To Store or Not to Store?
Have you ever thought that the solution to your overflow problem is renting a storage unit?
Think Again!
As professional organizers, when we’re brought in to organize a storage unit, almost all the items are no longer wanted or needed and we spend hours (paid!) sorting, donating and dumping items. There is a reason that reality TV shows like “Storage Wars” that highlight the value (or not) of the contents are popular.
Storage units are not inherently bad. When used to bridge or support a transition of some kind, they can be incredibly useful. For example: storing things during a home renovation, storing things as part of a move or storing inherited items until the beneficiaries can go through them are legitimate uses of storage units.
The problem is when things become long term storage unintentionally. Out of sight, out of mind. Often the charges are on auto-pay and we acclimate to the monthly charge without realizing the accumulated long-term costs. Beware when you’re just postponing decision-making out of overwhelm.
What We Find
These are stored items that really could have been purged or integrated long before:
College textbooks decades old
Old academic research / PhD work
Baby equipment (non-heirloom)
Old sporting equipment
Inherited furniture that would never fit in client’s home
Boxes of photos that no one has taken the time to cull
Overflow kitchen equipment
Unopened (and often unlabeled) boxes from moves
Questions to Ask Before Storing
Take the time to think it through:
Why exactly are you storing these things? Deferred decision making or true logistical need?
Do you have a specific end date? If not, can you set one?
Are you hanging on to things for others? Who? Why? What, if anything, do they really want and by when?
By the time you empty the unit, could you have replaced everything with the money you spent on storage?
Alternatives
Short or long term, alternatives to an off-site unit include:
Rented temporary moving container (“POD”)
Storage shed onsite
Your attic, basement, garage or spare room
Your poor parents’ house – to let them deal with it
Common Mistakes
Ignoring the fine print, there may be hidden fees
Unaware that rate increases are often automatic
Poor packing and organizing…using weak boxes, no labeling, stacking to make them inaccessible
Underestimating need…too small and too hard to access
Assuming insurance liability is covered
Not inventorying what is in storage. Not knowing what you have can result in re-buying items
Our Advice
Take the time to make wise decisions, be judicious. Really consider a storage unit to be a last resort – or a SHORT term solution to get you through a transition. Using it long term will almost always not be cost effective.
