Tackling Your Public Storage Space
You worked hard to de-clutter your house from the attic to the basement and moving all of your non-essential items that still have sentimental value (such as old records or boxes of toys you grew up with) into a public storage space. While self storage units are a great solution for storing essentials you can’t let go of but don’t have the room for, they don’t last forever and you may be doing more harm than good to your wallet with the “out of sight, out of mind” method. It can be hard to get rid of the things you’ve had for so long! But we’ve compiled a few tips to help you so you won’t have to eye larger storage units any time soon.
Assess Your Finances:
Your storage unit’s first month rent of one dollar may have been appealing at the time but now you’re stuck paying anywhere from $50-$150 a month and paying upwards of $1200 a year for your old box of beanie babies (you can probably get much more for them on eBay!). If you’re still having a hard time deciding on whether your storage unit is absolutely necessary, take a look at how it’s affecting your finances. While you may not be ready to say goodbye to all of those items that you have sentimental memories of, by downsizing your unit, you will be saving more than a pretty penny. If you’re able to donate enough of what’s in your unit then you might even be able to bring the rest of your items home (so long as you create a designated space for them that isn’t the attic or the basement).
Revisit Your Storage Unit:
This one seems kind of obvious but it’s surprising how many people are unfamiliar with the contents of their storage unit! Just like a gym membership, after the initial few visits you stop going but continue to make payments for it on your credit card. You might even forget what it is you’re paying for! It’s important to make monthly trips to the storage unit (even if there is nothing you need to take out) and re-evaluate what you have there. And just like the gym, the first trip is daunting, but by visiting on a monthly basis, you’ll potentially be downsizing your unit (eventually) in the long run.
Be Honest:
You’ve probably upgraded your furniture but are still having a difficult time parting with the sofa that got you through college. Maybe you’ve inherited some items from a family member after they’ve passed away but don’t have room for them in your home. Evaluate the contents of your storage unit – if there are items that you haven’t used or thought about in over a year then it might be time to create a “discard” pile. You might have no intentions of ever parting with your old records even if you use Spotify now, but by de-cluttering your self storage unit you’re finally getting rid of the items you no longer need. After you’ve separated your items, consider donating them to a charity of your choice so that your slightly banged up writing desk (or anything else) can help a family or individual in need instead of gathering dust!
When you’re ready to take that final step and clean out your self-storage unit, The Junkluggers will be here to help! Our luggers will make it easy for you by loading everything up and and lugging it away. We’ll make sure to stop by our many charity partners and donate what we can on your part! In return, you’ll get a tax-deductible receipt within 14 business days.