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If you don't do something about it, you'll either be stuck in storage forever, or you'll lose them. So you'll have to make up your mind as to what you want to do.
Couple years ago, I had made the decision to pack up from my rented condo...and put everything I acquire over 5 years into an 8x10 storage while I traveled. My rent kept going up, and I wasn't making more money. At the time it seemed like a good idea.
After moving from my apartment, I moved 1,000 miles away with a friend, for about a year and a half. When the lease ended, I acquired the majority of the furnishings. Well, I didn't find a place because I didn't have inclination to stay. So, those things have also went into storage.
So you guessed it, I ended up getting a second storage unit...slightly larger: 10x15. This has been going on now since June of 2017. I pay $100 for one, $160 for the other. When adding late fees, it can be $20-40 more. Yes it's cheaper than renting, but it's really draining financially. I pay the dues by the 22nd and 5th each month.
The hardest part is the fact that each unit is 1,000 miles apart. I live at the moment an additional 700-1,800 miles away from each. I visit each unit about every 2-3 months, but one of them I've not visited since November last year...but it's climate controlled and indoors. The other is indoors but not climate controlled...but it's in Tennessee and so far I've not had issues with mold/mildew.
Everytime the bills come around, I just wish I could get out of them. But I'm having no luck finding an apartment. Everywhere wants too much rent money upfront. I can't get ahold of a large enough lump sum of cash to make anything happen as far as getting into a new place.
I used to live in Texas briefly which had $99 move in specials and such. I can't find those in any of the state's I have storage units or domicile in. Selling the stuff isn't a desire for me because lot of is essential things. I threw the junk out before it went it. I have to make sure that even if I find the place, I have enough set aside to also make the move. Right now I'm living with relatives, and at 30...it's soul destroying to me.
My heart goes out to you.
$300/month to store things you love but can't have around you because you can't save up enough for first and last months' rent.
If you weren't paying $300/month for storage you could save enough to get a place. But then you'd have nothing to put in it.
A vicious cycle. Hard to see a way out of it because $300/month isn't going to pay the rent on an apartment.
However, it might cover the space rent at a trailer park.
If you want a place of your own, your best bet might be an older trailer in a trailer park.
See if you can find one. Perhaps one that needs a fair amount of work or one owned by heirs who are tired of paying the space rent.
Sometimes older trailer parks will have abandoned trailers. People move on (or pass on) and quit paying the space rent. Some of these are sold at auction, which might be a more difficult deal for you as you often have to pay what you bid right then and there.
But I've heard of cases where if someone will take over the space rent, it is theirs.
If you are serious about getting your stuff together and having a place of your own, this might be a place to start.
Tip: Sometimes older trailer parks need projects taken care of. Lawn mowing, trash hauling, labor sorts of jobs. This might be an opportunity to earn some money while waiting for the right opportunity to pop up.
My thing is, if I just give it up to auction...that would essentially defeat the purpose of all this time storing things. Even if I store for 6 more months, and then take out: what would be the point of letting them auction everything off? Also, I recently took some items out of storage (including a 38" TV) and they all work and smell fine. Also had my favorite coats, lamp, different pillows I've collected taken out as I didn't want the humidity to get to them. Nothing is damaged. I also moved my 8x10 storage unit last year to a new facility. I thought everything was going to be ruined...yet everything was exactly as I had moved it in, because it's a dry climate and most times the storage unit would keep a cool temperature.
It's all about PROPERLY storing items. Some people I see have stuff piled to the ceiling. You can't do that. All of my stuff is stored to where I can walk around without stuff falling on top of me.
It's easy to say get rid of it, but I look at it like this: if I had an apartment and traveled like I did: I'd be spending more. Even its $3,000 I've spent, that's only 3 months rent in most places. I don't want to start back over when I get an apartment, sleeping and eating on the floor. It's also not as easy to just "buy everything over again" because when you move someplace, that takes time and the first few months moving in, is usually not the best time to make extra purchases. And I have to pay to live somewhere right? I mean...what was I supposed to do at the time I moved, got rid of everything? I tried that in the past to sell stuff when I moved: either people don't want it or it would take too long to sell in the short amount of time I had to move.
But I understand what all are saying. Also, the costs to move the items depending on where I move, could vary based on where I go.
You sound just like me.
You are a hoarder, just like I am.
Those are sunk costs, and will continue to grow.
Get some counseling, as I have, and develop some cognitive methods to let things go.
Made an offer on a property today... the home is packed to the gills...
Living room kitchen and master bedroom to "Too" bad... but the rest is to the ceiling... spare bedrooms, 3-car garage, family room, workshop, row of garden sheds...
Just about everything is labeled... so it wasn't just placed willy-nilly... husband was younger than wife... they were married 40 years and and he passed after a short illness... what a wake up call it is.
Lots of stress on the sellers part.
My offer provides for a 90 day NO RENT rent back... anything left in the home on day 91 becomes mine... this way I can dispose as I see fit.
I'd say 50/50 shot of going through... a lot of people walked in and walked out... some told the agent to call when it was empty... others just shook their heads.
The reason I mention this is the seller is considering storage... I do not see anyway for that work out well...
