Ten Reasons You Might Use Self-Storage

When you think of self-storage you might think it is only for businesses or long-term use, but the truth is there are a number of different reasons why people use these storage units. After doing some research I have come up with a list of ten of the most common reasons people use self-storage and some of them really did surprise me…

Decluttering

If you have a lot of furniture or household items you might want to clear them out temporarily while you go through them. From the bathroom and kitchen, you will be surprised at how much clutter you can pick up over a lifetime and you might not want to throw it all away.

Homelessness

This doesn’t have to mean you have lost your house at all, you might just be between houses. Having worked for a number of years in a removal firm I can tell you a lot of people use self-storage for this very use and often in an emergency. But some people do use them long-term after being made homeless as well.

Extra Shed

Yes, people really do treat self-storage units just like an extra shed! Some people store expensive gardening tools in them and others simple shed-like items that they simply don’t have room for at home.

Surprise Gifts

If you want to keep a motorcycle or new bicycle quiet and away from prying eyes where would you hide it? It seems a lot of people use self-storage units temporarily for this very purpose and I have to say it is kind of genius (in an expensive way).

Renovating & Decorating

If you have the builders in, or the plasterers doing several rooms at once you simply might not have the room to store all those items and that is why people use self-storage. This is especially true if you have a lot of furniture.

Collections

What happens when your Coke-Can collection or LEGO sets become simply too big for your home? The answer is often storing them safely in self-storage. Some people store their entire collection of things in self-storage and are often unknown to the rest of their family!

Starting a Business

While the number one use for self-storage is of course business use, some people hire a storage unit to start their business from it! If you plan to sell things on eBay or Amazon you might not have the room at home so millions of people all around the world have started businesses this very way and some of them have gone on to become very successful.

Students

I was truly shocked at the number of students who use self-storage units to hold their items while they moved back home or during a gap year. In fact, it is thought that students make up almost 50% of self-storage businesses if they are located in towns and cities with universities in them.

Moving Home

OK, so this was always going to be one of the main use most people think of when using a self-storage unit, but it is not as common as you might think. Often moving items are kept on the moving trucks rather than in storage units.

Me Time

This last one shocked me, it really did. Some people (more than most people would think) really do hire storage crates and units just to sit in them and be alone! Some people will have music in their unit and others just a single chair. It is illegal to live inside of a storage unit as one Youtuber found out, but sitting in one just to be alone with your thoughts is perfectly legal.