Whether you’re someone who easily forms a lot of sentimental attachment or someone who is an out-and-out hoarder, you might quickly find yourself with another cluttered Aventura storage unit. The downside is that holding on to too many items can soon result in disorganization and increased storage fees to accommodate everything.
We want to help with getting the most out of your storage units provided by Xtra Storage in the Aventura area. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you sort through your belongings and find out if there could be a better home out there for it all.
Take Inventory of Your Aventura Storage Unit
First – take the time to sort through everything you’ve kept stored away. Depending on how much you’ve held on to, this can prove to be an arduous process, especially if you haven’t proactively kept a system in place to keep track of it all. Coming across things that you don’t even remember saving could prove to be the correct starting place for disseminating whether or not the items are worthy of keeping. Attempt to make this a preliminary process of sorting what’s worth immediately getting rid of and what gives pause for consideration.
Reflect on Why You’re Keeping It
Take the time to examine the purpose of each stored item. Was it kept temporarily to move into your home at a later date? Did the object have sentimental value that incentivized you to keep it in a secure, private place? Depending on the type of person you are, this could prove to be an essential process that involves self-reflection and a look at your attachment to items.
If you have items such as clothing, which you appreciate but can’t seem to earn their place in your wardrobe circulation, consider donating them to charity. You may love the memories that old t-shirt brings, but it could end up being one of the few t-shirts someone in need has if donated. Repeat this thought process for anything else that would not provide a future use that you could quickly visualize.
If the item in question is in good quality, but ultimately no longer of use to you, consider the value of it and investigate if you can recoup some of the initial cost. If you take care of your things, you might be able to make a nice extra payday off of some of your old belongings.
What Can You Downsize On?
Some individuals chose to hold on to everything as a means of recording or organizing. Maybe you keep all of your old records out of habit. While it’s great that they’re all dated and held in a contained area, you may not need all of those old documents or stubs. You could downsize to only the essential materials you need from the past few years and make an effort to shred the rest.
If you have old electronics, toys, or dishware that aren’t truly necessary and are replaceable by other things in your home, properly dispose of them or take them to a recycling center whenever applicable. The sunk-cost fallacy can trick us into thinking that we can continue to derive value from something because we already invested money into something. That doesn’t mean that purchased items will provide value forever. Chances are, many of these stored items served their purpose, and it’s time for them go.
Respect Your Feelings
While it’s true that much of what we hold on to is no longer necessary or can be more useful to others, we shouldn’t belittle ourselves for feeling a connection to something. If an item, no matter how silly or small, conjures up memories or feelings of intense emotion, then respect it. Maybe you need to feel those emotions in order to let go. On the other hand, if something brings you peace or joy, hold on to it if you see it bringing you that feeling regularly. It’s okay to keep things that matter, but also know that letting go is healthy as well.
Enjoy Your More Organized Aventura Storage Unit
Hopefully, after taking care of each of these steps, you’ve let go of at least a few things. As a result, some less fortunate individuals will receive your donations and be better off for it. You’ve likely recycled some materials to make the world greener, and maybe revisited some memories that allowed you to reflect. In the end, you’ll now be looking at an ideal storage unit that you can navigate and utilize more easily. And who knows, maybe the new space was made to make way for new memories.
Xtra Storage has the storage solutions for you! We’re located just west of Sunny Isles Beach and Golden Beach. Contact us today at our Aventura location by calling (305)-257-9194 to receive your free quote today!