Think of the physics behind what you're seeing: it happens all the time on the outside of a glass of iced tea - water vapor in the air comes in contact with a cold surface and condenses. Where is the moisture coming from? Is the concrete still curing? Are the outside walls sealed or protected from ground moisture contact? (Moisture wicks/passes right through concrete.) Does the floor have a vapor barrier below? Is there a moisture barrier between the walls and foundation? (Moisture can wick into walls from the foundation/soil contact also.) In regards to basements and water vapor, the rule of thumb is to plan on the fact that moisture will permeate through the walls as vapor and thus build so as to let the wall assemblies dry to the interior. Building science corp. has a lot of good info in regards to this subject. But, during the construction phase do all that you can to prevent water entry from the exterior. Heating the pan surface temperature would stop the condensation but this is probably not an efficient long-term option; you would just lose the heat by conduction to the outside concrete. Probably better to insulate the pan surface with a non-permeable insulation. During the insulation stage of the house, I would have the contractor spray foam on the bottom side of the pans. This would insulate the ceiling and prevent water vapor contact with the cold surface. Here is a link that might be useful: Building Science web site

I know Carol. That is exactly what I said, if we shifted it a closet would lay out perfectly but that is a major load bearing wall with a huge beam that runs the length of the house so dh says no way will he move it. :( I really wish I'd paid more attention at the time but we weren't going to finish it right away and I figured it all could be adjusted. Kicking myself gently. In my simple mind I think hey just move the header down but it's not going to fly. Septic is fine so no worries there. We have 2 tanks. The windows are not for a bedroom at all so it would never be marketed or sold as one. In our last house we had something similar in the basement. We had a bonafide bedroom with window to code including a closet and then another room with a window that was not an escape window and it had a closet also (it was our workout room there too). There was never a problem mentioned when we sold the last one but I haven't checked so maybe I should. Depth would be for hanging so 2- 2 1/2 foot would be all I'd need I think?

You're right - it's all about what you will be storing. Unfortunately, in your space the storage needs might be completely different in 5 or 10 years, so you want to be as flexible as possible. First off - wrapping paper isn't going to fit well in a drawer or cabinet. Long tub under the bed is the only way to go! Board games - doors and shelves for sure. I would include enough shelves that games aren't stacked too high. You may or may not want a drawer on top, if you have a drawer stack - or perhaps you don't need a drawer stack, but drawers over doors will be sufficient. Though eliminating a drawer above gives you more flexibility for shelving. Smaller jigsaw puzzle boxes could be stored in a drawer on their sides. Small things - scissors, tape, etc - are definitely best in drawers, with dividers to keep everything organized. With a counter above, what prevents the clutter on top? I have a storage cabinet in my family room, and I can keep it cleared off for about 3 days, then stuff starts to accumulate! I have added roll-outs to several base cabinets, in my Mom's kitchen and a few places in my house. I used Blum Metaboxes, which are pretty easy to assemble, and not terribly expensive. In your case, where your needs may change over the years, that might be the best bet. Yes, it's more of a pain to open doors then pullouts, but these won't be accessed as often as kitchen cabinets (or will be used by kids, who have plenty of time and energy). By putting so much thought into this up front, I'm sure you'll come up with a terrific solution for your storage needs. Well done!

Cold and freezing is not a problem for anything that is dry. That includes most of what you mentioned. Freezing and melting can only happen if it is liquid. Humidity is not that big of a problem with storing things, either. Unless you live somewhere like New Orleans, where everything molds, you should not worry. Even then, keep air circulating and it will mitigate that. Attics get very, very hot and can melt some things and can be quite destructive for anything of rubber or vinyl. Count yourself lucky that you don't have a basement. Basements are a giant source of mold and mildew and are not a good environment to store much of anything for very long. My basement is a walkout basement, finished space, heated, etc, but still the moisture comes up from the floor and the some of the exterior walls are faced with moist earth on the other side. I would be not inclined to endorse those storage areas that require a major effort to get to the things that are stored. If you have so much stuff that you need to make removable floors or walls to store it, maybe you should think about getting rid of it. Other than freezable liquids there is no reason that you can't keep your things in the garage all winter. One thing about storage that I have found is best to avoid is to store things in cardboard boxes. Cardboard is NOT good for anything that is being kept. It is great for transporting, sorting, etc, but NOT storing.