Why Do People Use Self-Storage Facilities?

  • Thread starter lisab
  • Start date
In summary: I'm not storing things indefinitely.In summary, people are storing their belongings in self storage because they are moving, or because they are transitioning through a lifestyle change. The trend of people storing their belongings in self storage is growing, as people are moving more and changing their lifestyles.
  • #1
lisab
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
2,026
623
"Self Storage"?

How many Pfers have "stuff" in self-storage facilities?

I don't really want to know what you have stored, but you can share that if you want.

My question is, why? Are you pretty sure that there is a life-changing event coming up, at which time you will take your stuff out? Or are you storing it...indefinitely?

Me, I have none...I strive to be a minimalist (and mostly fail :smile:).
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2


At the moment no, however I have frequently spent months with most of my belongings in storage. However, that is mostly because I have not lived in one place for more than a year in the past 9 years.
 
  • #3


When I first read the thread title I thought you were asking about people putting themselves in storage...
 
  • #4


Wiki says:
One in ten U.S. households now rent a self storage unit.[6] The growing demand for self storage in the U.S. is created by people moving (some 40 million Americans move each year according to U.S. Census data), and by various lifestyle transitions, such as marriage, divorce, retirement, a death in the family, etc. In February 2011, 73% of storage facility owners responding to a survey by SelfStorage.com reported 2010 revenue as stable or growing from the prior year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-storage
jhae2.718 said:
When I first read the thread title I thought you were asking about people putting themselves in storage...

Me too!
 
  • #5


jhae2.718 said:
When I first read the thread title I thought you were asking about people putting themselves in storage...
So did I. :tongue2:

I have a ton of stuff in my garage. Boxes of photos, vinyl record albums, furniture, and collectables in hopes of someday moving back into a place with enough room for them.
 
  • #6


Oh my. There is a reality tv series on self-storage autions?

Storage Wars is a reality television series on the A&E Network that premiered in 2010. The show features auctioneer Dan Dotson, as well as auction hunters Dave Hester, Darrell Sheets, Barry Weiss, and Jarrod Schulz. When rent is not paid on a storage locker for three months in California, the contents are sold by an auctioneer as a single lot of items. The show follows professional buyers who purchase the contents based only on a five-minute inspection and what they can see only from the door when it is opened. The goal is to turn a profit on the merchandise.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_Wars

And people wonder why I don't have a tv.
 
  • #7


Newai said:
Wiki says:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-storage
One in ten U.S. households now rent a self storage unit...

Wow, one in ten. That's a lot more than I expected. And it's not like the average american home is small, either.
Me too!

Hmm, I could have chosen a better name...my bad :redface:.
 
  • #8


Newai said:
Oh my. There is a reality tv series on self-storage autions?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_Wars

And people wonder why I don't have a tv.

I really enjoy the show. It is all about the stuff they find in the lockers. Ranges from antique weapons to avant grade art. Many very interesting items which they have appraised and frequently a share bit of history.

Most of the people are not offensive, though some are. Still it is about the contents of the lockers.
 
  • #9


We do (the smallest size they had).

WHY? We were forced to leave a larger rental place when the landlord wanted to sell a year after we moved in (we would have NEVER moved there if we knew he was not planning to continue renting). Turns out there were some restrictions on when the landlord could sell after dividing a downtown furniture warehouse into condos. As soon as he could he listed them and we... like everyone else, vacated before any units were sold. Eventually the guy went bankrupt for trying to "get rich quick" because the units were so cheaply constructed that people who had been renting but thought about buying just paid a bit more for some much better constructed newer condos next door! He should have just kept renting to keep getting income!

We then quickly settled for a two-bedroom apartment for a 4-person family (this was even before E -- but to keep the boys in the same schools (zoning here was very weird and the middle school went one way while the elementary went another -- so we had very limited space to look for a new place AND still have wheelchair accessibility)... so a lot was quickly stashed (books, photos, furniture that my spouse has weird attachments too but I hate -- like a rocking chair from his first marriage, a wrought-iron end table that was made by an artist and is pretty -- but has a glass top that gets fingerprints and sharp dangerous points everywhere, etc.).

