Major retailers have their displays of holiday decor stocked and ready for the upcoming holiday season. Before you stock up on new ornaments or lights to deck your halls, it's important to have a plan in place for storing your holiday decorations.

This helps you keep your home organized and ensures that your decor remains in good shape for years to come. Our real estate agents suggest using these ideas for storing your holiday decorations. 

• Go Through Your Old Decor
  Before you spend money buying storage items for your decor, declutter your holiday decor. Get rid of anything that's broken and unfixable or that you just don't enjoy seeing in your home. Not only will you have less to store when it's time to pack everything away, but you'll be able to quickly find what you're looking for when it's time to decorate your home.

• Opt for Clear Storage Containers
  Clear storage containers are a budget-friendly, efficient way to store your decor so that you know exactly what's in the bin. Try to store like items together; for example, store indoor items together and if necessary, give each room or space its own container. Label each container using specific terms so that you can quickly determine what bin you need. An added benefit of using plastic storage containers is that they help your garage or storage shed appear neat and functional, making it more appealing to potential homebuyers when you add your home to the inventory of Belleville homes for sale. 

• Use Clear Garment Bags to House Large or Oddly Shaped Items
  Clear garment bags work well for protecting oversized or irregularly shaped items from the elements. You can use them to cover wreaths, outside decor, door signs, artificial trees, and floral arrangements. Garment bags are also a terrific idea for storing all your rolls of wrapping paper and decorative boxes. Depending on the item, you can hang the garment bags on a portable clothing rack, in a closet, or on hooks so that you can easily find what you're looking for when it's time to decorate. 

• Store Ornaments and Small Decorative Pieces in Egg Cartons
  Recycle your old egg cartons to store ornaments, figurines, and other holiday trinkets. The egg carton will protect fragile items, and you can house the egg cartons in larger storage bins. Make sure to label each egg carton so that you know what's inside. 

• Repurpose Cardboard Boxes
  You can use all your cardboard boxes to keep your lights and garland from getting tangled. Cut a piece of the box to wrap your garland or lights around so that they don't get tangled when they're in storage. This will save you detangling time when it's time to use your decorations. If you like to use specific lights in certain areas of your home, you can write on the cardboard where each strand of light goes. 

With a little time and planning, you can keep your holiday decorations organized and protected when you're not using them. Interested in purchasing a home with more space for holiday festivities? Contact us to list your home for sale!