As a professional organizer, I occasionally have clients who not only have clutter in their home, but also have additional clutter issues off-site - in their storage unit.
There are many reasons that someone might decide to rent additional storage space to store their items - but is it a good idea?
Some of the reasons I hear are that they ran out of room in their house (a sure sign that they have too much!) or that they inherited items from family members and have no place to put them or they intend the use the items "some day".
If you need to rent additional space in order to store your items, this is a red flag that you just have too much stuff. Downsize all those Christmas decorations, reduce the amount of furniture you have, eliminate the excess clothing to avoid seasonal trips to your storage unit. As a rule, you should be able to fit your possessions in the space in which you live. If not, it needs to go.
Some of you might have inherited furniture, antiques, etc. from a family member that recently passed away. You need to evaluate what you have inherited and make a decision as to whether you can make use of the item in your home or whether it can be either given to someone else or sold. If you have no use for the item and are only keeping it because you think you "have to", that is not a good enough reason. Don't keep items in storage out of guilt. When the item is passed onto you, it becomes your decision as to what you do with it. If using it in your home is not an option, pass it on to someone else who can use it.
If you are storing items at an off-site storage facility because you "might use them some day", that is not a good enough reason to keep them. Chances are, that "some day" will never come. You need to live in the moment and use what you have in the present, not plan for that "some day".
If these reasons have not convinced you, take a moment and consider how much money you are spending each year to store your items off-site at a storage facility. Couldn't that money be put to better use?
Storing items off-site does not eliminate the clutter issues you have. You are just relocating them elsewhere and not dealing with them. If you end up storing them long enough, they will become someone else's burden to bear and that's not fair to them, is it?
I would suggest taking a trip to your storage facility and bring your critical eye with you. Look at the contents in the space and determine whether the items in the space can be used in your home now. If not, sell them, donate them, give them to another family member or a friend and get rid of that storage unit once and for all. Then, take the money you will be saving and go do something nice for yourself - TODAY!
Remember, "out of sight, out of mind" is very common when it comes to off-site storage. Don't let that happen to you!
If you have any questions about how to get organized or are just too overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, don't hesitate to contact A Better Space. I am more than happy to help!
In the meantime, enjoy your week!
