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How to Find Affordable Self Storage

People today have a variety of possessions, sometimes too many. In fact, the average U.S. home holds about 300,000 individual items. To contain those possessions, houses have only gotten larger over the years - about three times bigger than those built 50 years ago. It's crucial for people to declutter their living space, as living in an overly messy or unorganized environment could have serious negative effects on a person's health and well-being. Not only can it increase stress and anxiety, it can also reduce the ability to concentrate on even the smallest of tasks, according to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.

People can use self-storage to organize their belongings and declutter their homes.People can use affordable self storage to organize their belongings and declutter their homes.

People need to find ways to move personal items out of their living spaces. There are many cost-efficient options renters and homeowners can use to find affordable self storage for their possessions. By moving these items from their houses, people can improve their overall quality of life. However, since self storage doesn't come free, it's important to explore all your options and consider which factors may influence price.

Household Decluttering

Perhaps the most affordable method of self storage is to organize one's home and the possessions contained inside it. This is often easier said than done, however.

When it's Time
Sometimes, homeowners may not realize the severity of their clutter. However, there are certain signs that will demonstrate the necessity of organization:

  • A constant struggle to locate particular items
  • Using the garage as a storage unit
  • Peers bringing the clutter up in conversation regularly
  • Cabinets and closets won't close
  • Consistently stepping on or falling over possessions
  • Inability to remember when items were purchased

How To Declutter

Organizing one's household can be quite the task, depending on the number of excess items present. However, decluttering can be cathartic because it allows homeowners to truly decide what possessions are important to them.

Make a List
If people have more than one room in their apartment or home that is disorganized, it's smart to start with the least messy first. Homeowners can create a list of places they'd like to tackle over a period of time, working their way up to the most cluttered part of their residence. People should also consider developing a record of the items that are most important to them on a grander scale. For example, if a catastrophic event or natural disaster occurred, what possessions would be the most important to replace in the long run? This practice could reduce future instances of disorganization and eliminate the need to complete a large-scale decluttering task ever again.

Organize items to keep, sell or donate, throw away and put in storage.

Use the "Four-Box" Rule
A simple way to organize possessions into clear-cut categories is to separate them into four different boxes labeled "keep," "sell or donate," "throw away" and "storage." Going room by room using this tactic will help people better manage their items, forcing them to place the property into one of four selections. Once possessions are organized this way, it's crucial for people to have a course of action in place, whether that's immediately driving donated items to a donation center or taking the trash box to a nearby dumpster.

It can be easy for people to accumulate possessions simply because they don't know how or when to get rid of miscellaneous items. Over time, however, this practice can become harmful to a person's well-being and happiness. Although decluttering is a cost-efficient way to eradicate one's home of items, self storage is another affordable option.

Factors to Consider for Affordable Self Storage

Today, about one in 10 Americans rents an offsite storage unit of some kind and the U.S. itself is home to nearly 50,000 of these facilities, according to The Self Storage Association. For people looking to reduce the amount of clutter in their homes or simply to place valuable possessions in a safe place, self storage offers room at an affordable price. There are many factors for people to consider when finding a unit of their own.

Necessary Size
Before locating a self-storage facility, people need to decide what items will stay in the unit. The necessary size of the unit will largely depend on the types of possessions it will hold. There are several common storage sizes, according to Extra Space Storage:

  • 5 ft. by 5 ft.: These units will hold smaller items, including boxes, a dresser and a mattress.
  • 5 ft. by 10 ft.: People looking to store the contents of their medium-sized bedroom could benefit from this size, which can contain property like a queen-size mattress, boxes, a dresser and a TV.
  • 5 ft. by 15 ft.: This is the equivalent of a walk-in closet.
  • 10 ft. by 10 ft.: This space is fairly equal in size to half of a garage and can store items from a family room or two single bedrooms.
  • 10 ft. by 15 ft.: A little smaller than a one-car garage, larger items will fit in this space.
  • 10 ft. by 20 ft.: This is a large option. It allows for storage of items from a multi-bedroom house, including large appliances.
  • 10 ft. by 25 ft.: People can fit at least three bedrooms' worth of items into this space, which is a bit larger than a one-car garage.
  • 10 ft. by 30 ft.: Most things in a three- to five-bedroom house can fit in this storage space.

Services Provided
There are two common options people can choose from when investing in a storage unit: self storage or full service. It's critical to know the difference between the choices, as the full-service selection gives people limited access to their possessions. Self storage, on the other hand, allows people to manage and control their own mini facility. Those that choose self storage will usually have their own set of keys, can organize the unit as they see fit and can come and go as they please.

Renters often have to provide their own insurance.

Insurance
It's rare for the storage company or facility to provide coverage for the items contained within its units. This means renters will need to locate their own policy to insure the safety of their possessions. People should make sure to ask the self storage owners and attendants if insurance is an extra the business can provide or if individuals have to find their own form of coverage.

Type of Facility
When it comes to self storage, people will have many options regarding the kind of environment in which they want to keep their possessions. The most common options are as follows:

  • Indoor: Although the units may be on the smaller side - 5 ft. by 5 ft. to 5 ft. by 10 ft. - indoor units are usually housed in buildings with a security element.
  • Outdoor: External facilities tend to be larger, but can leave valuables vulnerable to weather conditions. It's typically smart to store bigger items in these units, such as cars, boats or other machinery.
  • Drive-up: Designed to resemble garages and easily accessible by car, this type is perhaps the most common form of self-storage unit.
  • Climate-controlled: These spaces tend to be more expensive since they come with humidity and temperature controls. Located indoors, climate-controlled units will ensure valuable items, including musical instruments, paintings and antiques, aren't ruined by weather conditions.
  • Mobile: Storage companies will situate these units outside a person's home so they can be filled with possessions, usually for a cross-country move or home renovation. The storage company will either hold the unit at their facility or transport it to a desired location once it's been filled.

Security
People want to know their prized possessions are safe during their time in a self storage facility. Renters should make sure they're aware of the measures the company has in place, whether that's key-code access, security cameras or both. Furthermore, people may sometimes need to provide their own lock for their unit. Disc locks, padlocks and keyless locks offer the best protection in such situations.

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