Will you leave [your stuff] there indefinitely?
NO! I've cleaned about half of it out (books etc.) that got put up in our larger rental now (a four bedroom house -- with good zoning for middle and high school), but I need to call the local cerebral palsy center to donate some large items for "special needs" that P doesn't use (for example a "stander" used for physical therapy that was difficult to get him into and made him pass out when he was in it for more than 5 minutes)... and then have some help moving some of the bigger awkward things (like a futon -- at one point I would move it on my own, but I'm getting OLD). My spouse claims he and M (now 12) will clean it out someday... but after over a year and a half with only me working at it, I'm finding that hard to believe... and it's been hard for ME to do with little E in tow.

What irks me -- a box of my childhood photos is at the very bottom of a huge towering stack of things that includes the Christmas tree and a small chair. The SPOUSE loaded the storage unit. And a glass lampshade was broken in the loading of the unit (which I'm more concerned about because of the broken glass).

But ... you remind me... I want to drop off the rent tomorrow to get it in sometime before the 5th (although I know at least once I ran MUCH later, but they're not "open it up now" or "add a fee" types... they're really nice bible-belty people who have had some troubles of their own... including losing a teenage daughter to a car accident) ! But -- I'll try to remember the key and get the rocking chair out and donated! It's RIGHT in the entrance of the unit, and a pain in the you know what whenever I try to clean out anything.

Is there a life-changing event coming up?
We don't plan on being in the locale forever. Always on the lookout for the right job opportunity... but with the economy being bad, even the wrong ones are scarce.

As an aside: I'm upset at finding my work office becoming storage too -- for books and all the things I bought for class activities (balls, rulers, dowel rods, dice, thermometers, etc) and demos. Ugh. STUFF. And thank GOD the rental house only has a carport, not a garage.

Meanwhile: Anybody want to make a bid on our stuff as described so far?
1 rocking chair used by the ex-spouse to rock the boys.
1 therapeutic stander (note walmart.com sells a pediatric one of lesser quality for $1348.00 -- this one will fit an adult < 6ft... (it's just adult... not adult tall) -- and has many add-ons... it's worth probably 3-5k)
1 very cheap artificial Christmas tree (sorry, no ornaments -- I took those out last Christmas) -- lights may not work.
1 very small wooden chair (from a garage sale -- 5 dollars but it has a super comfy cushion) GREAT desk chair.
1 very pretty but very dangerous wrought iron and glass end table (oval) -- glass NOT broken
1 broken lampshade (I think the lamp, a floor-height lamp, is still there too)
1 futon and frame (very nice frame - renewable forest "teak").
1 box of childhood photos (newspaper clippings, etc. circa 1975-1995, with maybe some recent ones on top).
1 towering stack of boxes (I don't think you want what's in them -- not sentimental, not generally useful)
 
Last edited:
  • #10


There's a sign for one of these here and the initial "S" fell off. It has become "elf Storage".
 
  • #11


I try to keep my possessions limited. I am currently living at my grandmas since my grandfather died but will be moving back out again soon since my aunt and cousin moved in. My grandmother is a packrat to there are no fewer than three storage sheds in the back yard and several shelving units in the garage for storage. I have my kitchen stuff stored in the garage and a few pieces of furniture (all I own) in one of the sheds in the back. My books are in boxes stacked in the corner in my room. Other than that I have only two medium-large sized boxes with random junk that I don't want to throw away and they usually sit in a closet where ever I live. I think my grandmother* being a packrat is what has made me not want to have a bunch of junk. When ever I move I wind up throwing out some of my stuff just to make sure I don't have that much.*edit: most of my family really.
 
  • #12


Yes, we have a storage unit.
The reason is simply that I live in a flat in London, and we have no storage space at all in our flat except 3 (small) wardrobes. The unit is not cheap (we pay £120 a month for a space that is perhaps 2.5x2m, it is sort of a strange shape) but we don't really have any other option since we need a space to keep suitcases, Christmas decorations, some of my old stereo equipment (including a few hundred CDs) etc.
A home with no storage space is not at all unusual in London, which is why there are plenty self storage facilities all over the city,
 
  • #13


What I hate about having too much stuff is the boxes that were packed 20 years ago and have never been opened since. And most of it is lame stuff that should have been opened the day we moved in.

"Where's the dish strainer?"
"Uh, I know which box it's in, but I don't know where the box is."
"Well, let's buy a new one because we can't wait until we find the box."

Buying a self-storage unit just for the unopened boxes would be a great idea. Pay one month's rent and then never return again. Sure, your stuff winds up on a TV show, but as long as no one in the family watches that particular episode, they still think all that stuff they never use or even look at is still safe and sound, waiting for the end times to come, at which time I'm sure opening that box one last time would be their number one priority.

