What should you do with all the extra stuff in your house that you don’t have room for? A lot of people deal with this by renting a storage unit and dumping everything there. But is this really the best solution? Consider the experiences of two of my clients:
- The first is a lawyer who, for several years, has been renting a $250/month storage unit on behalf of his client, a writer and historian. The unit, which cost $250 a month, held only a few boxes of papers and an empty file cabinet. Sorting through the old papers revealed that most were old bills, receipts, and financial statements that were no longer needed. (However, if they had been important papers, a quick scan-and-shred would have reduced the pile of papers and eliminated the need for a storage space.) The remaining material consisted of diaries and research papers which turned out to have some historical value and were donated to the historical society of the town that they were written about. That way they’ll be available to those who have the interest and the expertise necessary to put them to good use – not sitting in a box! Amazingly, one of the last folders we looked through contained several thousand dollars worth of misplaced savings bonds! The client is delighted to eliminate the need for a storage unit (saving $1800 a year) and to recover valuable financial instruments.
- The second person has a storage unit full of stuff that she doesn’t use (and doesn’t have room for in her house) but isn’t quite willing to part with. In an effort to reduce clutter where they live, the family often relegates unwanted items to the storage unit – then rarely, if ever, thinks of them again. The storage unit costs $300/month – and is filled with things the clients cannot part with, but have little value: they are neither immediately useful nor precious. Yet, neither partner is able to let go of them. Over the last 5 years, the family has spent $18,000 to store items they don’t use or need.
When you have to rent a separate space outside your home to store all the stuff that you can’t fit inside, it’s a good sign that you have TOO MUCH STUFF! It’s one thing if the need is temporary (for example, when your house is being renovated, or if your job takes you to another city for a limited time), or if you truly have no room in your home for seasonal items, but some people rent storage units for years and years in order to hang on to things that are worth less than what’s being spent to store them. Better to sell them, donate them, or throw them all out! On the off-chance that someday you discover you actually need one of the items you previously discarded, it’ll probably be less expensive to buy a new one than to keep the old one (and all your other junk) in storage in the intervening years.
And if you have something in storage that really is valuable to you (sentimentally or otherwise), how about honoring it with a place in your home, where it can be appreciated? If you don’t have room for it, chances are there’s something else in your home that you could get rid of and never miss. Keep the things that you use and enjoy, and live for today – not for the “someday” when you think you’ll need something that you don’t want or need now.
11 thoughts on “Storage Units: Do you really want to go there?”
Out of site out of mind. If you can forgo seeing or using these items that collect dust in a storage locker than I agree, its cheaper to replace them. I come from a long line of strong women who couldn’t part with their stuff. In doing so, it robbed them of the opportunity to pursue better living as they aged and kept them tethered to a home that no longer supported a quality of life. It was painfully sad for me. I have always employed tactics to ensure that my family members are not stuck with rooms filled with my stuff. In the end it saves money, reduces angst and is freeing to emotionally “let it go”.
Boy have I been there! In 2010 I temped as a receptionist at a company that had been hit hard by the economic downturn. I was able to ‘justify’ my position by suggesting they ditch their two storage units (at $450/month) for storing on-site in two of the large, unused and empty offices in the building they owned. They too had furniture that they were unwilling to part with, but held little resale value. The largest items ended up in a spare horsestall. Most of the furniture was not in as good condition as they imagined it to be (that’s what happens with not seeing it for years) Five years later, I hear its still sitting there, but I did save them a good chunk of change.
Really like the article!
Very good advice. An upcoming project for me is helping my mom let go of sentimental knickknacks given to her during many years as a missionary. I suggested taking a photo of all these items, and if she can remember who gave them to her, write that person or their family and let them know how much she valued the friendship. Then she can donate the items to a non-profit of her choice.
Excellent post Penny! This hits home for me because before my mom passed away she was sort of a nomad and kept her belongings in a storage. It was only $50 a month but that added up over a few years. Finally, one day she just didn’t feel like paying anymore and since she wasn’t in the same state she just told them they could sell the stuff. It made me very sad and she says there was nothing of value in there but I’m sure there were mementos. I wish she had taken the time to make the decisions that needed to be made and not have ever used a storage.
Ouch! I don’t have a personal story like yours (in the previous comment), Autumn, but I definitely have clients like yours. Mine tend to fear going through their storage units lest sentimental items overwhelm them. But usually it’s just a bunch of stuff they barely recognize.
I totally agree. Value the stuff you have and display it in your home with honor. If you don’t value it, get rid of it. I worked with a client who had stuff in storage filled to the top of the unit. She paid for it for 5 years at about $200 / month before calling me. After we cleared the storage unit, she said to me, “I can’t believe I spent all this money on a storage unit and it only took three weekends to clear out the space. I should have done this soon.” Thanks for sharing.
It really depends on your requirements, Storage services are todays requirement and one can use this wisely.
My family had a storage unit that no one would clean out over almost 5 years. Because the lease was in my name, I finally cleaned it out and ended the lease myself. This act was not met with gratitude to say the least!
Even though I asked many times for help, the family could never find the time to clean out the unit that I was legally responsible for making monthly payments..
I finally cleared it out today and it felt amazing ! My message is this, NEVER lease a storage unit! It is a waste of money and energy! And never put a unit in your name without the realization that it is a legally binding contract.
Yikes! 5 years later I have learned a valuable lesson. Storage units are something that is only remembered when the payments are due every month. Take my advice and stay away from them!
Completely agree and good for you for clearing out that albatross!