Downsizing

Retirement, separation, freeing up capital or moving home for work or personal reasons can all be causes for anyone to need to downsize.

Although, even if some of the causes for this may not be pleasant it shouldn’t be seen as an inherently bad thing to do. So, we here at Twenty4 invite you to read through a few of the possible benefits of using self storage when downsizing.

Organisation

When sorting through your belongings can be a daunting and sometimes endless task of knowing what to keep and what not to keep. By getting a storage unit you can begin to organise your items, furniture or vehicles. It is advised to organise items into categories of necessary, sentimental, seasonal/rainy day, junk/unwanted items.

Necessary items are items you need in day-to-day or similarly frequent usage. This is perhaps the most obvious category as it includes your bed, sofa, cutlery, favourite clothing and such. These items are best to stay with you throughout the downsizing process as they’ll be needed and ease the transition for you.

Sentimental items are more common when downsizing your family home or moving from a shared university house into an apartment alone. These are items that you don’t exactly need, however they’re beneficial to mental health and are important to you. In terms of storing or keeping sentimental items, it is advised to keep as little as possible with you as you downsize and to store the rest.

This is due to the risk of losing, breaking or leaving items behind without knowing. Using self storage to hold these items can keep them safe and protected while you downsize. Protecting items that you’re not ready to let go of is important for everybody.

Seasonal or rainy day items are those that we only use once a year such as holiday decorations or spare chairs and tables for big meals with friends and family. These items are perfect for self storage units because storing them away helps declutter the home but leaves them ready to go and easy to find when the time calls.

Junk or unwanted items can be quite an easy fix, recycling, donating to charity or selling at a car boot sale or to a second hand shop/online buyers. So, if you have items that you don’t want or items that you want to get rid of but don’t know how to, self storage can be a great solution.

By using a self storage unit you can get them out of the way and streamline your downsizing process knowing they’ll be kept in the condition they were stored in ready for when they can be recycled or sold.

Security

Downsizing can sometimes strike at an unforseen or less than perfect time, so renting a storage unit or having a storage unit ready to go can really help soften the blow of understandably stressful times.

A self storage unit can take your belongings into a safe and secure environment to wait till you’re ready to move them on or simply to be kept out of the way.

Having a self storage unit can also help with cleaning or clearing property as it can give you space to give a carpet a good deep clean, repaint the walls or have new features fitted without worry of damaging any of your belongings.

Leaks, floods, fires, or any unforeseen accident can happen without a moment’s notice, so having somewhere to move items or furniture to prevent further damage or loss can be a crucial need in those times.

Efficiency

Downsizing can be a lengthy process at the best of times so capitalising on effective downsizing strategies is important for your own quality of life. Renting a self storage unit can be a significant boost to speeding up, reducing costs and ensuring successful help for yourself when downsizing.

Some of the causes for downsizing such as moving home, separating from a partner or loss of a loved one can call for speed to be a priority. However, it is a common issue that the legal, financial and physical elements of downsizing can really slow things down. This is where a self storage unit comes in. By having a storage unit you can quickly transport and store your belongings or items of your partner/loved one.

This frees up space in your life and home and can really help the downsizing process as it prevents awkward repeated trips back and forth from your old home to your new one and allows you to go through the process at your own pace.

Quite often renting a storage unit to store items as you downsize can help you move into a smaller, more optimized living arrangement. It can reduce the amount of space you need to take up in your home and maximises your actual physical living space.