Hallway storage solutions
16 Hallway Storage Ideas to Try Yourself
By
Kate Van Pelt
Kate Van Pelt
Kate Van Pelt is a contributing writer for The Spruce, based in the PNW. Kate has been a full-time digital content creator for nearly a decade, covering everything from home decor to personal finance.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Published on 12/21/22
John Keeble / Getty Images
This article is part of our series, The 7-Day Spruce Up: Your Ultimate Guide to Home Organizing. The 7-Day Spruce Up is your destination for whole home happiness, curating our very best tips and product recommendations to help you create your tidiest, coziest, most beautiful home yet.
Hallways can sometimes feel like wasted space. They're awkward and skinny and typically serve as little more than a passage from one room to another.
However, hallways deserve much more credit than we give them. You can dress up a hallway with pretty prints, of course, but it's also ideal for shoe and sweater storage or even extra pantry space. If you have a closet to work with, the possibilities are even greater.
The trick is learning how to address your unique storage needs within the space allotted. So we've gathered 16 creative ways to transform your hallway into a pretty and practical storage solution.
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Straighten Up Your Linen Closet
@afreshspace / Instagram
If your hallway comes with a simple linen closet, odds are you've already made the most of this space for storage. However, it's easy to neglect your linen closet over time, and eventually it becomes an unsightly mess of towels and toiletries.
Start fixing up your hallway storage by organizing your linen closet into groups. Sort linens into piles of like items. Do the same with toiletries, dividing them into plastic bins. -
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Create a Stylish Built-In
@afreshspace / Instagram
Depending on the location of your hallway and your storage needs, you might benefit from a stylish built-in. This is an especially ideal solution for families, as each cubby can belong to a specific individual. Use this space for everything from shoes and backpacks to sweaters and baseball bats.
The 10 Best Shoe Storage Benches of 2023
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Make a Mini Mudroom
@afreshspace / Instagram
If your hallway is situated near an exterior door, the most fitting storage solution for your home could be a mini mudroom. Create space for items like boots, umbrellas, dog leashes, and other everyday items with a simple adjustable shelf system. You can dress up the look with a set of pretty baskets or keep the storage ultra-practical with heavy-duty plastic bins that can withstand ample dirt and debris.
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Construct a Hallway Pantry
@afreshspace / Instagram
Have you every considered transforming your hallway into extra pantry space? For families who spend lots of time cooking and gathering in the kitchen, an open-shelf hallway-style pantry system makes for an excellent addition to the home. Be sure to incorporate practical storage solutions like shelf risers and lazy Susans, as well as more aesthetic options like wicker and wire baskets.
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Utilize Crates and Containers
@afreshspace / Instagram
One of the quickest ways to organize your hallway closet, no matter its contents, is with a collection of crates and containers. You can pick out a set of stylish baskets from your favorite store, but basic, plastic bins will get the job done just fine. We recommend clearing the closet completely, organizing the items into groups, then returning each set of belongings back to the closet in labeled, storage containers.
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Add a Minimal Shelf
@estherbschmidt / Instagram
Not every hallway has the square footage to accommodate a built-in pantry or a mini mudroom. If you're working with less real estate, why not add a petite shelf. You can use this space for smaller items like keys and credit cards and dress it up with a pretty portrait. This is also an excellent spot for a candle or diffuser to keep the entryway smelling great.
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Hang Some Pretty Baskets
@estherbschmidt / Instagram
As an alternative to the minimal shelf proposed above, another way to increase storage space in your hallway is with hanging baskets. This idea is especially eye-catching and may allow for more storage than the shelf option, depending on the size baskets you select. Use them for cozy items like blankets and books or miscellaneous needs like gloves and hats.
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Beautify With a Tiny Table
@estherbschmidt / Instagram
One way to add a little extra storage to your hallway is with a small table situated at the end.
This is a great way to add some aesthetic appeal to a boring hallway, while also addressing your storage needs. You can create a designated spot for spare change, for instance, or accessories like earbuds, but you can also spruce up the zone with a plant or framed photo. -
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Design a Practical Pit Stop
@afreshspace / Instagram
If your hallway extends from the front door, there might be room to design a brief pit stop on your way in and out of the home. You can purchase a pre-made entryway hutch with hooks, a bench, and storage for shoes, or you can construct your own to fit the space. This attractive solution can meet multiple storage needs all at once.
