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Maximize the storage space with smart and flexible storage solutions
Maximize the storage space with smart and flexible storage solutions

Press release -

Your wardrobe could cost up to SEK 800,000

Storage is taking up an ever larger part of our homes. Today, some 10 per cent of our living space is used for storing clothes and belongings. That’s a space worth almost SEK 800,000 for the average central Stockholm home

-The need for storage space is increasing as we gain new belongings, but in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic we are also wanting more space for work and socializing in the home, says storage expert Christine Dalman.

According to Elfa’s Storage Report, an average household’s storage space makes up around 10 per cent of the home’s floor area. So in an average property of 95 square metres, 9 are currently devoted to storage – not including any cellar or loft storage. That’s a space worth almost SEK 385,000 in the average Swedish property, based on current housing price data from Svensk Mäklarstatistik.

The report also shows that two in five people have had to either expand their storage space or improve or maximize their storage solutions within the same area. Clothes, home electronics and kitchen equipment are the items for which storage needs have increased the most in the past two years. Of those experiencing a greater need for storage, around half (48%) revealed that they had bought more items than they had cleared out. The second most common response was that they had received or inherited more items (21%).

- The need for smart storage increases when we need to make every square metre count. But in the wake of the pandemic, we are also seeing a new need. We currently need more space at home for work and socializing, as that is where much more of our time is spent. This becomes a challenge when we are also acquiring more than we clear out. So we need new ways of thinking about consumption and home planning, says Dalman.

Stockholmers who live in apartments devote on average around 8 square metres of their living space to storage, which is the equivalent of a property value of around SEK 785,000*. How much of one’s property is devoted to storage varies based on different factors such as geographic location, age, and whether or not there are children in the household. Families with children use the most storage space, 9-10 square metres. Younger, childless adults use slightly less, 7-8 square metres.

- Storage isn’t just about interiors and keeping track of your things; it can also be a question of money when valuable space is going towards inefficient storage. So, when your storage needs increase, it’s important to ensure that you are maximizing the storage space you have. That leaves us with more space for the other things that matter, Dalman concludes.

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*Price statistics based on tenant-owned apartments for November 2020 from Svensk Mäklarstatistik. Every month, Svensk Mäklarstatistik compiles the only current, comprehensive price statistics for tenant-owned apartments, villas and summer houses in Sweden. The statistics are produced by Statistics Sweden (SCB) on behalf of Svensk Mäklarstatistik and are based on over 95 per cent of the property deals conducted through estate agents.

About the survey

The survey was conducted by opinion and market research company YouGov on behalf of Elfa between 20-23 March 2020. In all, 1,011 online interviews were conducted with men and women in Sweden aged 18 and over. The sample is representative of the Swedish population in terms of gender, age and region. 

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Elfa provides a storage system created to fit people’s individual needs throughout life. Our product portfolio includes customized sliding doors as well as wall-hung or free-standing wardrobe interiors – all in sustainable, functional design of the highest quality.

The company was founded in 1948 and has been owned since 1999 by The Container Store, the USA’s largest storage products retail chain. The Container Store is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Elfa has three factories and eight sales companies in Europe. The group reported turnover of approximately MSEK 1 203 in the 2019 fiscal year and by the end of fiscal year 2019 the group had 501 employees. Our head office is located in Malmö

Contacts

Cecilia Westerlund Cerne

Press contact Corporate Communications Responsible +46 40 608 07 27

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Customized and durable storage solutions

Elfa provides a storage system created to fit people’s individual needs throughout life. Our product portfolio includes customized sliding doors as well as wall-hung or free-standing wardrobe interiors – all in sustainable, functional design of the highest quality.
The company was founded in 1948 and has been owned since 1999 by The Container Store, the USA’s largest storage products retail chain. The Container Store is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Elfa has three factories and seven sales companies in Europe.