, but horribly complicated solution. Supposing you raise the floor by say 2ft, window sills go from waist level to foot level (so you need protection from falling out). Light switches are suddenly at knee level. Power points are under the new floor. Door openings have to be raised 2 feet. It's a major job.
I thought about this in connection with my old office. We had a cellar there that had a ceiling which was a bit low for habitation. I did think about raising the floor of the space above, but the cost was far too much. And that was despite potentially gaining a two bed flat in the cellar.
How about a raised bed platform, to take advantage of the high ceilings?
I was going to say a mezzanine floor, but that's a nice radical solution. Downside is need to reposition all doors, skirting boards, etc, plus extra stairs for access.
Any chimney breasts? Fitted cupboards to in-fill these spaces?
But as others have said, a lot depends on the actual flat geometry, and the type and quantity of tools.
Make your toolbox part of the furniture :-
Go the other way... mezzanine with steps. Consider floor loading for the supports and whether other occupants have interfered with the original house structure. Removing supporting walls/chimney breasts etc.
I suggested a bed platform. It's what people actually do once they've thought about it.
There's gonna be very little scope or DIY in a small flat. You need to load up you car and take stuff down the local car boot sale. Or to friends/family. At least your treasures will get put to good use rather than end up in the skip. Which is what happens when you leave everything to the last minute. I moved out of a five bedroom house to a two. Terrible amount of good stuff got chucked out.
Or a garage sale.
which has massive rooms with high ceilings but not much in the way of storage space for my tools.
how best to store my tools both in this kind of a flat generally and in the under stairs area.
DIY Mezzanine ?.
one bedroom flat in Victorian house which has massive rooms with high ceilings but not much in the way of storage space for my tools.
suggestions as to how best to store my tools both in this kind of a flat generally and in the under stairs area.
Do we have them in this country? I thought that was a Merkin idea.
Ive done exactly that on occasion, and yes its not a bad solution. One major drawback is when u want something that's at the bottom of a stack that's one stack back'
How about some folding or sliding doors that conceal a workbench with drawers or,cupboards under and similar above?
A key issue in deciding the solution might be whether you have total say on the solution or is there a significant other who may have a veto?
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.