Storage - Ins, Outs and What Have You
I have never been a big advocate for storage units, but as an organizer for years, I’ll admit that there are a few exceptions where one (hopefully just one, lol) is necessary. I actually have a Public Storage unit myself - for OFab supplies and tools!
As a PSA, I want to address all the reasons people legitimately need storage and how to find the right option for you. The question to ask yourself is, do you really need separate storage? If so, what is the most cost effective and/or best solution you?
If you just REALLY need more room, here are your basic options:
Interim Storage: You are selling your house and have to move out, but haven’t found your forever home yet or you are moving for a job and you haven’t found a home yet, etc.
Home Prep for Sale: You need to clear out your home and put it on the market. This solution is super temporary, but OFab can manage the clean out, handle the storage management and make your home ready for marketing photos/open houses.
Self Storage unit: When you know you want to keep things but really don’t have room in your house, or perhaps you need business supplies etc nearby. We have worked with Clients whose family members have passed away and they have an inheritance but just can’t deal with it due to grief.
Here are a few options for the various ways to store your things:
Self Storage Unit: There are hundreds of these storage companies all over the country. This is an option for people who need to have an accessible facility that they can go to anytime to get things in and out of there.
Note: the cost can get crazy; just make sure to read the fine print of the contract.
To pay a lower monthly payment, try to go as far out of a big city as possible for cheaper rates (eg: suburbs or smaller towns/rural areas)
If you want the temperature to not harm your art/photos/furniture, select an interior unit on the upper floors. Exterior units are easier to access but get very hot in the summer.
Self storage unit
Warehouse storage: This is a great option for people who won’t need access to their things until they’re ready to move them back into their new home and you can get this storage through most moving companies!
It’s usually less expensive than self storage.
The movers will be able to load your things on their truck and easily bring directly to you, anywhere in the country.
Sometimes this option can be a hassle if your items have been wrapped/packed by another company. The warehouse has to unwrap everything to see if there’s damage and then you pay to re-wrap (a big pain).
Warehouse storage
Pods: This is my least favorite option for many reasons, but it can be the cheapest way to DIY your storage.
If you go with a Pod, the company has to drop it off in front of your house, not on an inclined driveway. This sometimes means you have to fill it up and get it picked up before the street sweepers come or on garbage day.
You are responsible for loading up the pod yourself and tying everything down. This can be scary, because you don’t know if your things will be jostled around in transit (eg: most people’s things get broken or damaged)
Many Pod companies aren’t allowed to park the Pod in apartment/condo parking spaces, so they have to put it outside the gates of the complex. This means you have to move all of your things on dollies into your condo from a distance.
If you want to avoid having a separate storage unit, there are places inside your house that you can trick out to serve as a solution to your problems. (We have used areas like closets, basements, attics, garages and under the stairs.)
Basement for Storage
At OFab, we are always working to reduce costs for our Clients, so if there’s a way to not pay someone else to store your things, that is the ideal scenario.
But if you are overwhelmed, lacking the time, need help making decisions or feel you absolutely need more room to store your things, we at OFab offer full storage solutions and management services, including color coding, inventory lists, and labels labels labels!
