Simple Tips for Purging and Storing All Your "Stuff"

If you're a homeowner or apartment dweller who seems to have too much "stuff" in every room of your home, you're certainly not alone! While it can be good to have a variety of clothes for every season, and many hobbies require lots of equipment and gear, all that "stuff" can actually be very stressful. To help you reduce the amount of things that you keep on hand, and to properly store the items you do need to keep, note a few tips to consider.

Owning versus renting

To help decide on what you might donate or sell, consider owning versus renting certain items. Very often, you can easily rent tools needed for home repairs, including pressure washers, paint sprayers, ladders and so on. You can also rent many types of sporting goods and equipment needed for your hobbies.

Take stock of the things you don't use on a regular basis, including power tools, sporting goods, specialty cookware, electronics, and the like. If you only use these items once or twice throughout the year, it may be a good idea to sell or donate them so you get them out from underfoot, and then simply rent these pieces as they're needed.

Maintenance needed

Along with noting how often you use certain items, note the upkeep and maintenance of various tools, sporting goods, and other such equipment, versus how often they're used. If you use a lawnmower every week, then the monthly maintenance it needs is worth keeping it on hand. However, if you use a pressure washer only a few times per year, and it takes several hours to change the oil, rinse the nozzles, and otherwise maintain it every single time it's used, this routine may mean that it's not worth keeping that washer in the home.

Storage

If there are items that you don't want to toss or donate, it's good to find a storage unit nearby. You can then store away the items that you use the least often, but you'll also want to consider how easy it would be to transport certain items back and forth to the unit. As an example, you may use your snowboard equipment more often than a pressure washer, but the pressure washer may be heavy and difficult to get in and out of your car. In turn, it may be good to store your sporting goods in the storage unit versus that pressure washer, to open up room in the home and reduce the amount of "stuff" you have underfoot.


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