3 Ways Self Storage Can Help Lower Moving Stress

Moving is one of the most stressful things we face in life. Most people move 12 times in their life, some a lot more, and it’s a huge life change. It often means leaving family and friends and favorite places and adapting to a whole new area.

All the work that goes into a move only adds to that stress, from packing up your boxes and getting everything on the moving truck to the long drive, to unloading and setting up your new home.

We can’t eliminate the stress, but we do know that renting a storage space for a few months can help reduce it. Here’s how.

It Lets You Move Out Without Having a New Home Locked Down

This is tricky because if you’re unable to find a new place before you have to move out of your old one, you’ll need somewhere to stay. However, self storage makes this possible.

By moving everything out of your house or apartment and into a storage space, you give yourself extra time to find a new place. Ideally, you’ll be able to stay with a friend or family member for a short time. Once you’ve found a new place and have a move-in date, you’ll be able to plan the second half of your move, getting your things out of storage and to your new home.

You Won’t Exhaust Your Helpers

Unless you have a big family that’s willing to move everything during your move, you’ll likely need helpers.

Whether you need your helpers once or twice depends on if your new place will be ready after you move out of the old one. Get the boxes into storage yourself over time, and have your friends come in on moving day to help pack the big items into the truck. If the new place isn’t ready, they can go with you to your storage unit and unload them into it. If it is ready, you can go to storage yourself, put the most important boxes into the truck, and head to your new home.

If you move into your new place later, then ask your helpers to return to load the heavy items into the truck from your storage space. You can then unload the boxes and be on your way.

You’ll need helpers at your destination, too, but here’s the point: your helpers won’t have to move many boxes, just the big stuff, and they’ll appreciate all the work you did.

It Lets You Take Your Time Moving

Let’s say you’re moving in two months. You don’t have a new place picked out, but you know you have to be out of your current home.

Rent a storage space, preferably with climate control. Self storage properties keep climate-controlled spaces between 50 and 80 degrees and between 30% and 50% humidity, which are ideal conditions for most of your things and will protect them from cold, dry weather and hot, humid weather.

Purchase moving boxes, packing tape, packing paper, Sharpies, and other packing materials. We recommend sticking mostly with document boxes, which are sturdy and hold most things well. Get larger boxes for blankets and bedding, and specialized boxes for cups and glasses.

Declutter by getting rid of things you don’t need. Then, start packing your boxes, starting with things you don’t need at the moment but that you’re going to keep. Put these boxes in your storage space.

Every day or two, you can pack some boxes from home and drop them off at storage. You don’t have to rush.

As you pack your boxes, keep an inventory and label each box.

Not only can you take your time when moving out; you can take your time moving into your new place. Those labeled boxes will help you identify the items you need the most so you can move them out first.

Depending on how far away your new home is, rent a truck and make only one or two more trips. Or, if it’s within the same county or within, say, fifty miles, you can make half a dozen trips, filling up your car or van each time and bringing the boxes home.

Once you’ve cleared out the space, you can end your contract. If you’ve decided that you like keeping some things in storage, you can keep it, or rent a new space closer to where you live.

Best of luck, and we hope you have a low-stress move. When you’re ready to find a space, we have listings for properties across the U.S. and Canada.