If your house feels overrun with sports equipment or exercise paraphernalia, you may be wondering how you can make space whilst still holding on to your kit. Luckily, there are plenty of storage hacks that will keep your equipment in good condition ready for the next time you need it. Sports Equipment Storage 

The Rise of Exercise at Home

Before lockdown, many of us were able to enjoy gym memberships, fitness classes and organised outdoor pursuit activities. Since March 2020, many of these forms of exercise have been severely restricted or have had to stop.

This has led to a huge demand for fitness equipment that you can use in the comfort of your own home or in your local area. The demand for fitness equipment in the UK has been phenomenal. Bike retailers have sold out of both adults’ and children’s bikes, and the price of a single kettlebell has skyrocketed due to increased demand.

If you used to rely on a spinning class or exercise machines in the gym, you may now have purchased a road bike for outdoor adventures (or turbo training). But if your house was jam-packed before lockdown, finding space for a new bike can be a head-scratcher.

Here we’ll look at how best to store sports equipment, and clever hacks to maximise your space.

Storing Sports Equipment Storage

Most equipment will remain in better condition if you can store it indoors. This doesn’t necessarily need to be anywhere fancy. If you don’t want to use the top of the wardrobe or a corner of the spare room, some equipment can be stored in the garage, loft or shed.

It is important to regularly inspect your equipment, as these areas are at risk of dampness or damage from pests. If you are storing expensive equipment, invest in a heavy-duty lock for the door, and check that the items will still be covered by your home insurance.

Garden Games

When not in use, outdoor equipment including football goals or basketball hoops will remain in better condition if you store it indoors. Although it might seem like a chore, dismantling larger items means they’ll take up far less space.

Fitness Equipment Storage

Boxing gloves, dumbbells and foam rollers can all be stored out of the house in the shed. However, to avoid them getting damp and mouldy, place them into a plastic storage box with a well-fitting lid. When you next come to use them, you won’t need to worry about their condition.

Sporting kit including shin pads, goalie gloves, lifejackets and safety helmets can all be stored in plastic boxes, too. Stacking similarly sized or shaped items together will help you save even more space. This is also a great solution for keeping everything in one place, and may help to prevent the annoyance of not being able to find one glove.

Make sure everything is clean and dry before you put it away. There’s nothing worse than pulling out a damp, dirty lifejacket before a day at the beach!

Bikes

If you don’t have a garage or shed, but do have a little outside space, bike pods can offer a great solution. Made of plastic or metal, you can store your bikes securely and protect them from the elements. These pods often take up less space than a shed, and may be harder for thieves to break into, too.

Bikes can be mounted to the wall with metal hooks. If you don’t have a garage or shed, your bikes can become a modern design feature within the house. You could affix them to the wall of the kitchen, dining room or even the living room. Getting them off the floor will leave you with far more living space, too.

Safety Sports Equipment Storage 

If you are storing heavy weights or equipment that could be dangerous for children, it is important to store these items out of their reach. This is to prevent children from accidentally pulling them down off a shelf. Alternatively, heavy items could be placed on the floor and concealed under an old blanket.

Clothing and Shoes Storage

Many sports will involve specialist shoes and clothing of some kind. During the winter months, most outdoor activities are likely to result in a huge pile of laundry and a heap of muddy footwear. Rather than having a pile of wet, muddy boots by the door, a cheap shoe rack can keep things tidier, and ensure the mud dries off.

If you don’t have a chance to clean the footwear immediately, once the mud has dried it will be easier to remove by shaking or tapping the shoe outside.

Cheap Storage Unit

No matter how careful you are with storage and organisation at home, there may be some equipment that you just can’t find space for. This is especially true of large items such as surfboards, paddleboards, canoes, ski equipment or large collections of golf clubs.

Renting a budget storage unit could be the solution you’re looking for. Based in Fareham, Stop and Store offers convenient secure storage units to suit any amount of sports equipment that you might wish to store. Our storage rentals are available for both long and short term use, and you can access your items seven days a week.

All household storage units are clean and dry, so there’ll be no deterioration in the condition of your equipment.

If you are storing large items such as surfboards, it is worth considering how often you will want access to your board. If you will be heading to the beach on sunny evenings and every weekend, you may want to rent a storage room that is close to the loading bay to make accessing your board even easier. If the storage unit is not on the ground floor, consider whether you can fit your surfboard in the lift, or is the stairwell wide enough for you to easily carry your board out? Having a look round the storage facility before renting could help you to easily answer these questions.

If self storage could help you continue your passion for your sport without your home feeling cluttered, Stop and Store could be the right choice for you.

To enquire about secure storage rentals or to visit us in person, contact us today or call 01329 556174.