I love the idea that someone can use a storage unit as a business location, a man cave, a wine cellar, or as a place to store their cool sports car.
I love that a college student can use a storage unit to store their dorm rooms over the summer and that someone can store excess furniture while their house is being marketed for sale.
I love that a builder can use a storage unit to store supplies while they are doing a renovation.
I hate the idea that people are using storage units to store old, dirty appliances, inexpensive furniture, and things that are eventually going to go in the trash, get donated, or get sold.
I hate that people abandon their units with valuable items in storage units and that there are reality TV shows based on this.
During the past couple of weeks, we have worked in storage units, and I am so glad we could help clients get out from under the stuff that was being stored— which had less monetary value than the month’s rent of the unit.
Understandably, people go into storage units for a valid reason initially. In the words of my eloquent husband, “storage units can take on a life of their own.” The items being stored take root in the unit, and the bill is on autopay. This makes it easy to forget or avoid the whole thing.
Many times people no longer know what is in their unit— a hint to me that there is minimal value, emotionally and financially.
Before you make the decision to take on a storage unit, think of the following:
- What is the end game or time frame? Have a clear date and plan as to how long this will take.
- How much is it going to cost in time, rent, insurance, trash hauling, and moving in and out of the unit?
- Do you need what you are storing?
- If you got rid of it, would you miss it?
If you answer these questions and can develop a plan, rent the unit.
- Make sure there is a dumpster where you decide to store your things.
- Make sure you do not store things on the ground level; use pallets (in case of a flood).
- Make sure that everything is wrapped in plastic (there may be bugs, including bed bugs).
- Make sure your items are labeled so that it is easy to retrieve them.
- Keep a basic inventory for yourself so that you can more easily retrieve items.
- Use a lock that a bolt cutter can’t get into.
- Do not leave valuable items in the front of your unit. While the door is open you do not want people to see what you are storing.
- Remember that you are paying for the space; fill it carefully using uniform sized boxes that are sturdy.
- Most units do not have power so you may want to have extension cords, work lamps, and flash lights.
I hope this advice helps you make a good decision and prevents you from being burdened by a storage unit that takes on a life of its own. If renting a storage unit is the right thing for you, I hope that you have picked up a hint or two to simplify the process.
About the Author
Great post! I agree with our clients having that same love/hate relationship with storage too. Often it is too overwhelming to think about eliminating storage. My philosophy has been to add up the value of what you store with the purchase price of the items new. If storage costs you less than the replacement price, it’s a good plan.
Ellen,
You are so right, that is a good rule to follow! Thank you.
Thank you for the advice to fill any storage unit you get with uniform-sized boxes. The last thing I want is to rent a space just so I can make it dirty. A unit like this will easily give me room for all of the boxes of stuff I am inheriting from my dad that I don’t want to keep inside my home.
I like how people can use a storage unit as a business location. Some businesses are small and need that extra space to save money. Then they could use it as a place to prepare shipments and send off to people.
I’ve never thought about how storage units can be used to store supplies for a building project, that is such a great idea! My uncle is building a shed in his backyard and he’s struggling to find a place to put all of his materials since it’s been so wet outside he needs a covered area. I’ll have to tell him about using a storage unit and see if that is something he wants to try.