Is a rented storage unit holding the clutter overflow from your home? If so, you are far from alone. According to an article on governing.com, "Nearly 10 percent of the American people rent a storage facility." And if you are of one those people, it could easily be costing you over $1,000 a year to store your stuff...not to mention the mental expense!
In a recent and hugely successful project for the Element of Fun Organizing team, we relieved a client of this mental and financial burden. They had already moved out of the country but were still paying for a storage unit packed with their precious items. So, we handled all the physical work while they made decisions from a distance.
Let's take a look how storage units can become problematic, and how we can help!
Storage units seem so useful and convenient for a variety of reasons:
A great temporary storage option
Seemingly inexpensive
Safe
Gets your stuff out of the way
Relatively easy to access (depending on where you choose)
Despite the solid logic that gets them safely stowed away, often items that go into storage units get parked there indefinitely. And one of the reasons why people hang onto those units for as long as they do is because dealing with what is stored in them requires difficult decision-making. It’s a whole lot easier to block it out for a little while longer, and a little while longer, and a little while longer. After all, Netflix and cookies sound so much better!
The problem is, your items may be out of sight and out of mind for the moment, but not forever. At some point, you remember your storage unit and the stress hormones start to elevate. Maybe it came to mind when you paid this month's bill…or maybe it was when you needed an item stored away. Then, those same old questions that you’ve never managed to answer hit you with their overwhelming power:
"What exactly did we put in there?"
"Do we still need that stuff?"
"How long have we stored that stuff? Two? Three years? More?"
"And how much have we paid over that time to store it?"
"When was the last time we needed any of that, or even looked at it?"
"How else could we be using those dollars?"
"When on earth are we going to get over there to clean it out?"
"Where do we even begin?"
These were the same questions our client asked themselves before they knew Element of Fun Organizing could help them. In their version of the storage unit story, they had packed away their belongings because they were trying out living in a different country. Happily, they loved living abroad so much, they decided not to move back. Their storage unit with their stuff, however, was still stateside.
So how did our team empty this storage unit without the client being physically present? We made a plan. We asked a lot of questions to determine what was in the unit, what they wanted to keep and what could be donated, and what would be the best way for us to make all that happen.
We communicated through the entire process. Through email, video calls and photos, we were able to show them what we found, get their decisions, and clarify any remaining questions. We executed the plan and…Voila! The storage unit was emptied.
The Big Takeaway
If your storage unit is not serving you, but you just can't manage to deal with it, here are three compelling reasons to consider talking to us about cleaning it out for you:
You'll save money. Yes, you will have to pay for the organizing services, but, in the long run, if you aren't going to clean out the unit yourself, utilizing our services and ending the rental agreement will save you money.
You'll feel relief. Getting help is a surefire way to take the weight off your own shoulders and experience relief. You’ll feel relief that you have help, relief that someone has a plan, and relief that you can finally be rid of this burden.
You won't have to do it all yourself. "I feel so accomplished, and I didn't even do anything!" Those are the words of our client, and we couldn’t make the point any clearer. They weren't even on site, and their long-held storage unit was empty in 2 days!
Remember, we’re not here to judge, only to help. If you’ve got a storage unit that needs dealing with, Contact Us today.
This post if part of a series called "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" about spaces outside the home or office that may need organizing attention.