Or, do what I did after my divorce. Actually open those boxes and give the kids one last chance to claim the beloved stuff animals they haven't seen in years before I donate it. The daughter did want her Barbie collection and the boys did want their hot wheel collection, but we sure did donate a lot of stuffed animals (in really good condition, too).

I really caught hell for donating the He-man characters. Apparently those are collectible, too, but by who?!

Boxes of baby clothes and a pregnant daughter and she took less than a dozen articles. But did hang onto the box so some of her friends could look through it, which got rid of another half dozen articles. I would have thought the baby clothes would have been a little more popular. Almost all of them got dropped off at the thrift store.

Plus, there were a lot of boxes that were nothing but old school papers and those went to the recycling center. Keeping a sample of your kid's first kindergarten assignment is one thing, but was there really a need to fill up entire boxes with old school papers? It's not like they're as important as old computer magazines for my Commodore 64, which I did keep, by the way (maybe next time, since if you don't have at least a little worthless junk on hand, major cleaning projects just wouldn't give you the same feel of accomplishment).

And, I did get a cool set of drinking glasses for the kitchen! My oldest daughter had bought these when she was dreaming of moving out of the house, but forgot to actually take them with her when she finally did get her first apartment. Tough break, kid! That's part of the storage fees around here!

And, then, the ex's diary of her teenage years, including the period where her dad died. Her dad was diagnosed with cancer right after she got the diary and the last entry was the day her dad died. I guess there wasn't anything else to write about after that. That did have to get mailed to her. That's not something I could just throw away.

And, yes, since I kept the Commodore 64 magazines, I also had to keep the Commodore 64 computer, as well.

Out of enough stuff to fill a garage sized storage unit, what was kept didn't even fill the cubby hole under the stairs. But, I actually get to park my Jeep in the garage now!
 
Last edited:
  • #14


I own my "storage units" in the form of a detached garage and a loft over the attached garage.

I helped friends clean out their rented storage unit after they bought another house, and it was a royal pain. They had SO much stuff crammed in there that I filled my pickup and my friend filled his pickup, and we filled a fairly large utility trailer on each trip, and we made several trips to their new place so that we could turn their 2-car garage into a fully-packed storage unit. Most of that stuff should have been lawn-saled for cheap or tossed away anyway.
 
  • #15


Fortunately, neither my wife nor I have ever had to rent a storage unit. In grad school, before we met, we lived in dorms or furnished apartments, with a minimum of our own stuff. When we came here (separately), we each got small unfurnished apartments and had to get some furniture (in her case, mostly hand-me-downs from colleagues; in my case, purchased). Then we met, got married and bought a house that easily accommodated all the stuff from our apartments. After 23 years the house is pretty full and I'm starting to thin out some of my books, CDs, etc., rather than consider storing them elsewhere.
 
  • #16


Reading these posts reminded me of a neighbor I had years ago, who was trying to get rid of "stuff". He packed it up in the station wagon, and his wife drove it to the thrift store to make a big donation.

She did drop it all off, but she came back with, you guessed it - a bag of new "stuff" she bought at the thrift store.
 
  • #17


lisab said:
Reading these posts reminded me of a neighbor I had years ago, who was trying to get rid of "stuff". He packed it up in the station wagon, and his wife drove it to the thrift store to make a big donation.

She did drop it all off, but she came back with, you guessed it - a bag of new "stuff" she bought at the thrift store.
My wife and a neighbor are putting on a garage sale this weekend, to thin out "stuff". My biggest fear is that my wife will return with more "stuff".
 
  • #18


This thread makes me feel much better about myself. I don't have a self storage unit, but my entire house is filled with future project "items". It is one of those wacky; "He's got a two foot pathway throughout his entire house" kind of places.

My brother stopped by a few years ago to give me a ride to the airport, took a look into my house from the front entrance, and said only one thing; "You have to die last."

:redface:
 
  • #19


My father is a pack-rat and saves everything that is broken because "I might be able to use parts of this." He has a couple of riding lawn-mowers that are at least 25 years old because the bearings in the mower-decks might be usable in his current ~15-year-old mower. His "shop" is not usable as a shop because it is so packed with tools, parts, etc, that he will never use.

