There are a number of advantages to having a storage unit. For one it frees up valuable space in your home or business. It can be a place where all your holiday decorations are stored or your children’s belongings after they’ve moved out. It can also be a place to store old office equipment. Yet, a storage locker can also be an expensive monthly bill.
Renting a storage unit
Self Storage Unit Rental Costs
is not cheap, particularly in places like Washington DC, where space of any kind is a premium. Even for a small locker it can be hundreds of dollars a month, for a unit you might only visit every couple of months out of the year. And for items you might not even need any more.
If you’re renting a storage locker simply because you need space in your home or business, it might be time to consider what you can do to eliminate the need for one. To not only save the money you’re paying each month, but also to avoid the inconvenience of having to travel to a separate location just to get some of your own belongings.
Here are some ways to avoid having to rent a storage locker, or at the very least go with a smaller, cheaper unit.
Look Around the Home Or Business For Unused Items
The first step is to find items you can get rid of. Instead of beginning with the items in your storage locker or that you plan to take there, first go through the other items in your home or office taking up space. This will give you an idea of how much space you might have. Look for broken appliances or furniture, out of date equipment, out of date or ill-fitting clothing, and toys that are no longer used.
When you’ve cleared out these items or set them aside, you have an indication of how much room you have.
Consolidate and Color Code Belongings
Among the more popular things to put in a storage locker are holiday decorations. After all, you only use them one time of year. Yet, is it convenient to go out into the winter to get the reindeer for the roof or the tree you have to assemble? Still, putting them in an attic can be an inconvenience, as well, if you have to search through boxes to find your favorite ornaments or the skeleton that hands in your entranceway at Halloween.
For your holiday decorations consider putting them in color coded tubs so that you know without opening them. So orange for Halloween and red for Christmas, for example. By getting sturdy bins you can put a lot of items in them and stack them to take up less space.
Think of other items you can group together, such as old children clothing that you want to keep. Put these in plastic bins that you can label. Buying bins is a lot cheaper in the long run than storage fees.
Make Some Tough Decisions About the Items to Be Stored
Now that you have created some space in your home or business, sort through what you have in storage. One of the common things that happens with a storage unit is it becomes easier to haul things there then to take it to the landfill or to set it out at the curb. Now as you go through it, you might find a lot of it isn’t even worth keeping, let alone to have been paying for it to be stored.
With the items, you do want to keep you may just have made enough room at your location to store it.
Get Some Help To Clear Out The Junk
Now that you’ve created a pile of junk to be hauled, you need to get rid of it. The easiest way to get it taken care of is to have a junk removal company haul it for you. They can do the heavy lifting and you just let them know what rooms need to be cleared out. You might even have them meet you at the storage unit to clear that out. The cost for their work, might be what you’d pay in a month or two for the unit.
Another advantage to hiring a junk removal company is that you can include usable or recyclable items. Most legitimate junk removal companies sort through the items you’re having hauled anyway. To look for any items that can be used by others or that can be taken in for recycling. Nova Junk Removal, for example, works with several local charities.
With a storage locker, you’re paying a monthly fee each month with money that could be used elsewhere. If you absolutely need a storage locker, then try to get just what you need for the things you absolutely need to have stored.
If you want to avoid storage fees or limit your costs and you live in Northern Virginia, Washington DC or in parts of Maryland, then contact Nova Junk Removal. We can haul away all your junk so you have room for the important things. Call us today at (877) 211-6682 to schedule a pickup that is convenient for you.