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It’s that time of year again – the nights are drawing in, the temperatures are dropping, and the wind and rain are dictating your wardrobe. It’s time to put away those sundresses, summer shorts and swimsuits to make way for heavy jumpers, thermals and those thick winter coats that seem to take up ALL the space.

If you’re short of space, you may have been putting off this task for some weeks now – dreading the idea of stuffing your beloved warm-weather clothes away in a dark corner of the spare room, and re-arranging your wardrobe like a game of Tetris.

But fear not! Here are our top tips for smoothly switching your wardrobes between the seasons. We’ll be teaching you how to create more space along the way, and offering some inspiration on what you can do with last year’s clothes if you’re still struggling to make space for that heavy waterproof parka coat.

Create a capsule wardrobe: Look at the ‘changing of the wardrobes’ as an opportunity to really sort through last season’s clothes before packing them away for the next 6 months. Be bold and donate any clothes that you feel you no longer fit, need or wear. As a general rule – if you haven’t worn that dress for at least two summers, it’s time for it to make its way to a charity shop for someone else to make good use of.

Another fantastic way to clear out older clothes that just aren’t ‘you’ anymore is to sell them online and make a little extra cash at the same time. Sites and apps like Vinted, Depop and eBay are brilliant community-based services where you can set your own price and sell your old outfits – making extra space and giving you peace of mind that you’ve helped reduce the amount of clothes-to-landfill along the way.

Keep any key pieces that take you from season to season and can be built into multiple outfits. Think plain white/black tees, a classic pair of jeans, and a good old-fashioned Breton stripe top. These items can be styled with just about anything – and layered up or down according to the season.

Pack away what you’re keeping correctly: We know it’s tempting to just ball up the clothes you’re keeping for next year into a mass and chuck them into a black bin bag in the corner, hoping that they’ll be perfectly fine to wear again when the weather gets warmer. The reality is they’ll be creased, crunchy, smelly, and even potentially mouldy!

To store your clothes correctly, we would recommend folding them a minimal number of times or rolling them up and stacking them neatly into good-quality vacuum-seal bags to minimise space and protect them. Categorise bags as you go, keeping tops together, shorts together, and swimwear together etc. This will make things easier to reorganise once summer comes back around. Label the outside before storing away and, as a little bonus tip, spritz a little perfume into the bag before vacuum-sealing.

For shoes, make sure they’re thoroughly cleaned and fully dry before storing them for winter. Shoes can carry a lot of dirt and moisture and if stored incorrectly, untouched for months on end, they can deteriorate and attract mould and mildew. Use inexpensive drawstring shoe bags or canvas bags to store your shoes – their breathable properties will prevent mould and keep shoes fresher throughout their time in storage.

Long-term storage for the season: So, you have your new capsule wardrobe ready to get you through winter. Your spring/summer outfits are packed neatly away in compact, sealed bags. Now what do you do with them?

For those lucky enough to have plenty of spare space in their homes, you can neatly stack your off-season clothes under the bed in an organiser or drawer. You could keep them in your loft provided it has good ventilation and no risk of pests getting to them…

Or, if you want the peace of mind that next season’s clothes are kept secure, undisturbed, and out of sight – then self-storage is a great option to consider.

M-Store provides first-class storage facilities across Cornwall. We’re all about being professional and flexible, which means we’ve got a range of secure storage units in a selection of sizes to choose from. And by using us, you’ll be creating more space in your home safe in the knowledge that your items are being looked after under lock and key for however long you need them to be.

If you’re looking to free up some space in your home and make room for your bulky winter clothes – or if you just need more capacity in general – give the M-Store Team a call on 01726 890880 or email enquirie@m-store.biz to get in touch. Our dedicated customer service team will be able to help with all the options available for you.