Letting out space to down-sizers is a common and very successful area for self storage operators. However, the nature of a down-size means that the owner is relocating from a larger home to a smaller one and has a large amount of stuff to shift. It needs to be moved and then stored until the new home is ready.
Sort Before You Pack
Sort Before You Pack. A little time spent planning and sorting before you start to pack will ensure that the packing process is a smooth one. Work room by room and split all of the items into four piles: keep, sell, donate and store. This will help you to avoid packing items that you have decided to get rid of and prevent you from having to think about items that you haven’t packed yet.
Measure The New Rooms Properly
A tape measure is your best friend when you first move into your new home. Take out the tape measure and check the size of all your rooms, check the width of your doorways and the manner in which you will have to manoeuvre stairs and corners. Now compare this to your current furniture and decide what you can take with you and what you will have to dispose of. A sofa that looks okay in a large lounge can look huge in a small one. A dining table that seats 8 people will not go through a narrow hallway.
Treat Storage As A Buffer, Not A Dump
There are many people who view storage space as somewhere to get rid of stuff they’ve deemed to be of no use whilst downsizing. In order to ensure that storage is used effectively for a temporary period of time it’s best to use it as a ‘buffer’. Set a date and remind yourself to review the contents of your storage unit(s) after 3 or 6 months and consider whether or not you have made good use of the space and whether items stored have earned their place in the unit(s) and can remain there for further periods of time or not.
Keep Bulky Items You Might Need Again
It can be tempting to consider selling items that you consider to be of little use in your new home such as spare beds, full dining tables and garden furniture but remember these items could be invaluable at a future date i.e. when the children return from university or you decide to move to a slightly larger property. Often these items can be sold in a hurry for very low prices but in the long run it could cost you more to purchase new items than you would have paid for a few months storage.
Pack Sentimental Items With Care
It’s also wise to pack sentimental items with as much care as you would pack fragile items for a removal. If you’re storing pictures then these should be packed flat in your box, rather than on edge. It’s also worth remembering that items of a paper nature such as books, papers and cardboard should be stored off the floor to prevent damp penetration. See also Self Storage Swindon.
Size The Unit To Match The Move
Typically a downsize from a 3 bed house to a 2 bed flat would require a storage unit ranging in size from 50sq ft to 100sq ft depending on the amount of furniture that is to be stored. Make sure you don’t go too small as this will mean a very cramped and difficult storage unit and going too big means you will be paying for space that you are not using. Ask your storage provider to discuss the sizes in more detail with reference to your inventory of furniture to be moved.
Time It Around Overlapping Dates
There is usually a time lag between you completing your sale and your new property completing. This can mean you need storage for some time to come. Where will you park the removal van? Where will it be stored in the evenings? Your storage container could be classed as a commercial activity and need to be located on commercial land. Some councils permit storage containers on residential streets for short periods, but this would need to be checked with your local council’s planning department.
Weigh The Costs Properly
Make sure to accurately cost out how much storage is going to cost you over the time you plan to use it and then compare this to the cost of the alternative solutions i.e. selling your furniture for a couple of quid and buying it back at a later date or paying to rent a larger house to avoid having to store your furniture. The fact that you only pay a monthly fee for storage can often make people believe that it is cheaper than an alternative but, when you do the sums, it is often the complete opposite.
This article has described how self storage can be used when downsizing and also outlined the key points that need to be considered when setting up as a storage provider, such as registering a business, considering the right type of insurance and advice on premises and local trading rules for a small storage business.
You will inevitably have to let go of some things when you downsize but planning in advance what you are going to keep, store and sell will make your move so much easier than if you were to decide on moving day.
