Are you wanting to make some space in your home? Or maybe you’re moving into a much smaller place where all your belongings won’t quite fit. Regardless of the situation, determining what items should go into a storage unit and what should be kept at home can be challenging. But, with the help of the knowledgeable self-storage deals experts at Hollywood Storage Center of Thousand Oaks, we’re confident you’ll strike just the right balance!

What To Store?

When thinking about a storage unit, remember that the items you store aren’t gone forever. On the contrary, they’re available to you whenever you would like. At Hollywood Storage Center, our guests can access their units any day between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Thinking about your storage unit as simply an extra large closet or bay to your garage – just down the street and in a secure, locked location – helps you realize just how helpful and convenient a storage unit can be. Here are some of the top things that you can easily store and open up extra breathing space in your home.

Seasonal clothing

Big, bulky coats and sweaters definitely can’t be worn much of the year in our little slice of Southern California paradise, but having these items can come in handy if you decide to take a ski trip or visit family in a colder region.

Holiday decorations

It’s so much fun to decorate to the nines for Halloween and Christmas, but after the trimmings come down, it’s much too easy for them to get squished into the back of a closet or corner of the garage. Then the following year, they don’t look quite as good as they once did. Using a storage unit to keep these items packed away more carefully will make decorating the next year easier, and fewer items will need to be replaced.

Sporting equipment

If you’re like us, we love being active, but just don’t have room for every piece of sporting equipment in our garage. Luckily, it’s easy enough to swing by your storage unit and pick up your beach cruiser for those few days a year when you’ll get to use it. Likewise, storing that kayak, those snow skis, and your surfboard would also free up a good amount of space.

Large household appliances

We know, you bought that backyard pro deluxe fryer because you wanted your Thanksgiving turkey to be a-maz-ing! But, it’s a good example of an item that’s bulky and used infrequently that you certainly could just come and grab if you stored it. The same goes for the bread maker, the vacuum steamer… you get the gist.

Files

Once upon a time, before everything was stored in the cloud, we had these things called file cabinets. Now-a-days, there may still be plenty of files that you don’t want to part with, but they certainly don’t need to be cluttering up your home office. Keeping a few shelves in your storage space for file boxes really comes in handy!

Books/photo albums

After spending years in college, we understand if you just can’t bear to part with your textbooks! As soon as you do, you’re going to want to look back at one of them. And, if you grew up before digital cameras, or even if you just prefer to have something tactile to hold your memories, your photo albums are likely taking up loads of room that could be better utilized. Climate controlled spaces are especially great for paper, photos, posters and more!

Clearly, there are lots of things that make sense to store. But, there are also plenty of things you should also keep at home.

 

What Not To Store

Daily-Use Clothing

If you’re wearing it regularly, you’ll want to make sure you have it whenever you desire to put it on. While it’s safe to say items like formal dresses and special occasion shoes won’t be needed spur of the moment, there are plenty of wearables you’ll want to keep in your home closets.

Furniture That Fits

If it fits comfortably in your home and you love it, you should definitely keep it in your house. We recommend storing furniture that may not be right for your home currently, but you can see using at some time in the future.

Food

Storing food in your storage unit is never permitted at Hollywood Storage Center of Thousand Oaks or at most storage facilities. Making room at home for the great deals you got at Costco is the only way to go. If you find that there’s just too much to eat in a reasonable amount of time, we recommend donating to Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank in Thousand Oaks. They’re still accepting donations during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in fact, could use the help for families who are struggling even more in these times.

Flammables

Potentially flammable materials can be dangerous to store, so most storage facilities, including Hollywood Storage Center, don’t allow it. You can feel safe knowing there won’t be explosive or combustible items nearby.

Anything Alive

Leaving any kind of animal in a storage unit is a huge no-no, but even plants shouldn’t be stored. They need fresh air, sunshine, and your care to survive.

The bottom line is: A storage unit can serve you well in many ways! At Hollywood Storage Center, our friendly storage consultants will set you up with the right size unit for your needs and your budget. We offer the Lowest Price – Guaranteed in the Conejo Valley and love when we can help our Guests live their best, most organized lives.