After all the catastrophic buying crazes of the pandemic era, many people may be feeling as though they don’t have enough storage space within their homes.
While some storage needs can be outsourced to closets or the garage, your food and pantry staples probably don’t make that list. In fact, realtors report that a walk-in pantry is the most desired kitchen feature, and some customers even have it as an “essential” item.
Here are a few ideas to meet your food storage needs around the house.
Expand Your Pantry
The most obvious way to increase your food storage space is to expand your current pantry. Or, for those who lack a pantry space completely, install one.
Depending on a variety of factors, installing or expanding a pantry can be anywhere between $750-$3500 on average. Regardless of the scope of your particular project, expanding or installing a pantry is a pretty safe investment in terms of resale value.
In the case that you’re not looking to drop lots of cash for a professional expansion, try revamping the way you organize your staples within the pantry itself. Consider installing additional shelving space in your pantry, or even trying a simple fix of a tiered step organizer for spices, jars, and canned goods.
Use a Basement
Using your basement as a pantry most likely won’t solve all of your food storage issues, but it will help to control overflow and allow you to make that extra trip to Costco you’ve been wanting to do.
A word of caution, though. Basements are notoriously damp and cool, unless you have a finished one with climate control. The coolness factor can be good for food storage, but the dampness is definitely not. Before using your basement for food storage, consider waterproofing the area. Waterproofing can help avoid mold and mildew issues when storing food in your basement.
Repurpose an Old Bookshelf
In the case that you don’t quite have the funds for a new pantry, or that your home doesn’t have a basement, you can also try repurposing an old bookshelf..
If you’re the DIY type this can be a fun project, and even if you’re not, it’s an easy enough project for novices too. Old bookshelves can be sanded down and repainted with a fresh coat paint or even wallpaper for some colorful accents. If you like a more trendy look, why not give these types of shelves a try?
Finding enough space in your house for food storage can be a bit of a hassle, but there’s one thing that almost everyone can agree on – it’s essential.
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