Summer has now quite definitely turned into autumn: there’s a bit of a nip in the air of a morning and the trees are beginning to lose their leaves. I’ve been making some space in my home by packing up items that we only use in the summer. I thought I’d share my checklist in case you had similar ideas.

Summer clothes

I have plenty of clothes that never see the light of day once the temperature drops below about 20°C. Shorts, flip-flops, sunhats, anything in linen. I use T-shirts for layering up in the winter so they stay out, but there are certainly some that feel more ‘summery’ than others. Check out our recent blogpost on the right way to store your summer wardrobe .

Soft furnishings and home textiles

When it was really hot this summer we took down the curtains in our bedroom and replaced them with simple roman blinds. The change was so effective – and easy – that we’re going to do it every year from now on. But now I’m starting to feel the draught from the window and I’d like our lined curtains back! I’ll be getting them out this weekend.

My wife took the summer duvets down to the laundrette (a service wash is cheaper than the dry cleaner’s duvet service, she says) and once they were completely dry, packed them up in vacuum bags. They’re going into our storage unit, too.

Camping gear

We went for one last camping trip in September, and it was pretty magical to sleep in a forest where the leaves are just turning and conkers are pattering to the ground. The evenings were a bit short, though: we were all in bed by 9.30pm because it was too dark to see anything! Now our kit has had time to air and dry out I’ll be storing it until spring.

Out of the shed

We’re not going to be playing croquet or boules again this year, so I’ve collected those sets up and put them in storage. I thought about putting them in the shed – but as the weather gets colder I’d like to use the shed for gardening tasks like potting and cleaning tools. My eye also fell on the hose reel, the lawnmower and hedge-trimmer. These power tools are electric, so our storage unit is a good place to stash them until we need them again. Putting these bits into self-storage has given me that extra bit of space… and my daughter has already taken it over. She’s taking cuttings and potting up trendy succulents for Christmas presents.

Garden furniture

It occurred to me that I could save myself the bother of scrubbing down our outdoor chairs and tables if I stored them undercover. I’m going to leave a couple of chairs out because our patio is a nice sunny spot on a mild winter day and I sometimes like to sit out for a coffee and a think.

I also packed up a big box of things we use for outdoor entertaining: there’s a set of melamine plates we use, a table cloth, and many, many more solar lanterns than I thought.

Now I’m enjoying the extra space in my house and shed, and I’m starting to look forward to all the pleasures winter brings.