These Collapsible Tools Are Perfect for Homes With Limited Storage

An immutable law of the universe is that no matter how big your house is, you will eventually fill it with things. And if you start with a small house, you reach maximum storage pretty quickly. This can make home maintenance and other DIY projects a challenge because most of the tools you need are huge and awkwardly shaped, making storing them problematic even in spacious homes.

While hand tools like hammers and screwdrivers can usually be stored creatively, larger items gobble up your free space pretty quickly unless you opt for a collapsible or collapsible version. These tools do the same job, but shrink when not in use so they can squeeze into tight or unexpected places, solving your storage problems.

A folding ladder is easy to store in a garage or shed

Ladders can pose one of the biggest storage challenges because they are, by their very nature, extremely large and inflexible. If you don’t have enough vertical or horizontal space to store a ladder, it can end up in an odd location, collecting dust between uses and making your home look like a perpetual construction site.

You do, however, have two small space options to resolve for this. The most common is a telescopic ladder, which collapses part of its height when not in use. This can make it much easier to find storage space in a closet or other location, and it can even be hidden behind furniture. Another option is a folding ladder like this one from DuoSaftey, which folds into a stick shape when not in use, minimizing its horizontal footprint instead of its vertical footprint.

This rolling cart can be stored in a laundry room or closet

A sturdy wheeled cart is incredibly useful in many maintenance and repair jobs, making it easier to transport tools and materials around the area. But who has the space to have an entire cart available until it’s needed? A folding cart is the answer: it folds flat for easy storage, but snaps into a full-size sturdy cart that can hold up to 300 pounds of weight when needed.

Get a collapsible spirit level that bends around corners

A spirit level is a necessity if you want your home projects to look like a sane, rational person did the work. But it’s often difficult to find room for a full-size level, and smaller levels aren’t as useful for larger projects.

This collapsible level not only folds into a small form factor for storage, but it can be folded and used to check the level in corners, which is one of those DIY superpowers that you don’t realize you need until you discover it exists.

This folding saw is ideal for occasional DIY projects

Saws are another rigid tool that can be problematic to store. Hanging them on the wall is a good solution to getting them out of the way, but if you need to store your tools out of sight, you should consider a folding saw like this one. If you’ve sawed wood every day of your life, you may not want this, but if you need a saw for the occasional quick project around the house and don’t have storage space available, this saw will get the job done and will fold up and store away when you don’t need it.

Store this pop-up workbench in the garage

Much like rolling carts, workbenches are incredibly useful when you need a flat surface to work on, but become a real pain when it’s time to put them away. Luckily, you can get a folding workbench like this one from DeWalt. This is a sturdy work surface that can support up to 1,000 pounds, but when the job is done, it folds up to slide into the tightest spot you have.

This collapsible bucket fits under the sink or in a utility cupboard

Everyone needs a work bucket around the house, but the traditional five-gallon bucket not only takes up more space than you think, but it also becomes a place to store stuff. Inmaking it a chore to unpack every time you need it. A collapsible bucket like this isn’t as big (it’s only three gallons), but it folds into a flat, easy-to-store configuration when you’re not using it, preventing it from tempting you with all that empty space.

A foldable hand truck can carry heavy items and then be stored in a closet

For years, I had a hand truck stored in my crawl space, because a hand truck was an incredibly useful thing. Every time I had to move bags of cement or large items, I had to go down into this nightmare crawl space and retrieve the dolly, which was a pain. Now I have this collapsible hand truck, which does the same job (it can hold over 300 pounds) but can be stored in a closet when not in use.

Use this folding shovel for gardening and snow removal

Every house needs a shovel. Either you have a garden or backyard where digging will sometimes be necessary, or you will need to clear snow from your sidewalks and driveway. Or both! Shovels tend to be left in garages or outside when not in use, but if you need to store yours in a small space indoors, a folding option is a real space saver. It folds into a compact square that will fit in any space, but it’s sturdy enough for the toughest jobs you can throw at it.