Do You Have A Storage Unit? Do You Really Need It?

Okay people. Let’s start this conversation right now. No beating around the bush. Let’s just get right to it. There are only a few good reasons to have a storage unit and even those are limited. Here they are:

If you are remodeling and are using a storage unit to keep your furnishings clean and safe during the renovation.
If you are moving and using it to store your things for a SHORT period of time until your new residence is ready.
If you need it to keep inventory for your business.

That’s it. There’s really no other reason to have a storage unit for an extended period of time. Sorry but that’s the truth.

As a Professional Organizer, I have to say that if you haven’t used it (whatever “it” is) in 6 months to a year, chances are you won’t and don’t need it. Further, having the option of putting things in storage enables and may even subconsciously tempt you to acquire more since there’s “somewhere” to put it. Finally, knowing what storage can wind up costing, I can assure you that it is not worth it. Just do the math!

Here are some questions for you to think about:

If you’re storing things that you have no room for, how important can those things be?
Why don’t you have room for the items you’re storing?
Can you get easily access the things you need that are in storage?
How long have you been storing these things?
When was the last time you went to retrieve something from storage and were able to find what you were looking for?
How much money are you spending on storage?

Here’s the facts:

Storage costs a lot of money!
People usually store things because they can’t decide what to do with those items.
Most of the items that people store never find their way back into the homes of those that stored them.

So, before the weather starts heating up and it’s just too hot to even think about going through your storage units, let’s do this now, together! This is how we can help:

We will empty everything out of the unit so that you can see everything;
We will go through each and every box and/or item to determine what to keep, what to donate and what to toss;
We will facilitate each of these options;
We will do this in one day!

Sounds good right? So don’t put this off for another day. Let’s do this!

How To Deal With Sentimental Clutter

We all struggle with sentimental clutter. However, if we’re being honest, objects are just objects and their value doesn’t magically change just because you have a history with them. Try to remember that the value you’re assigning the object comes from your memories, not the object.

Whether you’re having trouble letting go of old love letters from your high school sweetheart, your children’s artwork or struggling to let go of countless items following the death of a loved one, purging items that have sentimental value is extremely difficult.

Making decisions about emotionally charged objects is tricky. It may bring up emotions, good and bad, reminding you of happier times with family members or memories of those who have passed away.

Then, there are times when you’re forced to make decisions. For example, when you’re moving to a smaller home and have to downsize or if you have to sort through the belongings of a loved one who has passed away.

Whether you’re ready to purge or forced to make decisions,
striking the right balance between how much to keep and how much to let go of can also be difficult.

If you keep in mind that you can’t keep everything, then you’ll be able to part with items that are truly clutter and keep the ones that mean the most to you.

How do you decide what stays and what goes? Here are some ideas for how to keep sentimental items from getting out of control:

Keep the best and let go of the rest.
• Save heartfelt letters, not every card everyone ever sent you

Only keep items you want to display/use.
• Then…display/use them.

If you must have a keepsake chest, limit it to one box and only keep things that can fit inside that box.
• When your box is full, you’ll need to remove something when adding something new. DO NOT ADD ANOTHER BOX!

Be sure the keepsake chest/container is sturdy, pest and water resistant.
• Once you decide to keep an item, take the steps necessary to store it the right way. Do a little research to determine which containers to use to preserve the items. Please note that just storing items in plastic bins is not enough to keep things safe from the elements. All plastic bins are NOT equal.

Keep the memories and let the objects go.
• Photograph or take a video of the objects you want to remember but don’t want to keep. One digital photograph saved on your computer (and backed up in the cloud) is all you need.

Don’t feel obligated to keep something just because it was a gift.
• There’s no obligation to keep things you don’t like, don’t need and/or won’t use.

Avoid feeling guilty.
• It is your home and you have the right to make room for what matters to you most.

Share heirlooms with other family members.
• If you inherited something and no longer want it, ask your family members if they might want it.

When saving items for family members ask yourself these questions:
• Will they want this?
• Do they have room for it?
• Is the item valuable only to me?
The answers will help you decide to save or let go.

Repurpose a keepsake into something new if you’re crafty.
• For example: You can repurpose your children’s baby blankets into a quilt.

Keep one if there are multiples.
• If you know that you won’t use all the holiday wreaths your mother gave you, just pick one that you’ll display during the holidays.