Couple years ago, I had made the decision to pack up from my rented condo...and put everything I acquire over 5 years into an 8x10 storage while I traveled. My rent kept going up, and I wasn't making more money. At the time it seemed like a good idea.
After moving from my apartment, I moved 1,000 miles away with a friend, for about a year and a half. When the lease ended, I acquired the majority of the furnishings. Well, I didn't find a place because I didn't have inclination to stay. So, those things have also went into storage.
So you guessed it, I ended up getting a second storage unit...slightly larger: 10x15. This has been going on now since June of 2017. I pay $100 for one, $160 for the other. When adding late fees, it can be $20-40 more. Yes it's cheaper than renting, but it's really draining financially. I pay the dues by the 22nd and 5th each month.
The hardest part is the fact that each unit is 1,000 miles apart. I live at the moment an additional 700-1,800 miles away from each. I visit each unit about every 2-3 months, but one of them I've not visited since November last year...but it's climate controlled and indoors. The other is indoors but not climate controlled...but it's in Tennessee and so far I've not had issues with mold/mildew.
Everytime the bills come around, I just wish I could get out of them. But I'm having no luck finding an apartment. Everywhere wants too much rent money upfront. I can't get ahold of a large enough lump sum of cash to make anything happen as far as getting into a new place.
I used to live in Texas briefly which had $99 move in specials and such. I can't find those in any of the state's I have storage units or domicile in. Selling the stuff isn't a desire for me because lot of is essential things. I threw the junk out before it went it. I have to make sure that even if I find the place, I have enough set aside to also make the move. Right now I'm living with relatives, and at 30...it's soul destroying to me.
If you had an apartment, you'd be paying more than $260 monthly. The storage costs are a breeze. Keep your belongings because as you said, it's too much financially to replace everything once you get moved into your own place. Living with relatives probably means you're not paying a whole lot to live there. Therefore save your money for an apartment and keep your storage space in the meanwhile. Once you find something affordable, you can DIY move with a rental truck (unlimited mileage). You only need help loading it and unloading it which means you can pay someone about $25-30 an hour on both ends. That's a far cheaper way to move than using a moving company - they will charge thousands.
I have relatives that must have spent thousands on stuff in storage over the decades. They finally decided to sell some & donate others. NO ONE wants the outdated clothing. NO ONE accepts bedding or towels due to health issues. (And there was lots of clothing & lots of satin sheets). Consignment stores only want a portion of the furniture, and only for a period of time after which if it doesn't sell, they must find another place for it. . . . With all the money spent on storing it, they could replace it many times over. Essential things NEVER go into storage. . . . You are hoarding . . . but since you don't own a house, you hoard in storage units.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition,[3] the symptoms for hoarding disorder include:
A. Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.B. This difficulty is due to a perceived [not actual] need to save the items, & to distress associated with discarding them.C. The difficulty discarding possessions results in the accumulation of possessions that congest and clutter active living areas and substantially compromises their intended use. If living areas are uncluttered, it is only because of the interventions of third parties (e.g., family members, cleaners, authorities). [NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THEM WHERE YOU"D BEEN LIVING.]
D. The hoarding causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning (including maintaining a safe environment for self and others).E. The hoarding is not attributable to another medical condition (e.g., brain injury, cerebrovascular disease, Prader-Willi syndrome).I strongly suggest that you gt counselling designed to help hoarders. Hoarding includes the keeping of items not needed, as well as those you can't afford to keep. . . . You aren't using them, but you are living, so they aren't truly needed. You can't afford to keep them in storage AND save money to get a place to live.
I have a 50 vehicle collection... many of which I have done ground up restorations and also a substantial obsolete parts inventory...
That said, I have never rented or paid anyone for storage ever... and I actually have a small interest is a storage facility that is always 97% or better full but don't use it either...
My Godfather had an entire room of his home dedicated to stamp collecting... special vaults etc... an expert in his field... sold some stamps back in the day for thousands of dollars... but, stamp collecting isn't what it once was... prices are down in general and some way down.
On the other hand... another friend hoarded old computers... the kind everyone throws away... like the first Apple Kits and everything else people had back then computer related... hard to believe, but these things are actually in demand and he has started selling off things and is doing very well...
The mom of another friend was a doll collector... thousands from Bennie Babies to Madam Alexander to rare antique dolls... she poured her life savings into it... had display cases... etc... when she died... the kids needed clear it out... when it was said and done they got about ten cents on the dollar... or 19,000 plus the time to market and sell... she figures her mom spent over 200k investing for her family...
Another friend's dad collected Civil War items... mostly Confederate... he too had to go through and clear out including a storage locker... items turned out to a substantial part of the estate value...
If that stuff was essential, it would be in use instead of in storage.
^^^ This. It's not essential, nor you can't live without it. Add the $$$ you are paying for both of the storages and see how much it costs you just sitting there.
You really need 101 in budgeting, especially if you are 30 y.o. Obviously, you didn't manage to have any savings, yet.
You need to sell that stuff, so you can get money for an apartment. Unless you want to live IN one of the storage units...
Note: Ugh... I just noticed that this thread is 7 months old. Hopefully, your problem is resolved now.
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Cheaper than rent
