On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 17:38:20 +0000, Max Demian
wrote:

On 09/12/2020 15:23, T i m wrote:
On Wed, 9 Dec 2020 13:58:52 +0000, Max Demian
wrote:

snip

I think 'squirreling' is a function of (potentially) several things.

1) Space. Or at least that typically the thing that stops most
*practical* people storing more than they do.

flats rarely have much - and/or the inconvenience of
transporting it when moving house.

Agreed, daughter left here and was then living in her half sisters
flat after she (step daughter) was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She
carried it on after she died (for her niece) and has only started
moving out of here of late. We have discovered two things:

1) Whist its a reasonably sized two bed flat, there is very little
storage space. This is compounded because there is no auxiliary space
in say a loft or shed.

My previous flat had a large walk in cupboard below the stairs of the
upstairs flat which was very useful.

Yes, it sounds like it might be. This is a block of 8 (2 x4) flats
with a central doorway and stairs that go back and forth to open
landings on each level (leading to an enclosed one feeding two
opposing flats), so only the ground floor one side could make use of
the under stairs space (I can't remember if it's open or not).

Why can't they have lockable storage units in the basement (or wherever)
that you could rent?

I know some places have access to something like that (a row / block
of small sheds or even single garages). I don't think there is much
room for 8 of anything worth having and they would need to be fairly
secure to risk keeping anything of worth in there.

A basement
launderette would also be useful so you would not need a (most time
unused) machine in the kitchen taking up space.

That would be lovely but I assume you don't live in the UK?

Here I think a basement is quite rare, except for some of the bigger
houses both in the town and country.

There are a few rotary clothes airers out the back of the flats but
I've never seen them used for much.

There is reserved parking though and a fair number of visitor spaces
so that's quite a treat (and by no means 'standard').

To provide some more storage space for her I made up a simple frame
using 63x48mm CLS timber. Two vertical frames, 600 deep by 2m high and
with two 'shelves' made of 'beams' of the same material on edge. She
now has 8 fairly large plastic storage boxes on the frame that is free
standing in an alcove on something that can be easily taken to pieces
(two uprights, 6 beams) and carried in most hatchback cars (we took it
up there in the Meriva mini MPV), as / when she moves ... and no holes
to fill in the flat. ;-)

In what was her room here, apart from the storage behind the (fold
down) headboard there were two shelves the width of the bed over the
headboard, storage in the (free standing) stairs that lead up to the
bed, two levels under the 1m deep, wall to wall workbench and two
corner cupboards for hanging clothes. In front of the window she had a
long 3 draw unit and there was still room for two office chairs to sit
and use the bench. ;-)

The bench now has my 3D printer on it and I'm gradually converting it
to my PC / electronics / 3D printing study, keeping the bed clear for
emergency use.

There is a nice balanced flue gas heater in there that keeps it very
warm, even when set to below position 1.

All good till you want to move someone out who is into all sorts of
things and had lived there all her life. ;-)

That reminds me, there are also 3 guitars hanging on the wall over the
stairs and for a while she was sharing the room with her 6' 3"
boyfriend!

Cheers, T i m