Don’t keep anything you wouldn’t want anyone else to find.
• If something were to happen to you, your friends and family will eventually sort through your things. Don’t keep anything that you wouldn’t want them to see or that would cause them pain or embarrassment or damage their memories of you.

If you need help with this process, give us a call. We’d love to help!

Bins, Bins and More Bins

Bins, bins, and more bins. Seems like every time I speak to a prospective client one of the questions is inevitably going to be “How many bins should I get”. The next question is usually “Where should I get bins?”.

As a Professional Organizer you would think that I would love bins. For the most part I do and they do serve a purpose BUT, bins can also create more problems than their worth. Here are some explanations that I’m guessing most of you haven’t considered:

The downside:
• Bins typically become dumping grounds for all kinds of random items, even if the bin is properly labeled.
• Bins, especially large ones, are too cumbersome and usually wind up at the bottom of a heap of other bins and are not easily accessible.
• Bins that aren’t stackable create problems when dealing with limited space.
• People don’t understand the different types of bins and falsely believe that if something is contained in a bin, especially a plastic bin, then it must be protected (Note* See below for additional explanation). This can be problematic when someone discovers, after storing something valuable, that it was not protected as they had thought.

Obviously, there are many good reasons for having and using bins. Bins are one of many tools/supplies that people can use for organizing.

The upside:
• Bins can serve as great storage solutions.
• Bins can maximize your storage space (for example, under the bed storage bins).
• Bins, if you choose the right ones, can protect and preserve important items.
• Bins, if and when properly used, can help keep small items together and from getting out of control (ie, hair accessories, small office supplies like staples, paper clips, push pins, crafting supplies).

It is important to note that all bins are NOT created equal. Believe it or not there are many types of plastic bins. Just because you put something in a plastic bin does not mean that the contents will be protected. For example, if you want to protect memorabilia and you’re putting it in the garage, you may want to consider a bin that is “air-tight” or “water-tight” depending on what you intend to store. They cost more than a regular plastic bin but they protect the contents from moisture and critters.

Quick question: How many of you reading this even knew that air-tight or water-tight bins were an option?

Explanation: Airtight storage bins prevent items from water damage. Watertight storage bins work well in a moist basement or in a humid attic where items may become damp over time. These airtight storage bins have a foam strip in the lid which prevents moisture from getting in. The latching lids work to suction the lid onto the air tight container, to secure the lid to the top of the airtight storage bin. You can use airtight plastic containers for important files, clothes, family photos, collectibles or any item that you wish to preserve. You can also get extra piece of mind knowing that items in your basement or garage are being stored properly and protected from the elements.

As a rule of thumb, we usually suggest that people first use what they have before buying any more bins. In fact, that most people usually have whatever we need on hand (other than the air-tight/water-tight bins) and don’t even know it. We make use of many household items that serve as bins and work just as good. For example, we use the boxes that checks come in for office drawers to organize small items like pens or binder clips. We can use egg crates to store earrings, tupper-ware for small items that need to be contained. This list goes on.

So, next time you feel that you need to run out and buy a bin to help with an organizing project, remember to check first to see what you have on hand. If you determine that you might need a bin or two, think about out what you intend to use it for so that you get the right kind, size and color.

As always, if you are in need of any assistance with your organizing project, give us a call. We would LOVE to be of service!

STORAGE: To Have or Not to Have? That is the Question.

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I was talking to a prospective client last week and he brought up a subject that I think warrants some attention. Storage! He said he was currently sharing a house with other people and was running out of room in his quarters. He wanted to know if I thought he should get a storage unit. I was actually THRILLED that he asked for my input before just going out and renting a storage unit.

Needless to say my answer was a resounding NO. However, I was able to give him some ideas as to how to get more out of the space he has. For the moment, I was able to talk him out of renting a storage unit.

I can’t tell you how many times in a month that we get calls from people who want to clear out their storage units after years (and I do mean years) of paying for storage. Most of the time after we’ve finished clearing out the storage unit, our clients are amazed at how much money they’ve spent (or should I say wasted) on rent because most of the time the contents weren’t worth holding on to or, for that matter, storing.

Here’s some interesting facts:
• If you rent a storage unit you’re contributing to a $154 billion industry – bigger than the Hollywood film industry
• 1 in 11 American households has a self-storage space and spend over $1,000 a year in rent
Before I give you my many reasons why I think storage is a waste of money, I want to acknowledge that there always extenuating circumstances and there are times when storage is necessary.

