How many times can you count having said, “We don’t have enough room for all this stuff.” Let’s face it, most of the human race doesn’t have endless funds to buy a bigger place or build an addition on their house.
Nonetheless, we need someplace to put the stuff that we can’t or won’t part ways with. Self-storage may easily come to mind when you are moving or renovating. But what about the everyday things we accumulate or only need periodically? We recently went through an exercise to understand why our customers were renting storage units. Some of the following may surprise you.
Keep the keepsakes somewhere else
We’ve moved several times. Each time we move, we cart around the same five storage bins filled with family photo albums, memories, and keepsakes. Our last move was less than a mile away. As I watched my husband break his back carrying in these same five storage bins, I couldn’t help but laugh. We maybe go through them once a year.
Photo albums hold precious memories, but people (i.e., my husband’s back) should be more precious. Consider using self-storage for items that you want to keep but don’t look at every day. Use nearby self-storage to keep items close and be sure to choose a climate-controlled facility to keep your memories safe.
And the grammy goes to…self storage
If you are a musician, you may have a large instrument, multiple instruments, or gear that you don’t have the space to store. Depending on your living situation, you also may not live somewhere where you are able to practice. One of our renter’s stores his drums in a lower level unit and periodically comes to practice. A secure and convenient self-storage for him, a free musical performance for us!
Self-storage is a home run for sports gear
I once lived in a condo where my neighbor was into every sport imaginable—biking, hockey, kayaking, skiing, golf, you name it. Our units only had a parking pad so he would store all his sports gear in the back hall. Every morning was an exercise in agility trying to work your way out of the back door. If you’re a sports or motorcycle enthusiast and rent an apartment or own a condo in Chicago, be considerate of your neighbors. Rent a storage unit for your sports gear.
Bring the outdoors in
Enhancing your outdoor living space is very popular today. And while Chicago isn’t the worst climate to live in, winters can be pretty brutal. Storing outdoor furniture, grills, heaters, planters, etc. can be a nightmare when you don’t have a lot of space. Of course, you can spend the money to buy really good covers and still run the risk of damaging your stuff.
Another cost-effective option would be to put these items in nearby storage. Many storage facilities have units in various sizes, offer discounts, and have moving trucks on-site to easily transport all your items. Best of all, your outdoor furniture is secure in a climate-controlled storage facility, ready to be easily set up when the weather improves.
‘Tis the season for self-storage
Are you a Grinch or Clark Griswold? According to Fox Business, you are a Griswold. Consumers spent an average of $1,050 on holiday décor in 2019 and the New York Times wrote that one in five Americans were going to extreme lengths to outdo their neighbors for the holiday festivities back in 2017.
This isn’t just one season. Before you can get the holiday lights down, giant bunnies are popping up everywhere. And let’s not forget Halloween and that giant blow-up turkey that makes the house near me look like it belongs in the Macy’s parade.
As I pass by some phenomenal light shows and lawn displays each season in awe, I think to myself, “Where in the hell do they store all this stuff?” This is just the outside. If the Pottery Barn catalog I receive is any indication of how consumers decorate the inside of their home during these seasons, that’s a lot of stuff!
The garage, attic, or basement is often home to seasonal decorations. Outdoor rooftop? Well, nix the attic. Kids? Nix the basement. Instead of cluttering up your home’s precious real estate or sacrificing your parking space, consider keeping these items in a nearby self-storage facility. A storage unit as small as 5×5 could do the trick.
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