It turns out the thing most of us really want for our homes isn’t a new kitchen or a flash bathroom. It’s storage. We dig into fascinating new research about storage in NZ, chat to Massey University psychologist Dr Kirsty Ross about why clutter hits women harder, and meet a North Shore mum whose garage full of racing tyres is giving her actual anxiety – plus offer up some useful storage solutions that our little Kiwi homes desperately need
As a typical card-carrying Virgo, me and storage are besties. If the kitchen bench has so much as a stray envelope on it, my eye twitches. If I can see inside a cupboard because someone (not naming names) has left it ajar, I physically cannot sit down until it’s closed. If there’s a pile of anything accumulating on a surface that should be clear, my brain starts making that dial-up internet noise from the early 2000s.
There’s something so soothing about storage – the old ‘a place for everything and everything in its place’ adage is how I live my life, as is the ‘tidy house, tidy mind’ one. In an uncontrollable world, my home is my haven, and I love making it feel just so.
I know that I’m far from alone in having a complicated love/dependence on storage because according to FASCINATING research from Mitre 10, storage and organisation is now the second biggest home priority for New Zealanders, behind only general home maintenance. Not a flash new kitchen, not a bathroom reno, not even a lick of paint. Storage.
Forty-one per cent of us want to improve our storage and organisation over the next 12 months, and that number jumps even higher for younger homeowners, with 49 per cent of first homeowners and a whopping 53 per cent of aspiring homeowners saying getting their stuff sorted is the dream.
It sounds so unglamorous, doesn’t it? But strip it back and what we’re really talking about goes to the very heart of how we live, how we feel in our own homes, and, dare I say it, our mental health.
The Great Kiwi Pivot
Jules Lloyd-Jones, Chief Marketing Officer at Mitre 10, says the shift is a direct reflection of where New Zealand is at right now. “During the renovation boom of 2020-2022, we saw people spending up on new kitchens and bathrooms, or entire new homes. By contrast, the past few years have been tough for many, with cost of living increases, rising unemployment and now the fuel crisis all making headlines and cutting into budgets. There’s a sense that New Zealanders are now focused on day-to-day necessities and creating some order where they are able to,” she says.
It’s not just homeowners feeling the pull, either, with more than a third of renters and flatters also wanting to sort out their storage. Your living situation might be temporary, but your need to feel calm in your own space is absolutely not.
Why Your Nan Kept Everything (and Why You Have Five Phone Chargers)
Dr Kirsty Ross, Professor and Head of Psychology at Massey University, tells Capsule that our relationship with storage is intrinsically tied to who we are as New Zealanders.
“Our identity as a nation includes being quite self-sufficient, because it hasn’t always been easy for us to access resources from far away. In times of uncertainty, people get a sense of security from having more things at hand to make use of in our everyday lives – look at how many are now exploring having a veggie garden for the first time,” she said.
This is the Kiwi MacGyver gene, and a lot of us have it. It’s why your dad has a shed full of offcuts of wood ‘just in case’, why your mum saved every ribbon from every bunch of flowers because it might be useful for a school project, and why you have a drawer in your house right now that contains three Allen keys you don’t remember acquiring, a collection of takeaway soy sauce packets and at least one rouge battery.
The Boomer Clutter
There’s a generational shift happening here, too, and Dr Kirsty has seen it firsthand. Her own parents lived through the Blitz in London during World War Two, and her grandmother used to wash plastic wrap and hang it over the taps to reuse. Tea bags were used twice, and nothing was wasted, ever. That mentality filtered down through the generations, getting slightly less intense each time, until you land on today’s young adults who, Dr Kirsty says, can be “really ruthless” about letting things go – and as a millennial who tries her best to get as far away from the clutter-filled aesthetic of the 90s, I can attest to this.
“I think we’ve also seen an international phenomena of Marie Kondo – the get rid of things that don’t bring you joy. So that idea of really focusing on intentional things around you rather than keeping things for the sake of it,” Dr Kirsty tells. “That’s the flip side of storage – when you have too much storage, people just keep things because they can, rather than really intentionally figuring out, is this something I really want? There’s a sweet spot with storage where there’s enough – not too little, and not too much.”
And if you’ve ever had a heated ‘discussion’ with your partner about what stays and what goes, Dr Kirsty says that’s incredibly common. “One of the things I’ve heard relatively often is differences between couples about what storage looks like, and what to keep and what not to keep,” she said. Navigating that tension, where your partner’s boxes are annoying to you but deeply meaningful to them, is its own kind of emotional labour.
For younger Kiwis in flatting situations, the stakes are no less real. “There’s so much compromise and figuring out how to live in communal spaces. Having places to put things that are important to you as you’re building your identity as a young adult and figuring out how to build a home – all of those things are actually quite big.”
What Clutter Actually Does to Your Brain
Now here’s where it gets serious. Dr Kirsty says the state of our homes has a direct line to our emotional wellbeing, and it’s one that we, as women, carry disproportionately.
“When people feel overwhelmed or embarrassed about the state of their house, they’re more reluctant to have people around, and that really affects your social connection and emotional wellbeing. Having a home you can be proud of is so important for mental health,” she said.
She’s worked with people who actively avoid having visitors or skip socialising altogether, because the state of their home fills them with shame. In a time when we’re going out less, our homes need to be places where we’re not embarrassed to welcome someone in for a cuppa.
“When you have really good organisation in your home, you can see what you’ve got. There’s an element of that feeling of, ‘I have resources around me which make me feel as though I can manage things, and I’m not reliant on outside forces. I’ve got control over the space,'” she says. When so much feels out of our hands, being able to open a cupboard and know exactly what’s in it is its own small act of power.