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Choose Functional Furniture
@milkandhoneylife / Instagram
Some hallways can make room for large built-in cubbies and entryway hutches, but others may require smaller storage options. Nevertheless, functional furniture exists in all shapes and sizes.
This hallway, for example, features both a slender bench and table, perfect for taking off your shoes at the end of a long day and setting down your purse or wallet before continuing into the home. -
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Install a Pretty Set of Hooks
@homestead.city.dwelling / Instagram
Another way to add extra storage space to a skinny hallway is with a set of hooks that fit both your design style as well as your storage needs. This custom, wall-mounted coat rack provides a home for totes and jackets as well as a stylish divider between wallpaper and paint.
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Add a Standing Mirror
@wilsonaesthetic_ / Instagram
If you're the type who likes to check your outfit one last time on your way out the door, you'll love this hallway storage idea. Create a vanity-style space in your hallway with a full-length, floor mirror and some final outfit additions, like hats and jewelry. The addition of a mirror in your hallway can also create the illusion of more room.
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Label Your Closet Storage
@neatbymeg / Instagram
One of the most widely accepted tips from professional home organizers can be summarized in one word: labels. Whether you choose to fill your hallway closet with sheets and pillows, assorted cooking oils, or everything from medicines to tape measures, be sure to label your storage baskets and bins to stay organized.
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Incorporate a Decorative Ladder
@homebypolly / Instagram
Another simple storage idea for skinny hallways is to add a decorative ladder for your collection of comfy blankets. This is another option that is both stylish and functional. Additionally, if you're crafty and motivated, you can even create the ladder yourself with a set of dowels and nails.
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Select a Sleek, Slender Cabinet
@herzenstimme / Instagram
If you have the room, consider adding a cabinet or two to your hallway for storage underneath and pretty decor on top.
Cabinets can be particularly useful for hallways, since they hide all your storage behind closed doors. Stick with a neutral wood tone or color palette for your cabinets, so as to not overwhelm the small space with bold colors or designs. -
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Create Clean Lines With Storage and Decor
@homebypolly / Instagram
Hallways are the perfect place the incorporate storage solutions alongside aesthetic additions, but it's important to make sure the two complement one another. This hallway, for example, pairs a skinny black floating shelf with a simple gallery wall of black-framed photos. The clean lines of the shelf and framed prints match beautifully, creating a cute and cohesive look as you enter the home.
45 Storage Ideas for Your Entire Home
75 Clever Hallway Storage Ideas
This is a great idea for a super simple and sleek storage you could build in an entrance hall. Sliding handless doors make this possible.
A hallway is a space that you see first coming home and the place where you leave coats, umbrellas and shoes and many other things. If you have a small hallway how can you organize storage so that it wouldn’t take much space but could contain a lot of things? We’ve found a bunch of brilliant ideas for you! According to the style of your interior you may choose any idea from hidden minimalist storage and vintage suitcases to rustic baskets and pallet boxes hanging on the wall. Everything depends on the amount of space and colors and atmosphere you want to create. Look at the ideas below and enjoy!
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Slim wall-mounted cabinets won't occupy much floor space.
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Built-in drawers is another way to turn your hallway into a storage mecca. Lots of folded clothes, shoes, jewelry and other small things could be stored there.
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Rustic shelving works really well in terms of overall design if it matches other elements like a ceiling or baseboards.
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Handless minimalist design with a little display in the middle.
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A built-in cabinet could have enough space for a linen storage. A gallery wall is as trendy addition to a hallway as to any other room.
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One more great example of minimalist hallway with lots of storage space.
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Hallway shoe storage could be quite beautiful and minimalist looking.
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One more simple idea for open shelves combined with shoe storage.
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Push latch is a perfect mechanism for minimalist storage solutions.
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If you have nice wall color in your hallway then open shelving unit is perfect to show it.
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Hanging sideboard is perfect minimalist lightweight solution.
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For a narrow hallway you should choose narrow storage solution. You can cover the whole wall with such storage and it won't be look bulky.
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Multifunctional storage is always a great choice. A small unit could provide hidden storage space, coat hooks and an open shelf.
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A good storage bench and two narrow storage units is usually more than enough to organize your family's clothes and shoes.
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Open shelving works well in hallways because it usually doesn't occupy lots of space and isn't bulky. It's perfect to display family photos, stuff you bring from travels and books.
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Hanging units is always a great solution for small spaces because it won't occupy any floor space.
