Life events

How self storage can help with major life events

Are you experiencing a major life event, or is one heading your way? Some changes in life can be anticipated and prepared for, whilst others are sprung upon us. Self storage can offer practical help before or during major life changes, giving you time and space to cope with the emotional aspects of whatever changes you’re going through.
 

Moving in together

Whereas you once had two houses, each filled with the possessions of two people, when you move in together you may not have enough space to accommodate everything you both own. You probably have duplicate items like beds, wardrobes and even crockery and cooking utensils. 

Selling those items won’t raise much cash second hand, and of course you won’t want to send them to landfill. You could donate good quality items to charity - many local charities will collect them from you. Alternatively, you could save them in your self storage unit until you need them again (for example, if you move into a larger home or if the ones you choose to use need replacing as they age).
 

New Baby 

Although your baby won’t need their own room for the first six months, it’s a lot easier to prepare their nursery before they arrive than wait until you have a baby to look after at the same time! The room you intend to use as a nursery may already contain furniture that won’t fit elsewhere in the house. Perhaps you’ve been using it as a spare room or as an office. 

Your baby will soon grow out of their cot and need a proper bed, and when they start school they will eventually need a desk at which to do their homework, so it makes sense to hang on to those items if you have them already. You could dismantle them and store them in your loft or garage if you are sure they will stay dry. Putting them into a self storage unit might be an easier option and you can take them back out whenever you choose. 

Similarly, if you have any other items around the house that won’t suit having a baby or toddler in the house (such as glass-topped tables, or chairs with sharp corners, or breakable items like vases) you may want to put those safely into your self storage unit until your child is older.
 

Relationship breakdown

If you and your partner have taken the decision to separate, one or both of you might need to move out of the house. You’ll both need a fair share of the household contents to help you to get re-established, but you may not immediately have anywhere to keep it all, particularly if you need to rent for a while. To ensure that you still retain your share of the household contents whilst looking for a permanent, new home, you could put items like beds, wardrobes, and even chairs, tables and sofas into your self storage unit until you’re ready to move them into a more permanent home.
 

Bereavement

If you’ve lost a loved one, one of the most difficult things you’ll need to do is sort through their belongings. The terms of their will should tell you what needs to happen to individual items, but most furniture, furnishings and personal belongings will need to be divided between the beneficiaries or sold. 

It is difficult to deal with this job whilst you’re struggling with grief. You may end up selling, binning or giving away items that you wish, with hindsight, that you had kept as a reminder of your loved one. It’s important to take your time, and deal with these belongings when you are emotionally able to do so. You can put household contents and items like clothing, books and other personal items into a self storage unit for a week or however long you need, and sort them out when you’re ready.

Downsizing

When your children have flown the nest, you may still need extra rooms in your house to accommodate visits by grandchildren. If, after a while, you start to feel that your home is bigger than you need and is taking too much time and effort to maintain and keep clean, you could be considering downsizing. 

If you do so, you’ll find that you have more furniture and contents than will fit into your new, smaller home. Yet items like extra beds, wardrobes, sofas and coffee tables might be useful to your children - or even your grandchildren - in the future. Give yourself some breathing room to decide what you want to keep in the long term and what you’re happy to part with by storing excess household items in your self storage unit and you can take them back out whenever you like. This can also make downsizing easier emotionally, as you won’t feel as though you’re sacrificing many of your belongings, much of which will have fond memories attached.