Storage Tetris - How to win more storage space

STORAGE TETRIS How to min mone storage space The facts don't lie - Americans are running out of space to store their possessions. In 2012, 10% of US households owned a storage unit. But, what is more worrying, is that most people don't use their storage space to its full potential, leading to a lot of wasted time and money. STORAGE UNITS and THE FIGURES THE BACKGROUND ($4) S2.500 7x 22 BILLION There are 52,500 storage facilities in the US That's 7 times the number of Starbucks In 2012, the storage industry contributed $22 billion in revenue to the US There are 2.3 billion square feet of storage facilities available in the US, which means / SOUARE FT for every single person THE COSTS The average cost of a 5x5 unit in Chicago is The average cost of a 5x5 unit in Seattle is The average cost of a 5x5 unit in Austin is S4; (51.24 PER s0 FT) (51.65 PER s0 FT) (52 PER sO FT) Nationmide 20x20 a large unit could cost you about $189-$255 In Brooklyn, New York, expect a storage unit to cost an average of 또 173 PER MONTH 10x20 a medium-sized unit will cost anywhere from $95-$155 $) $4 %24 SxS the average cost of small unit ranges from $40-$50 ($1 $1 %$4 $) $) ($4) THE MONEY LOST 12 The average worker spends 30 minutes of their day looking for lost items, leading to a huge dip in productivity The US loses $177 billion worth of A storage unit that is not being used to its full potential, could waste $1,00O of your hard-earned cash per year Often, without needing it, productivity due to clutter-related issues people fork out an extra $100+ for weather or climate-controlled facilities THE TYPICAL SIZES Sx5 Average cost is $46 (Chicago) Favored by students who leave town during The smaller unit is the size of a closet and can be used for storing books and small electronics summer vacations etc. Sx10 The size of a walk-in closet. Average cost is $64 (Chicago) Makes a good option when moving apartments. Can be used to hold mattresses, small couches, tables and chairs. 10x10 The standard storage size Average cost is $121 (Chicago) About as big as a bedroom Can house the contents of a 2-bedroom apartment 10x15 The size of a large bedroom Average cost is $140 (Chicago) Used more for heavy duty storage Can store bedroom sets, appliances, and even small vehicles 10x20 Extremely large Average cost is $182 (Chicago) Can hold the contents of a 4 bedroom house Can even house a boat, if needed SPACE SAVING TIPS and STRATEGIES H: ORGANIZE LIKE TETRIS Fill hollow items; use IT the space within each item, making sure boxes and vases are entirely filled Ritcnen Toys Bring in boards to lay across boxes, which will make Tall items should be placed inside first Keep heavier items on the bottom; this means that you can stow more on top of these pieces them stronger and allow you to stack more on top - like building your own bookshelves When storing two desks, flip one upside down so For furniture, make sure to use the storage space in between items: not only filling drawers, but also gaps in couches and other they lie back to back. Then use the space below one desk and above the other to store additional furniture items SPACE-SAVING PRODUCTS THE DOUBLE-HANGER --... If you're going to be storing clothes, invest in a double-hanger Many shops sell hangers which allow you to hang several items of clothing vertically, instead of hanging everything horizontally By hanging 5 shirts on a hanger instead of just one, you instantly clear up space VACUUM-SEALING BAGS Designed especially for storing clothes, blankets, and other soft items These bags zip around piles of clothes and then use a pump to suck out all of the air, thereby compressing the fabrics and saving space STORAGE CONTAINERS Always a must have, the storage container will help you keep things organized Buy them in assorted colors and then assign different colors for different types of items Not only will you be able to store things more effectively, you'll find them more efficiently as well ROOF-SPACING To maximize on space, install hooks on the ceiling You can either suspend large items this way, or you can choose to support more shelving space right up to the roof SHELVING IKEA offers several inexpensive shelving options which will maximize your storage space - the goal here is to try and use as much of the vertically available space as possible CONCLUSION Although it may require some planning, treating your storage space like a challenging game of Tetris can save you a lot of space, time, and money. SOURCES www.storeassured.com/storage-units-by-the-numbers-infographic/ www.pouchselfstoragenews.com/736747/2013/08/02/the-cost-of-clutter-infographic.html blog.selfstoragedeals.com/ blog.selfstoragedeals.com/how-much-does-a-storage-unit-cost-in-chicago/ blog.timesunion.com/simplerliving/americas-clutter-problem-seen-in-storage-units/14455/ voices.yahoo.com/5-steps-organized-self-storage-unit-7616048.html?cat=6 www.gobankingrates.com/savings-account/why-are-you-still-wasting-money-on-storage-units/ SELF STRAGE SSFFINDERS Made by SingleGrain Pasteat Growing Sell Starage Directery on the Anternet