He says that when he dies, I should burn the place. I don't want to go to jail as an arsonist, so I'll first let my niece's husband strip the place of all the scrap that he can sell, then turn the place over to the local FD, so they can use it for practice-burns for training purposes. There is NO way that I will clean out that place.

BTW, back when I was 10, the town's sesquicentennial committee gave my parents a plaque because the house was over 175 years old. OK, so now the place is ~225 years old. I'm still not cleaning it out!
 
  • #20


lisab said:
My question is, why?

turbo said:
I own my "storage units" ...

The reason for NOT using self storage system; have you seen the monthly rate for those commercial units?

Heck. I can build one for the cost of one months rent.
 
  • #21


dlgoff said:
The reason for NOT using self storage system; have you seen the monthly rate for those commercial units?

Heck. I can build one for the cost of one months rent.

I know! A lot of places offer teaser deals, like a "second month free" or reduced rate for six months. I bet a lot of people get a storage unit thinking it's going to be short-term, but then "out of sight, out of mind" sets in and before they know it, they've sunk a year's rent into it.
 
  • #22


My friends got sucked into a long-term deal. When my wife and I bought a small place out in the country, we put our big place in town on the market. I got my friend to broker the sale of our old place and told him that "It's time." He and his wife had spent years renovating an old farm-house, and they decided to sell it. Our timing was excellent - we both sold at the top of the market. Unfortunately, they had to rent an in-town apartment while looking for a smaller place, so all their stuff (and their kids' stuff!) ended up in storage for about a year. One truck-load that I took to their new place was all box-springs and mattresses that a step-daughter had trucked up from MA, and never came to recover. Why pay storage-rental fees on stuff that should rightfully be in a landfill?
 
  • #23


Nope. I do have a 10x12 storage building in my back yard where I keep some things, but it's pretty much just my yard equipment.

I have a big house to put stuff in, and with no kids have all the rooms/closets available. I can't imagine ever paying to put stuff in storage while still owning this house (even after having kids). I'd much rather just get rid of it by selling or donation.
 
  • #24


lisab said:
I strive to be a minimalist.

I'm getting there, but right now I'm renting a garage with my apartment to store the overflow.

One box at a time.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #25


DoggerDan said:
I'm getting there, but right now I'm renting a garage with my apartment to store the overflow.

One box at a time...
I forgot to mention that I'm also storing stuff for my daughters and my youngest daughter's ex-boyfriend. He was going to pick up his stuff when they broke up, but I told him there was no hurry, and I know he doesn't have a place for it, I pay for the garage, not what's in it. Bicycles are in the garage too.
 
  • #26


Evo said:
I forgot to mention that I'm also storing stuff for my daughters and my youngest daughter's ex-boyfriend. He was going to pick up his stuff when they broke up, but I told him there was no hurry, and I know he doesn't have a place for it, I pay for the garage, not what's in it. Bicycles are in the garage too.

I had a roommate for a couple of years. He moved out about 10 years ago. He asked if he could leave about 10 big boxes of "stuff" behind until he got settled down.

You guessed it.

On a somewhat related note, I do not believe I am a hoarder. I looked around my living/dining room this morning, and I've used pretty much everything within the last year. Though with the addition of an air conditioner and 50 foot roll of chain link fence within the last two weeks, I no longer have a free path. I now have a two foot wide path, with hurdles. :blushing: :blushing:
 
  • #27


lisab said:
How many Pfers have "stuff" in self-storage facilities?

I don't really want to know what you have stored, but you can share that if you want.

My question is, why? Are you pretty sure that there is a life-changing event coming up, at which time you will take your stuff out? Or are you storing it...indefinitely?

Me, I have none...I strive to be a minimalist (and mostly fail :smile:).

I have stuff in storage that could not fit in the car when I relocated, and there is not a day that goes by that I wish I had something from there. I am planning on going back to get it soon...>_>
 
  • #28


dlgoff said:
Heck. I can build one for the cost of one months rent.

True, but if you live in a city you might not have much choice; the problem is that land is expensive which means that houses and flats are usually quite small and there is little in the way of storage space (almost no one has a garage where we live, and many houses do not even have proper driveways).
We just consider the rent of the storage unit to be part of our cost of living (fortunately we don't much much rent for our flat, at least not by London standards).
 
  • #29


I built a storage shed when I owned my own home. Living in an apartment like I do now, that's a no-no.
 
