Americans have become known for having a lot of stuff. It might come as a surprise to know the average American home has about 300,000 items inside it. That’s a big number, to be sure, though it’s important to note that these items can be any size and of any value. So while a homeowner might only have a few tables, they might very well have a few hundred rubber bands, pens, books, and trinkets in the vicinity. These objects add up over time, and like rabbits, they seem to multiply without notice.
A big chunk of these items within the average house consist of things that aren’t actually useful or necessary. Sentimental value tends to be the factor that maintains these large quantities of objects. People grow attached to objects because they remind them of a time and place they felt something strongly. In addition to this very human urge to hold onto otherwise useless things is another group of people who have real problems getting rid of anything. Documentaries and television shows have been made to showcase these “hoarders” and their obsession with keeping just about everything for one reason or another.
But statistics have shown that only about 5% of the population has or has had a hoarding issue. This means that the vast majority of people simply have a lot of stuff and just don’t know what to do with all of it, or don’t have the time and energy to take care of it. Still, all of these things take up space, and most homes aren’t large enough to comfortably store all of a household’s objects. In fact, a quarter of people with two-car garages don’t even park their cars inside them since that space has been overtaken by objects not wanted inside the house. If you find yourself in a predicament like this, it’s probably time to start thinking of new personal storage solutions.
It turns out there are several options when it comes to storing your stuff. We’ll take a look at three of these storage solutions and discuss which situations are best for each one.
1) Self Storage
This often refers to the process in which the owners pack up their stuff, load up their truck (or rent a truck), and bring it all to a storage facility. The user will have to pay a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee to store their stuff, and cost will vary depending on how much stuff there is and how long it needs to stay in storage. For people who like to do things themselves, self storage is a good option. It’s also a god option for those who aren’t storing a massive amount of objects. If more than one truck is necessary to carry all of the items, it might be too costly to rent the trucks or make several trips. Some self storage facilities now offer on demand services as well, meaning you can have your stuff delivered to you in 24 hours if needed.
2) Full Service Storage
A full service storage company takes care of every aspect of storage except for the packing. This includes moving the packed items out of the house, hauling them to the closest storage facility, unloading the items, storing them in a safe environment, and keeping track of everything. For large quantities, full service is a great way to ensure your stuff is stored properly without worrying about the logistics of the whole operation. All you have to do is pack the items and the storage company takes care of the rest. Most full service storage companies offer on demand services as well.
3) Innovative Storage Solutions
If you don’t want to leave your items in a storage facility some distance from your home, you can still find ways to use the space of your home to better organize and store your stuff. These innovative storage solutions include turning stairs into drawers for clothing and other items, using air-tight bags for malleable items for maximum space saving, and otherwise utilizing any possible space for storage (i.e. underneath staircases). These solutions require some ingenuity and possibly some engineering, which might be too much for some people. But those willing to take the time and effort to get creative and handy can find themselves in a much cleaner, elegant house.