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There are cool shoe cabinets in IKEA in Hemnes collection that you should take a look at. They are really narrow so they won't eat a lot of floor space.
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Built-ins could solve exactly your needs without looking bulky.
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This is a great example of how smoothly could built-ins blend with your interior.
That is probably the best solution for apartments.
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If you're searching for cheap DIY hanging units then simply use wooden crates.
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Don't forget that your storage could be a stylish addition to a hallway if it's chosen right.
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Mudroom lockers is quite popular and practical solution for small spaces.
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Tall units are great if you want to store a lot of small things. For example, if you want to organize your craft supplies.
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Just make sure that your storage organizers are narrow cuz usually it's a bad idea to make a hallway narrower than it already is.
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Mid-century inspired storage could look great. Mixing colors could make it to stand out.
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Combining seating cushions with storage units is always a smart choice for entryways.
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In case you don't like standard solutions there are plenty of creative entryway storage units done in different styles.
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Another clever idea is to use cubbies on castors. This way you can always move them around.
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The simplest and the cheapest choice is to buy storage units in IKEA but if you build or find the one that fit your interior style - you'd be rewarded with a great hallway design.
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Combining different kinds of storage is an another smart decision to solve all your needs.
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In some cases, creating a small laundry space in a hallway is a great idea. You can simply hide it behind the curtain.
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Hallways are great areas to display things. Here is a simple but smart solution to display small stuff.
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Probably kids are those who need the most cleverly organized storage in a mudroom. Otherwise things could get messy.
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Built-in shelving will make your passageway much more practical.
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You can always add a splash of color if you DIY your storage solution.
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This storage wall is a great example of how much storage you could fit into a hallway.
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Awkward niches are perfect to organize clothes and shoes.
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Source: pinterest
Updated:
Kate
8 best tips - INMYROOM
Small apartment
Why a closed closet is better than open shelves, where to hide the necessary little things and how to organize the storage of shoes - designers revealed the secrets of competent hallway arrangement
Even a compact hallway can create a pleasant first impression of the whole house.
On one condition - if it will be in order. Tips from the Uyutnaya kvartira design studio will help you turn a corridor into a functional place to store clothes, shoes, and useful little things. Read and take advantage!
The creative life of the design studio "Uyutnaya kvartira" began in March 2003. Over the years, the studio's specialists have implemented several hundred different design projects throughout Russia and abroad.
1. Choose closed wardrobes
In a small hallway for storing clothes, provide a closed wardrobe or a built-in wardrobe with mirrored doors - this way you will visually expand the space. But open shelves and mezzanines would be inappropriate: storing things on them looks untidy - the room becomes even cramped than it really is.
2. Opt for a rack with drawers
A more budget-friendly solution is a rack with spacious drawers inside. Choose models with a bright design - instead of laconic boxes, use colored plastic containers or cozy wicker boxes.
So you save space and organize additional storage space for hats, scarves and gloves.
3. Provide clothes hooks at the entrance
A bulky closet in the hallway can also be easily replaced with compact and practical hooks. This option is especially relevant if there are children at home. And your guests or household members will not have to wait for you to bring coat hangers - just reach out and hang your outerwear yourself. Bags and packages can also be conveniently placed here.
4. Get wall or floor hangers
Floor and wall hangers are suitable for square hallways instead of closed cabinets. So you free up space and get enough space for seasonal outerwear. Instead of the classic wall construction, you can install several hooks at different levels. So you avoid the traditional problem - a visual "lump" of clothes on the wall.
5. Install shelves or cabinets for accessories
Accessories in the form of hats or gloves, folders and bags also require their own space in the hallway.
You need to free your hands at least in order to take off your street shoes. Therefore, key holders, decorative shelves and cabinets at the entrance are not only decoration of the hallway, but also a useful, functional purchase.
6. Organize storage space for small items
For small items and accessories, small drawers, hanging boxes or trunks in a chest of drawers are suitable. Also, the "organizers" can easily hide on the inside of the cabinet door. A small tray or a shallow vase on the very cabinet where you leave your bag and gloves can also become a hiding place for small things.
7. Consider a “shoe zone”
In order not to carry street dust and dirt around the apartment, organize something like a “shoe zone” in the hallway. Alternatively, place a separate rug at the entrance to accommodate shoes or boots. Be sure to think over the place where you put the basket for guest slippers - your loved ones will certainly appreciate your care!
