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3 Questions to Ask Before Renting a Storage Unit

Writer's picture: Jonda BeattieJonda Beattie


Before you rush out and rent that storage unit, ask yourself three questions.


1.     Why now?

The first and most important question is “Why do I need this unit?”


Some very good answers to that question might be:

·        My home/condo is too small and lacking in storage space for my holiday decorations or my ski equipment for our annual trip or anything else where items are bulky, take up room, and are used maybe once a year. I consider this unit as an extension of my home.

·        I have just bought a new house that doesn’t have a storage shed for outdoor equipment. I am in the process of building one but need storage until it is finished.

·        I am doing a major remodel, and I need space to move my belongings out of the house until it is finished.

·        My parent died, and I needed to empty the house quickly. I need time to process what to do with some of the items.

 

2.     Is this worth it?

Ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my money?”

Some good answers to that question might be:

·        I need to protect items during renovation.

·        I need to buy time for having some of my parents’ items appraised.

·        I have a plan to sell or consign these items in the next few months.

·        I need to stage my house to sell.

 

3.     How long will I need it?

Also ask “How long am I going to need this storage unit?”

Cheap introductory rates can look great when you are considering renting a unit, but usually you will be paying for that unit a lot longer than a couple of months.


Renovations often take longer than first estimated. Relatives who are not paying for the storage unit can dally when scheduling a time to come look at grandma’s belongings. When items are no longer in your line of sight it is easy to forget that you planned on doing something with them.

In my area a 10’ x 10’ unit runs $125 to $175 per month. So, in a year you are paying close to $2000 to store your stuff.


Have an intended end date for keeping the storage unit and put that date on your calendar. At that time re-evaluate the need.


According to neighborhood.com the average rental duration is 14 months with nearly half renting over a year.


When the immediate need is past, i.e. that renovation is complete or that shed is built, or your staged home has sold, empty out that unit as soon as possible.


If you are storing items from emptying out a home of a deceased relative, plan monthly visits to evaluate what is in storage. Give other relatives hard deadlines. Make decisions on what to keep or sell. Find places in your own home for the things that you love and want to keep.


If you are holding on to items that you plan on selling or consigning, remember how much you are losing each month by postponing your plan.


Think about the things you stored just to declutter your home. Do you really need them? Would you rather enjoy your space and the extra money?


Envision what you can do with that extra $2000 a year.  

 

If you have an organizational project that is going nowhere and you feel stuck, stop thinking about what is wrong and concentrate on what you can do to make some changes. Could reorganizing your space make a difference instead of putting stuff in a storage unit?

If you want some assistance on your project join Diane Quintina and me for one of our support groups.  We can help you with next steps to complete your project.

 

Jonda S. Beattie, Professional Organizer owner of Time Space Organization, and co-owner of Release, Repurpose, Reorganize. She is based in the Metro-Atlanta area. As presenter, award-winning author, as well as a retired special education teacher she uses her listening skills, problem solving skills, knowledge of different learning techniques, ADHD specialty, and paper management skills to help clients tackle the toughest organizational issues. Jonda does hands on organizing and virtual organizing. For more of Jonda’s tips connect with her on Facebook.

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6件のコメント


Julie Bestry
Julie Bestry
1月21日

You make some excellent points. I think the typical person thinks, "Oh, too much stuff! Must move out of my space. Storage pod!" without giving any thought to the why, the cost, or the amount of time they'll use it. Without paring down possessions, and then giving deep thought to the purpose, cost, and time range, storage can become such a money pit! I love that you isolated the metrics. Of course, the next step is creating organizing structure once you've got storage, to make sure you can find what you have, or you're never going to be able to access that. (Maybe that's an upcoming post?!)

いいね!

Elva Fonseca
Elva Fonseca
1月20日

I recently met with a client that moved a sofa to his storage unit less than 6 months ago only to discover that a mouse had gotten into the storage unit. Definitely discuraging to keep things in storage unit besides what it costs to keep it there you may end up loosing everything in there because of how prone they are for rodent infestations.

いいね!

john
1月20日

These are good questions, but the first consideration for me this is; "do I need to access anything or not?" for clients that are moving or renovating, we opt for furniture and boxes to go into mover storage where items are stored in large vaults. This is often more budget friendly. When the move or renovation is complete, the movers deliver everything and you don't have to hold the key.

いいね!

Seana Turner
Seana Turner
1月20日

Perhaps the most important point of yours for me is to get out of that storage unit as quickly as possible. Like many "monthly memberships," t's easy to forget about it.


Going in with clear intention and a timeline is so important.


Storage unit facilities don't always make it easy to empty them out. I've been thinking about this, since in many cases you may have no space other than the hallway outside of your unit.


These storage units can prove so valuable for the right purposes, but wise to keep that purpose always in mind.

いいね!

Linda Samuels
Linda Samuels
1月20日

Storage units have become so much a part of the equation. It's a big industry.


They can be great for the temporary needs. But if they are going to be part of an ongoing need, it's important to evaluate if the cost is worth it. I like how you included those metrics.

いいね!

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