  • #30


Anyone remember George Carlin and stuff.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #31


My daughter uses her car as a mobile storage unit. When she decided to drive some friends to Austin 2 months ago, she cleaned out her "car". She found a birthday present MIH has sent me two years earlier, jewelry, money, her High School diploma! She turns 24 next month! It was like a time capsule.
 
  • #32


edward said:
Anyone remember George Carlin and stuff.



That was awesome! Carlin is truly immortal.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #33


edward said:
Anyone remember George Carlin and stuff.

That's great!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #34


OmCheeto said:
This thread makes me feel much better about myself. I don't have a self storage unit, but my entire house is filled with future project "items". It is one of those wacky; "He's got a two foot pathway throughout his entire house" kind of places.

My brother stopped by a few years ago to give me a ride to the airport, took a look into my house from the front entrance, and said only one thing; "You have to die last."

:redface:

LOL those future project "items" certainly do accumulate. At my age I have already completed a lot of projects, but I saved left over items from past projects because they might come in handy with future projects. :smile:
 
  • #35


When I was in the military I would pack up all my things into a self storage whenever I was deployed. It essentially meant an extra thousand dollars each month that I was not spending on rent while I was gone, and buying a house with such a tentative lifestyle was out of the question (what if I had to move permanently and could not sell/rent etc).

My many things are with me now, but if I ever decided that I need to save more money I would pack most of my junk off to storage and find a room for rent or something.

I couldn't imagine "owning" a home, and still using storage facilities though. At that point I think that "you just have more stuff than you need, and/or purchased too small of a home".
 
<h2>1. Why do people use self-storage facilities?</h2><p>People use self-storage facilities for a variety of reasons, such as moving to a new home, downsizing, or needing extra space for seasonal items. It can also be used for business storage, storing vehicles, or as a temporary solution during a renovation or construction project.</p><h2>2. Is it cost-effective to use self-storage facilities?</h2><p>The cost of self-storage facilities varies depending on location, size, and amenities. However, it can be a cost-effective solution for those who need extra space and do not want to commit to a long-term rental or purchase of a larger property. It can also save money in the long run by preventing the need to rent a larger living or business space.</p><h2>3. Are self-storage facilities safe and secure?</h2><p>Most self-storage facilities have security measures in place, such as surveillance cameras, gated access, and individual unit locks. However, it is always important to research the specific facility and their security protocols before choosing to store your belongings there.</p><h2>4. Can I access my belongings at any time in a self-storage facility?</h2><p>Many self-storage facilities offer 24/7 access to their units, but some may have restricted access hours. It is important to check with the facility beforehand to ensure their access policies align with your needs.</p><h2>5. Are there any items that cannot be stored in self-storage facilities?</h2><p>There are typically restrictions on storing hazardous materials, perishable items, and illegal items in self-storage facilities. It is important to check with the facility for a comprehensive list of prohibited items before storing your belongings.</p>

1. Why do people use self-storage facilities?

People use self-storage facilities for a variety of reasons, such as moving to a new home, downsizing, or needing extra space for seasonal items. It can also be used for business storage, storing vehicles, or as a temporary solution during a renovation or construction project.

2. Is it cost-effective to use self-storage facilities?

The cost of self-storage facilities varies depending on location, size, and amenities. However, it can be a cost-effective solution for those who need extra space and do not want to commit to a long-term rental or purchase of a larger property. It can also save money in the long run by preventing the need to rent a larger living or business space.

3. Are self-storage facilities safe and secure?

Most self-storage facilities have security measures in place, such as surveillance cameras, gated access, and individual unit locks. However, it is always important to research the specific facility and their security protocols before choosing to store your belongings there.

4. Can I access my belongings at any time in a self-storage facility?

Many self-storage facilities offer 24/7 access to their units, but some may have restricted access hours. It is important to check with the facility beforehand to ensure their access policies align with your needs.

5. Are there any items that cannot be stored in self-storage facilities?

There are typically restrictions on storing hazardous materials, perishable items, and illegal items in self-storage facilities. It is important to check with the facility for a comprehensive list of prohibited items before storing your belongings.

Similar threads

Replies
14
Views
454
Replies
15
Views
585
Replies
16
Views
1K
  • Computing and Technology
Replies
5
Views
902
Replies
8
Views
990
Replies
9
Views
886
Replies
9
Views
2K
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • Engineering and Comp Sci Homework Help
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Mechanical Engineering
Replies
30
Views
2K
Back
Top