Is Your Storage Unit a Black Hole?
Be honest - we all know it is.
The question is, what do we really, really need in order to survive and be comfortable enough to avoid a black hole of storage?
Below are some of the biggest reasons people have a personal storage unit:
#1 Stuff doesn’t fit in your house.
My organized mind asks, “Why don’t you have enough room in your house?” Usually the answer is “Because you need to downsize.”
Clients will then ask, “What if I don’t want to downsize? I might need everything I have”. If you don’t want to purge your home, most likely you will keep buying more things because you can’t find the things you have, ending up with even more belongings = black hole of storage.
#2 Inheritance of family households.
You moved your parents into assisted living or there’s a death in the family, and now you have to deal with their entire household, which probably has not been purged. You don’t have time to downsize your own things and now you have theirs to deal with, again = black hole of storage.
#3 You’re moving, remodeling, traveling or in between homes in general.
This is actually a legitimate reason to have a storage unit because it’s supposed to be temporary. But, if you were able to live with just the limited things you brought with you for a few months, why not downsize even more in your new home, which may eliminate the black hole of storage?
What is the cost of a black hole of storage? Even though I don’t like to math, here’s how it shakes out:
An average 5x10 storage unit costs somewhere between $250-$400 a month (and that’s a good deal). But public storage places have some pretty sneaky fine print that people usually do not notice. For instance, I have a unit for all my materials and tools. With an 8x10 unit for $230/mo, I thought I had a great deal with Public Storage. BUT - in the fine print, an asterisk states, “This rate is only good for three months, after which time the going rate is re-evaluated.” So, as they do this every 3 months, the cost was raised three times and, ultimately I found myself paying $359/mo for the year.
For you, assuming there will be no more rate changes, (which there will be), you would be paying $359/mo for 12 months. However, if you plan to leave your things in storage for more than one year, I guarantee that it will be more like 3-5 years. Thus, the cost would be $359 x 5 years = $21k.
So why not take some of that $21k, put it in savings, and use a little to invest in a fabulous organization company to remove the black hole of storage?
We at OFab understand the need for storage units, from time to time, temporarily. Wouldn't it be great if you only had the things you need and want in your home and it all fit? My goal is that you will never be overwhelmed by your things again, so you are free to go and enjoy your life.