Here’s a few good reasons to rent a storage unit:

1. When you’re moving but don’t know where and, therefore, not sure of what to take (or not)
2. When you’re remodeling and don’t want your belongings to get ruined in the process
3. When you have to clear the contents of a loved one’s home and you don’t have time or the wherewithal to figure things out
4. When it’s for the short term (ie, the end of a college year but you’re returning the following season)
5. When you have no other options and it’s only for a short period of time

Now for my rant about why having a storage unit is usually NOT a good idea:

More often than not, storage units become an abyss. Once again, more often than not, it becomes a catchall. We wind up putting anything and everything in there that we’re not sure of or that we don’t want to make a decision about. Sometimes it’s because there’s no more room in the house or garage.

Before long the storage unit is full of who knows what and the thought of getting in there to figure it out is, in itself, overwhelming. So it just sits there. Month after month, year after year. In the meantime the costs keep adding up. At the end of the day, you’re using your hard-earned money to pay for storing “stuff” that you aren’t using and probably don’t need.

So, if you have a storage unit, spending who knows how much money, let’s talk. Maybe you really don’t need it after-all. Perhaps we can figure out another option. I do know one thing for sure and that is I can help you come up with countless other ways to spend that money.

NEW AND IMPROVED OVER-THE-DOOR ORGANIZER

INTRODUCING STOCK-IT-POCKETS –The perfect multi-use organizer for every room in the house!

Stock-it-Pockets is a see-through organizer that slips over any door. The clear pockets allow you to see the contents of each pocket and the roll, tie and go feature makes it easy to transfer from place to place. Stock-It-Pockets is durable, made of water resistant polyester. There are both large and small pockets so you can store just about anything.

Use it in the:

Bathroom for toiletries, curling irons, shampoos and lotions;

Dorm room for school supplies;

Office for brochures, pamphlets and other literature;

Laundry room for cleaning supplies;

Pantry for Pet Supplies;

Kids room for toys, accessories, wipes and so much more…

Traveling? You can take it with you! Get the extra storage space you need on cruise ships, camping trips or even hotels.

Stock-It-Pockets gives you extra storage space wherever you need and it installs in seconds.

*NOTE: Stock-it-Pockets are different than other over-the-door organizers. The clear, multi-sized pockets allow the contents to be easily viewed and the pockets are square at the bottom to fit a variety of items.

To learn more go to http://stockitpockets.com

INTRODUCING STOCK-IT-POCKETS, A GREAT NEW ORGANIZING PRODUCT FOR HOME AND OFFICE

Finally, one product that can help organize your entire home and office, gives you extra storage space, and installs in seconds.

Introducing Stock-it-Pockets, the see through pocket organizer that slips over any door. The clear pockets allow you to see the contents of each pocket and the roll, tie and go feature makes it easy to transfer from place to place. Stock-It-Pockets is durable, made of water resistant polyester, and is available in various configurations and colors. It is super durable and easy to clean and has both large and small pockets so that you can store just about anything.

Just look at all the uses:

Now you can have that extra pantry space in the kitchen you have always dreamed about. Stock-It-Pockets gives you easy access to everything you need including spices, condiments, supplements and cleaning supplies.
Use it in the bathroom for toiletries, curling irons, shampoos and lotions.
In the kids room for toys, accessories, diapers, wipes and so much more.
Stock-It-Pockets also rolls up and ties so that you can take it with you when you travel. Get the extra storage space you need on cruise ships, camping trips or even hotels. You can pack a multitude of supplies and when you get to your room, just untie, unroll and hang over-the-door. Unpacking has never been easier and everything can be seen and be easily accessible.
Stock-It-Pockets is even great in your home office. Store office supplies including file folders, staples, pens, pencils and so much more.
Stock-It-Pockets is a great way to stay organized when attending trade shows or conventions as it can hold an abundance of pamphlets and/or brochures. Just fill it up, roll it up, tie it up and go.

There are literally thousands of uses. When you’re done, just roll it up and store Stock-it-Pockets to use over and over again. Want some more ideas about how you can use Stock-It-Pockets? How about organizing all of your Pet Grooming supplies in one place. Store your pet’s scissors, trimmers, shampoos, medications and toys in one easily accessible location. Never before has there been one product that is so versatile, easy to install and solves all your home an office organizing needs. You may want to order more than one.

Order yours today at www.stockitpockets.com

List Price:$24.95 (plus tax and shipping)