Lockdown may have given you the perfect opportunity to write an inventory of unused furniture, books or electricals. Many of us have been forced to spend more time at home than usual, and you may have found yourself sorting through your household contents as part of a spring-cleaning mission. If your collection of non-essential items has mounted up, you may now be in desperate need of a self storage unit. Individuals and families choose to rent a cheap storage room at Stop and Store Fareham for a multitude of reasons. We have compiled a list of the most common reasons for renting household or business storage.
A Full House
It is very common for the number of possessions to increase within a home until it feels cluttered. With items on every surface, on shelves and in cupboards, you may feel overwhelmed by “stuff”. Decluttering has become popular thanks to celebrities including Marie Kondo. In lockdown you may have followed a set of guidelines to rid your home of any excess. Whilst some items can be sold or given away, you may want to hold onto others but won’t necessarily need them regularly. This is when self storage can be very helpful. Placing valued possessions or furniture into storage means that you do not need to part with them but can instead store them until you next need or want them.
Decluttering is cathartic and can help make your home feel like a sanctuary of calm once more.
Going Travelling
During lockdown, you may have re-evaluated your dreams and goals. You may now be keen to see more of the world, making plans to travel or explore further afield. For trips of more than a month or two, it makes sense to rent out your property in your absence. Not only does it generate an income, it also means that your property is not left unoccupied. Placing expensive, precious or sentimentally valuable items into storage allows you to travel without worrying about accidental damage or theft.
Renovating
Being at home may have given you time to think about any renovations, extensions, or projects you would like to tackle at home. Even a simple job like redecorating is quicker and easier when the room is emptied of furniture. If you plan to get builders in, removing bulky furniture and precious items can help the project to progress faster.
Following a Death
If there has been a recent death, it is often left to the immediate family to go through a loved one’s possessions. This is especially true if the house needs to be prepared for a sale, or if they lived in a residential care facility. It can often be too painful to do this straight after their death. Placing items into storage offers you and your family time to grieve. When you are ready, you can choose to donate or keep furniture, and rediscover any poignant items which could include letters, photographs or jewellery.
An Addition to the Family
If you have a baby on the way, you may be thinking of repurposing a spare bedroom into a nursery. Rather than getting rid of the single bed or wardrobe already in situ, it makes more sense to store these items to make way for a cot and changing table. Once your child has outgrown the nursery furniture, you can make use of the stored furniture once more. If you plan on having more children, it can even make sense to put the cot into storage until it is needed again.
The Empty Nest
If you have children who are leaving home, whether to a home of their own or to start a course at university, you may be left with a room that is no longer being used as a bedroom. Moving the furniture into storage can allow you to reimagine that room as a library, home cinema or even a home gym. Should your child want their furniture in the future, it will still be available to them, but wouldn’t have been cluttering up your home for years on end. You may also wish to take this approach if you have a child who decides to take a gap-year to travel around the world.
Similarly, it makes sense for university students returning for the long summer holiday to put most of their possessions into storage rather than move it back into the family home.
Seasonal Items
There are some things that you just don’t need in the house or garden all year round. Christmas decorations, garden furniture, and sledges can all take up valuable space. Avoid making awkward trips into the loft by placing them into self storage until the following summer or winter.
Hobbies
Some hobbies can come with a hefty amount of kit. Fishing, model train sets, golf, camping and craft paraphernalia can soon mount up and take over an entire bedroom. At Stop and Store in Fareham, your equipment can be safely stored and accessed seven days a week from our convenient location in Fareham Shopping Centre.
Business Overspill
Many professionals are now looking for business storage for bulky items that they don’t need to hold within their office. Spare desks, office chairs and filing cabinets can all safely be moved to a storage unit, freeing up valuable space. If you run a business from home, you may need additional space to store stocks, or crafting materials. This can help to avoid your business taking over your home and your private life.
Moving House
If you are planning a house move, short term storage could be exactly what you need to help the move go without a hitch. There are numerous ways in which storage rentals can be of benefit:
Pre-sale Declutter
If your home feels busy with ornaments, toys or pictures, carefully pack these items for self storage. Your home is likely to feel larger and look more attractive to potential buyers if it is uncluttered and has a spacious feel.
Reduce Packing Stress
Packing as you go is a good way to break the task up into manageable chunks but can lead to half-packed boxes in every room. If this is likely to irritate you, renting a secure storage unit allows you to pack and then store the items away from your home. Keeping a calm home environment could be exactly what you need to reduce any stress related to the move.
Downsizing
If you plan to downsize, putting excess furniture or possessions in storage gives you additional time to decide whether to keep, sell, or donate items that do not fit in your new, smaller property.
Maintain the Chain
If your house sale is at risk of falling through, you may decide to move out of your house and into a rented property to avoid breaking the house-buying chain. It is unlikely that you will want the entire contents of your home in a rental property and placing boxes or furniture into storage is an affordable option until you are able to move into your new home.
Lockdown may have given you the perfect opportunity to consider what to do with excess furniture or possessions within the home. To see why residents of Lee on the Solent, Wickham, and Portchester are making use of a Stop and Store budget storage unit, call us today.