Affordable Storage Facilities have changed the way Americans live and store their valuable items. A recent statistic shows that at least 1 in every 10 American households rents a storage unit to keep their home decluttered. Considering the same? You should know how to store your items and get the most out of the self-storage unit.
Looking to save money as you offload your clutter to an offsite storage unit? Here are some tips to help you keep more money in your pocket.
Prioritize Organization
The organization is one of the biggest factors to imbibe if you truly wish to save money while renting your self-storage. An excellent way to get started is to collect all the items you wish to store in one place and make a list of them. You should also be sure that all items are necessary. If you’re not sure, split the clutter into three categories, one for storage, one for sale/giving out, and the last for trash/junk.
With only the essential items selected to end up at the self-storage facility, you now have a trimmed list of items you can work with. You should collate a list of all items going and take pictures or videos. Look through the list and map out a plan for storing them.
Get Rid Of Unnecessary Items
The clutter in your home or business didn’t build up in one day. It started with an old or obsolete item you couldn’t get over, so instead of throwing it away, you kept it somewhere in the house.
With the decluttering process in progress, ensure that only the essential items are passed to the self-storage unit. If unsure, seek a second opinion from other family members or employees on whether specific items have any further use.
Items in good shape but of no use to you can be sold in a yard sale or made as a donation to charity shops and organizations. You can also trash damaged items you’ve held on to for too long for sentimental reasons.
Look For The Smallest Self-Storage Unit That Can Fit Your Items
One of the biggest mistakes most people make when renting a self-storage unit is overestimating their clutter. You don’t want to end up with a half-filled self-storage unit when you could have cut your costs and chosen a smaller unit for your storage needs.
Estimate your junk or clutter and look for the smallest possible self-storage unit you can get away with. Having a great sense of arrangement and organization can help you easily fit all your items into the space.
To ensure less stress and better storage management, ensure that all items you need are stored in front while less used items are stored at the back of the storage unit. If possible, decouple and disassemble furniture and other fixtures to save space.
Pack Efficiently
One of the foundations of saving costs and space is efficient packing and stacking. Ensure that you have packed all items as efficiently as possible. You can put smaller items into bigger ones to save space and reduce the number of storage boxes needed. Also, ensure that every box is appropriately labeled as this could be the difference between a quick stop at the self-storage unit and several hours of frustrating search.
Find Somewhere Else To Store The Bulky Items
Most people make the mistake of thinking they need to store all of their junk or clutter in their self-storage units. This premise can cost you a lot of money, especially as larger or bulkier items will take up more space, thus requiring a larger storage unit.
If you can help it, it is recommended that you focus on storing the important things in your self-storage unit while exploring other storage options for large and bulky items. Some of the recommended places for storing large items include your garage, sheds, etc.
Explore Shared Storage Unit
Sharing a large storage unit is a great way to cut costs while also enjoying a bigger space to store your items. You can speak to friends, family members, neighbors, or colleagues at work to know if they’ll be interested in sharing storage space with you.
When sharing, go for a larger space as the cost, when split between both parties, will likely be more economical compared to self-renting a smaller storage unit.
Take Advantage Of Discounts
Most self-storage unit providers offer a range of discounts to reel new customers in. This can be a great way to save costs, especially as it offers you more value for money.
Ask the self-storage provider if they have any discounts or promotions running and take advantage of them to save some more money.
Following the tips above will help you save money while caring for your clutter and self-storage needs.