Can you believe that 2019 is already here? What type of resolutions do you have for this New Year? For those who want a new resolution or who want something that is easily attainable, we suggest organizing your life. Did you know that having a clean and clutter free home can greatly help your overall happiness? Here at Smart Self Storage we look at our storage units as an extension of your own home. Look at this as a spare room that you can store those items that you no longer need or those that you only use a few times per year. You should definitely consider renting a self storage unit in 2019 to get that much needed space that you have wanted. This is the year to get your life more organized!
 
This post is going to share some tips on how to get started right away with organizing your life and use our self storage units to make this goal attainable. We want to make this resolution one that you can easily make reality by the end of January!

Tip 1: Don't be Afraid to Toss Items!

We all have those items that we know we need to toss, yet we hold onto them. Why are you holding on them? If there is really no reason why you are holding onto some long time unused items, then it is time to toss them. For example, if you have clothing from years ago that is not in any shape to wear, why keep it? Toss it or even use those old shirts as cleaning rags around your home. No one should hold onto items that they are never going to get used. Do remember that if you have items that are in good shape, yet you have no use for, consider donating these to those who are in need. You never know what someone else may love from the stuff that you no longer use.

Tip 2: Take a Look Around at Your Décor

Are there décor items that you only bring out once a year? If so, these are perfect to box up and store in self storage units! Many people utilize self storage units to store those Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations for when the time comes. Those who are storing them in their home are wasting perfectly good space that they could be using for other purposes.

Bonus tip: Consider installing a simple shelving system in your self storage unit. That way, you make the best possible use of your vertical space, and can truly organize your seasonal decorations. If you're big on interior design and seasonal decorations, self storage is a dream come true.

Another bonus tip: Don't be that person that has their Christmas lights still up in February! (Don't worry, we have all been guilty of this at one point or another.) Having a dedicated self storage unit for your seasonal decorations makes it so much easier to effortlessly transition between seasons.

Tip 3: Take Stock of Your Home

Go through your entire home, room for room and look at what you have in these rooms. Are there items that never get used? Are there pieces of furniture that are there for looks because they aren't too comfortable to sit on? Perhaps you have items in a room that kids have outgrown or even toys that the kids no longer play with, yet you can't bear to part with. These are types of items that can easily go into self storage units. They are always there if you need them again, but yet they are out of sight from your home.

Bonus tip: Consider leveraging your self storage unit as a "staging ground" for sorting through items. For example, Let's say you have a box of items to go through. You're not sure whether you will keep it or not. Take that extire box to your storage unit, so those items are out of the house. Then, go through the box in storage, and determine which items will remain in storage and which will get tossed (or donated). Self storage makes a great place for such "staging". And, don't forget to have a small table inside your unit (with a folding chair or two) to make that staging even easier.

Tip 4: Consider Purchasing Tote Boxes

Tote boxes are great for those items that you may be organizing to place into storage units. They are sturdy and easily stackable. They are also moisture proof and durable. A few brands that you may want to consider are Rubbermaid, Sterilite, and Hefty. All of these brands make plastic tote boxes of different sizes that can be great for self storage.

Tip 5: Remember to Label

A big part of organizing your life this New Year is making sure that your items can be found when they are needed in your storage unit. No one wants to face a storage unit that is so messy nothing can be found. So clearly label everything that you are putting into the storage unit for later. Taking a few extra minutes to go into detail will be minutes that are well spent!

And, as mentioned earlier, consider some inexpensive shelving units in your unit to utilize all of your vertical space while staying even more organized. Remember, your new unit is an extension of your home and you want it to stay organized and pristine. Your New Year is all about organization, after all.

What to NOT Put in Self Storage

While we are all about organizing your home, there are some items that you are going to want to avoid putting into self storage. For example:

• Medications are never meant to stay in self storage. If you no longer use them, find a local area that collects those unused or outdated medications.
• Food is not meant to be stored in self storage units as it can attract rodents and bugs!
• Anything flammable like gasoline or kerosene is a big item that you do not want to put into self storage units.

Remember, that self storage units need to be treated like your spare bedroom at home, and the same courtesy needs to be placed with your storage unit.

How to Keep this New Year's Resolution

Now that you realize what you need to do to get this resolution underway and what you should not be putting into self storage units, how can you ensure that you are going to keep this resolution? It can be difficult to take just one day to get all those items that you want to pull from your home into self storage units. That is why you will want to pace yourself. You can start with one room per day finding those items that you know you are not going to miss if you put them into storage and go from there. Pace yourself so that you do not burn yourself out and end up keeping more items that could have been stored! A few other tips to remember:

• Get the whole family involved as this can be a great way for kids to help with this small chore, and they will reap the benefits of having a storage unit.
• It's okay to second guess items, just remember to ask yourself if you are going to use it in the upcoming weeks. If not, then it will probably be best suited for storage (or for donating).
• Remind yourself that the storage unit is in your neighborhood. Thus, you are not getting rid of your items, you are simply organizing them more. (Bonus tip: Choose a self storage facility that is very close to where you live.)

 
Ready for a more organized you? We know we are ready to help you in any way that we can! On behalf of the entire Smart Self Storage team, we wish you an incredible 2019!