8.
Find a place for umbrellas Even in a small hallway there is a place for a narrow and high basket for umbrellas. In our country, the weather does not indulge in constancy, so the umbrella turns out to be a faithful companion for at least six months of the year. Therefore, it is worth providing a special place for it, especially since designers offer interesting solutions for every taste.
Hallway storage - useful ideas and hacks
The hallway is a special place in any apartment. Do you know why? This is the first room you enter when you come home. This means that it should be the most comfortable, bright and clean, so that you would like to return to the house.
But it often happens that when we come home, we quickly run through the hallway, literally closing our eyes and firmly believing that we are wearing an invisibility cloak. Run to the room and here it is, salvation. Why is the hallway often not the most comfortable room in the house? Firstly, it is most often very small and cannot accommodate all those things that we have.
This results in clutter. Secondly, there is no natural light in the hallway. Because of this, if you do not take care of competent artificial lighting, it will be dark in it, which means uncomfortable.
And third, storage! Is it possible to organize a good storage system in the hallway with your own hands? Of course, but for this you need to know the ergonomics of space and life hacks, how to store things in a small space without littering it either inside or on surfaces. It is these life hacks that our today's article is about, read to the end!
Contents of the article:
- What can and should be stored in the hallway
- Shoe part
- Outerwear piece
- Hats
- Various accessories: umbrellas, bags, gloves, scarves
- Care products for clothing and footwear
- Other household items
- What can be used to organize the storage system in the hallway
- Compact wardrobes
- Special foyer cabinets
- Small storage boxes
- Ottomans with storage box
- Small benches
- Hanging shelves
- Small boxes
- Small baskets
- Key holders
- Organizers
- Wall hangers and hooks
- And, of course, shoe racks
- A few tips for compact hallway storage
- Everything superfluous - to the Attic
- Benefits of storing things in the attic rather than in the hallway
- Allow yourself comfort
What can and should be stored in the hallway
1.
Shoe piece Why exactly a part - because in our climate all shoes are strictly divided into 2 categories: winter and summer. There are also demi-season models, but they, as a rule, are suitable for all seasons at once - the so-called "universal soldiers". And a smart decision is to store in the hallway only those shoes that are suitable for the current season. This will allow you to always have twice as much free space in the hallway for actual shoes.
2. Part of outerwear
The same with clothes as with shoes: in summer you can safely get rid of storing fur coats, hats and down jackets in the hallway, and in winter we put away trench coats, windbreakers and straw hats. It is especially important to remove winter things in summer, because, due to their materials and size, they take up a lot of space.
3. Hats
It is convenient to store them in the hallway in order to choose the right model right before going out.
4. Various accessories: umbrellas, bags, gloves, scarves
You will have to master discipline with these things, because they tend to crawl into all rooms and corners. But they are all part of the outfit, so you should put them on just before going out.
5. Care products for clothing and footwear
These are various bottles, tubes, brushes, sprays, sponges. It is also best to keep them on hand so that you can put your clothes, shoes or accessories in order before going out.
6. Other household items
This includes keys, small tools, a folder for bills and receipts, a comb, a mirror.
What can be used to organize a storage system in the hallway
All the things listed in the previous block require a certain storage system, otherwise there will be chaos and disorder in the hallway. Different devices and methods are intended for different types of things.
We list the most effective.
1. Compact sliding wardrobes
A sliding wardrobe allows you to save a lot of space, which would be intended for the opening radius of a classic door. This means that the coupe can be placed even in the narrowest and smallest hallway.
2. Special cabinets for the hallway
They can combine closed and open storage. Such systems are convenient when you want to hide shoes or some visually unattractive things (for example, household items), but at the same time maintain a sense of spaciousness. You can put something beautiful on open shelves - your favorite accessories or decor.
3. Small storage boxes
If there is still no place to put a wardrobe (even a compartment), then in combination with an ordinary wall hanger you can pick up a couple of drawers. Storage boxes can be wooden, plastic, wicker or fabric, and they can also form a bookcase if there is an option to stack them on top of each other.
4. Ottomans with storage box
Even the smallest hallway should have a place where you can sit down and comfortably put on your shoes. An ottoman with a storage box is a great life hack that allows you to combine convenience with functionality, because inside you can store shoes, care bottles or umbrellas.