There’s an emotional layer too that goes well beyond tidiness. “When we have storage, it means we can keep hold of things that are meaningful and important to us. Objects have attachment to them. Having a place to put something gives you time to make a decision about something rather than having to make a decision quickly and then regretting it later.”
Think about what happens after a divorce, a death, or a major life upheaval. Good storage gives you the breathing room to sit with those feelings before making decisions you might regret. “We can let emotions settle,” Dr Kirsty nods. “In the heightened emotion of transitions and loss, sometimes people aren’t really sure, and they need time to think about something, and sit with it.”
Even Dr Kirsty herself isn’t immune. She tells Capsule about a coffee table that’s been in her house for 25 years that acts as a magnet for everyone’s stuff. “I can feel myself getting wound up when it’s like, oh my God, I’ve got to get rid of this, it’s just too cluttered.” If the Head of Psychology at Massey University can feel her cortisol rising over a messy coffee table, the rest of us can absolutely stop feeling guilty about it!
The Garage That Almost Broke a Kiwi Mum
North Shore mum Catherine Moore knows this tension intimately. She and her husband Logan are first homeowners in their mid-30s who built their Birkdale home from scratch. They planned, they strategised, and they even moved the laundry into the garage to free up cupboard space. And yet, here they are.
“I think as much as you plan and think your storage is enough, the reality of your life can be very different,” Catherine says. “When the house is empty, you’re looking at a single wardrobe or a standard linen cupboard and it looks massive. But when you’ve moved in and you’re unpacking the extra duvets, the camping gear, the Christmas decorations, you realise standard storage is not enough.”
With a four-year-old and a five-week-old, and a husband whose car-racing hobby means their garage houses tyres, jacks and spare parts instead of, you know, actual cars, Catherine describes opening the garage door as a moment of pure defeat. “It’s a chaotic jigsaw puzzle just to find a screwdriver.”
Catherine, who freely admits the visual clutter gives her anxiety, has developed a coping mechanism she calls the ’10-minute reset’. “I sometimes toss everything that’s out of place in a basket and either put it away or hide the basket out of sight so I can at least wake up to clean surfaces.”
Their biggest revelation has been that modern building designs often sacrifice storage for open-plan living. “We prioritised big windows and high ceilings, which are beautiful, but they mean fewer walls to put bookshelves or cabinets against. If we built again, we’d definitely sacrifice a bit of floor space for storage.”
The Smaller Home Problem
Catherine’s experience reflects a broader reality: Kiwi homes are getting smaller, with new builds having reduced 30 per cent in size over the last decade, making clever organisation a necessity rather than a luxury.
Dr Kirsty says innovation is catching up, but there’s also a collective element at play. “Both my kids are flatting, and there’s still stuff at our house – these are things that are meaningful to him, so we were able to keep those things. Some of it is about, is there within the collective, is there space to keep things?”
For those who feel paralysed by the task, Mitre 10’s Jules has encouraging words. While 39 per cent of New Zealanders say they’re confident giving their wardrobe or garage a makeover, around a third wouldn’t know where to start, and that’s okay.
“There are solutions available for any situation, and many products are much easier to install than you think. Channelling your inner Marie Kondo doesn’t mean giving up all the things you love – it means being clear about what brings you joy, and giving yourself an environment that lets you relax and enjoy life,” she says.
SORT YOUR LIFE OUT: TIPS FOR HOME ORGANISATION
Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? You’re not alone. A messy home doesn’t just look chaotic – studies show it raises stress levels, creates relationship tension and makes it harder to relax. You can also end up repurchasing items you can’t find, wasting money as well as time.
It’s no wonder storage and organisation have become the second-highest home improvement priority for New Zealanders, just behind regular maintenance, according to the Mitre 10 customer survey.
“With the average size of new homes shrinking by nearly 30% over the past decade, and online shopping making it easier than ever to accumulate stuff, many of us are struggling to find space for everything,” says Kristy Howlett, Merchandise Manager for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry and storage solutions at Mitre 10. “Fortunately, there are smart strategies to help take back control of your home – and your headspace.”
1. Start small Don’t tackle the whole house at once. Begin with a single drawer, shelf or cupboard using the three-pile method: keep, donate/sell, or bin. If you’re unsure, apply the 20/20 rule – if it costs less than $20 and takes less than 20 minutes to replace, let it go. Decluttering even one small area builds motivation to keep going.
2. Streamline kitchens Kitchens are prime clutter zones, especially in townhouses and unrenovated older homes with limited storage. Group pantry items into labelled containers and use shelf risers or pull-out racks to add extra space. “You can purchase these off the shelf, or get more permanent features like sliding pantries added by kitchen designers if you’re renovating,” Howlett says.
3. Maximise hidden and vertical space Mount shelves or cabinets up to the ceiling for books, storage bins and seasonal items. Add hooks or hanging organisers to the backs of cupboard doors. Multi-function furniture like ottomans with hidden storage, cubbies under staircases, or a simple closet organiser can potentially double your wardrobe space.
4. Create a tidy entryway The front door is often where clutter starts. Set up a shoe rack or basket, wall hooks for coats and bags, and a tray for keys and wallets. A small bench with storage underneath doubles as a stash spot and seat. Keeping this area clear sets the tone for the rest of the house.
5. Sort your garage into zones Famously the “everything room” in many New Zealand homes, garages work hard as workshops, studios and home gyms. One study revealed 72% of Kiwis use their garage for tools and 30% for sentimental items, but just as often it’s old shoes and well-intentioned pasta makers filling the space. Sort everything into zones – tools, sports gear, seasonal items – then use shelving units, pegboards and hooks to get stuff off the floor. Small clear bins can hold categories like electrical cords and Christmas decorations. And, label everything!
