Out of Sight.....

" I'll just put it in storage until the market gets better."

When I hear that, I want to tear my hair out. 

I'm reading a book called "Predictably Irrational."  It deals with how people don't make decisions based on logic.  Really?  The auction business and life, for that matter is loaded with examples of people acting irrationally...heck...ridiculously if you ask me.

The prevailing attitude about storage units proves this point.

Before I go on, here's my take about putting possessions into storage:  Unless you have been involuntarily displaced from your home by some real estate closing mess up or perhaps a fire or flood, there is no rational reason to be paying for a storage unit.

I hear folks bragging about HAVING a storage unit like it was a beach house or a yacht.  "Oh yesss, we have all of mummy's things over at OUR storage facility.  We keep things there until we decide what to do with them."  Nothing like paying $100 a month to not make a decision. 

I recently read that the average storage unit is rented for 8-12 months.  That's just average.  Around here a storage unit without climate control averages 75-85 bucks a month.  Add AC and it climbs to $120 or more.  A year's worth of payments could buy you a very nice shed with the same interior dimensions.

Here's the irrational part.  If it's in storage, you obviously don't need it.  Why do people pay to hang onto things they don't need?  And why do people treat storage units like they're free?  I recently told a potential client that her dining room set wasn't in high demand since people don't do much formal dining anymore.  As such I didn't expect the entire set to bring more than a couple of hundred dollars.  There was also a huge, heavy 1960's dark wood bedroom set and some 70's upholstered stuff.  Way out of style.  Not worth much.  Now here's the quote that got me:  "If I won't get much for it, I'll just put it in a storage unit for a couple of years until the market gets better."

Rational.  Most assuredly.

In my opinion, her furniture was worth maybe $400 total.  So, lets do some math.  Two years times a good deal at $75 a month equals $1,800....and everything will be two years older and probably mildewed, delaminated and arachnid infested from our stiflingly humid climate.  Yup, makes perfect sense.  Isn't it enough to be upside down on your house?  Sure, go ahead, be upside down on your old furniture too.  Can somebody 'splain this to me?

I've looked at hundreds of storage units full of stuff.  Some folks admitted they had been storing the contents for five years or more.  I wouldn't admit that.  That's like admitting you fell for the Nigerian Your-long-lost-cousin-just-left-you-3.2-million-dollars e-mail scam.  Even funnier is that most people don't even remember what is in the storage unit(s).  Let me get this straight....The stuff in here is important to you, but you've forgotten what it is?    Madness.  Many, but not all of these corrugated cubicles are filled with items of minimal market value that have now sucked up enormous amounts of money in storage fees.

A good friend of mine once said  "Everyone is entitled to my opinion." He was smiling when he said this.  So here's my "professional" opinion that will make life lighter, and cheaper.

1. If you don't have a storage unit, good for you.  Don't ever get one if you can avoid it.  Have a cookie.

2. If you have one, ask yourself why you have it.  I know there are legitimate reasons to have one, but not wanting to make a decision about what to do with things isn't a legitimate reason.  A storage unit makes it easy to put off dealing with things.  Deal with them.  Dispense with what isn't essential.  If it holds memories, take a photograph of it and then sell the item.  Does it make sense to drag around grandma's old 200 pound sewing machine?  Are you ever going to use it?  Is it worth paying hundreds or even thousands over the years to keep it?  Would she demand that you keep it if she knew how much it was costing you to do so?

3. Add up how much you have spent on storage fees.  Write it on a piece of paper and leave it somewhere conspicuous.  When you get another rent statement, cross off the old amount and write the new total amount under it.  Look at that number and think of all the better things you could do with that money AND the money you'd get from selling everything that was sitting in there growing mold.  Even if you don't get much for the items, you'll still be way ahead because you won't have the rental fees.

4. Still not convinced?  Get rid of the storage unit anyway and bring the contents home.  After tripping over some of it for a few months you'll be ready to make some decisions. 

Just do it.  You'll be happy you did.

Self Storage:  For a monthly fee, you can choose to not deal with the stuff cluttering your life...indefinitely.