5. Small banquettes
A banquette with a storage box in the hallway is an option when you have enough space and want to maintain visual space. By the way, it is quite possible to put actual shoes under the bench itself, but only literally 1-2 pairs, so as not to litter the space.
6. Hanging shelves
Their huge advantage is that they can be used in a hallway of absolutely any size, since there is always a free wall. Shelves can be near the mirror or above it, they can be short or long, narrow or wide. It all depends on what you are going to store on them. Choose shelves in such a way that it is convenient for you to get objects from them and at the same time they do not interfere with the passage.
If in doubt about the quantity, then do not hang more than 2 shelves. And always leave free space for them.
7. Small boxes
For example, small boxes made of cloth or rattan can be hung on the wall or stored above the dressing room. It is convenient to store household items, hats, accessories in boxes.
8. Small baskets
Small baskets can be very functional! For example, store shoes or umbrellas. And they can perform a decorative function - you can add various small items or receipts there.
9. Key holders
If there is not enough space in the hallway, use a wall-mounted key holder. If there is a cabinet in the room, then you can put a beautiful decorative key holder in the form of a statue or some object.
10. Organizers
They help you keep all kinds of things in one place at once, without losing anything. For convenience, you can beautifully sign each pocket.
11. Wall hangers and hooks
Hooks are the savior of your square centimeters, if there are so few of them. Remember that if you plan to store clothes on hooks, then in the store choose those models that do not require coat hangers.
12. And, of course, shoe racks
Keeping shoes in a closed shoe rack visually makes the hallway look neater. On the floor, it becomes easier to keep clean - you clean and mop the floor less. And the shoes will keep their neat appearance longer. After all, if you store it without a shoe rack, then dust will constantly settle on it. If it seems to you that the shoe rack does not fit all the shoes, then remember one of the first life hacks - to store only seasonally relevant shoes in the hallway.
A few tips for compact storage in the hallway
- Use any niche, even very small ones, if there are any - you can hang a beautiful basket there and put receipts, gloves, keys or umbrellas.
- Actively use mezzanines - it is convenient to store archives, personal belongings, small sports equipment there.
- Be sure to use the corners - you can put narrow open shelving up to the ceiling in them, and they will accommodate everything you need.
- If there are interior doors in the hallway or a door to the pantry, use them to place mirrors, small shelves, hooks - this will expand the storage area.
- Use different storage formats, such as a combination of open and closed systems.
- Be sure to provide lighting - your perception of the room depends on the lighting, and it will also be easier to clean up and find the right things.
- And don't forget about the decor for comfort - in the hallway it would be appropriate to hang a knitted panel, a picture, a poster or a planter with succulents.
Everything superfluous - to the Attic
The hallway is clearly not your warehouse, so seasonal and temporarily "extra" things have nothing to do there.
What to do with skis, bicycles, scooters, out-of-season clothes and shoes, and especially car tires? To the attic! We are ready to give you the missing square meters and free your hallway from what gets in the way, gathers dust and spoils the view of the whole apartment. Consider that now you will have your own personal warehouse - after all, we pick up and deliver things right to your home!
How does the Attic work? Very simple: you form a list of things that you temporarily do not need for any reason. Then, literally in one click, you place an order on our website, in social networks, instant messengers or by phone (depending on where it is more convenient for you) - just tell us how many things you have so that we understand how many movers and packaging will be needed for your order. Then we agree on a time convenient for you - the movers come home and the fun begins! We work and you rest. Yes, now you don’t even have to think about packing things – we will do everything ourselves, because the movers will have 15 types of packaging materials so that things reach the warehouse safe and sound.
We will mark everything and take it to the warehouse - on the same evening, things will appear in your virtual warehouse in your personal account on the website or in the mobile application. You can breathe easy - no clutter in the hallway, only space, cleanliness and comfort.
How can I return things if they are needed? Exactly the same - in one click. Press "return" opposite the position you need in your personal account and the next day the item is already at your home. Comfortable? Not that word!
Benefits of storing things in the attic, not in the hallway
- Things do not get dusty, as they are securely packed.
- There is a lot of space in the entrance hall, because we keep everything seasonal.
- You don't need to deal with packing and delivery of things - the movers will do everything.
- It's convenient to store seasonal clothes - donate what is out of season and pick up the latest.
- Ideal conditions in the warehouse - at any time of the year +20 degrees Celsius, a constant certain level of humidity, as well as regular ventilation and cleaning.
