Ok, so things to ask yourself before deciding to store your stuff, either on a long-term or short-term basis!
This is extremely important, and many people may not realise how clever thinking beforehand can save us loads of stress, time, and even money in the long run. First of all, our options are not limited when it comes to storage; we may be storing at home, in a spare room, a garage, a shed, or in a storage unit. We are maybe storing long-term, short-term, or stuck in a rut with a load of items which we find difficult to part with, in other words, the infamous hoarder.
It’s amazing how tackling these solutions head-on can, in fact, be positive in our lives.
Free up space and free up your mind
Every person tends to store items for years and with no significance to do so. Just ask yourself, why am I hanging on to these items? Do I really need them? If the answer is no, get rid! Don’t forget someone’s junk is someone else’s gold, so find the nearest car boot sale, clear out, sell and earn! Nothing to lose!
Do you like it? We are all guilty of hanging onto things we no longer like! It’s pointless if we no longer like it, we may as well part with it and de-clutter in the process.
Does it work? If the item you are holding onto no longer works and is unlikely to get repaired, it may as well be binned. There is no point holding onto broken things in the hope that the magic fairy will come and rejuvenate them overnight, if it’s gone, let it go!
Does it need cleaning? Storing old items for a long time will not keep them safe if they are not cleaned beforehand, cloth and fabrics will attract dust mites, moths and dirt and end up ruined if they are not cleaned and stored appropriately. Ensure you clean your items prior to storage because if you don’t, it could be costly!
Do you have duplicates? They say you can never have enough of a good thing, but this is, in fact, the opposite when it comes to storage! If you have more than one of the items going into storage and don’t really need to have more than one, get rid of those extras, as it will only bulk up the load.
What are you keeping the items for? Ask yourself whether you really need to keep some of the items you are storing. Are you ever going to put those stored frames back on the wall? Are you even going to hang those curtains from the ’80s? Etc, if it’s realistically unlikely that you will ever use those items again, do not store them in the first place.
Is it valuable? Valuable could mean financially or precious heirlooms, either way, if it’s something you will never part with, for whatever reasons you may have, ensure it is stored in the best possible way because our valuable possessions are like gold to us! It may be worth investing in some protective packaging that will safely house those types of items, and on these occasions, I’m sure we would all agree it would be money well spent!
Is the unit the correct size? Don’t book oversized units that you do not intend to fill, that empty storage space left around your items can be more harmful than good. A snug fit is an ideal way to store in boxes or containers. Also, bigger boxes and containers encourage you to keep extra bits and bobs (something you might have binned) just because you want to fill the space!
Is the storage space suitable? Long-term stored items are generally at the back of the pile, and that is fine if we don’t intend on getting to them in the near future, but if you are storing temporarily, it may be worth thinking about where you store these items so that they are within easy reach if need be!
Know what you are looking for? It’s incredible how many people forget to do this simple but extremely important task-labelling! If you do not label your boxed items in storage, you are going to find it really difficult and stressful to locate them later on. Save yourself some time and stress early on by labelling everything clearly. Also, remember to label those delicate items so that they do not end up at the bottom of the pile, keep a separate area for the storage of anything valuable or breakable and have it clearly marked.
What are we storing for? Does it have to be stored at all? Is it during a house move, a temporary renovation or simply family bits and bobs that have to remain within the family for future generations? Clever planning can save time, money, and stress!
