The Big Storage Mistake That Everyone Makes With Their Outdoor Furniture

If you're lucky enough to have an outdoor space — whether that's a balcony, patio, or deck — then you likely have outdoor furniture. While it can be fun narrowing down your chosen aesthetic and hunting for great deals, one downside with this purchase is that you might not have enough room to store the furniture during the off-season. If you're lucky enough to live somewhere where it's sunny and 70 degrees Fahrenheit all year long, this might not be a big deal. However, if you live somewhere where heavy snow hits during the winter or lots of rain sweeps through your city every fall and spring, then you need to think of where — and how — you can tuck your set away when it's not in use. However, not many people do, which is why it's one of the biggest storage mistakes people make when buying outdoor furniture. 

Sometimes we get too swept up with finding a gorgeous piece of furniture or a great deal to think further than the cash register. But if you buy a large sectional sofa and live in an apartment with no basement storage, then you'll be disappointed to learn you'll either have to rent out a storage unit or house it in your guest bedroom in order to stash it. While it can be easy enough to invest in a smart storage solution like a mini shed to house your cushions or throw pillows, that only solves a small portion of the problem. Luckily, there is a way around this storage mistake and it starts with the furniture itself.

When buying outdoor furniture, narrow down your search to foldable, modular, or stackable pieces. These have a much smaller footprint and will be easier to store when you're dealing with limited organizational space. For instance, rather than getting bulky patio chairs with deep seats and large backs, focus on getting a set that you can stack. That way you'll only need to find a spot as wide and deep as one chair to store all of them. An example of this is the At Home Stackable Patio Chair, which is an affordable $19.99 per chair.

Another great option is to get a foldable patio set. This means that both the chairs and table fold flat when not in use, taking up very little space. Take, for example, IKEA's NÄMMARÖ table and four folding chairs, which cost $319. At the end of the season, simply break down the furniture pieces and slide them into a corner of your garage, back porch, or even a seldom-used closet. As for bulky couches, you can save space by getting a modular one that breaks down into smaller pieces. This will make it easier to store since you'll have way more freedom in how you organize the modules than you would if the couch were assembled. An example of this is the Safavieh Lynwood Modular Outdoor Sectional ($645), where each seat is movable.