Want to Live Large in LA? Try Turning to Self Storage

Los Angeles living can be whatever you want it to be. So why not make it roomier? Nestled between mountains and the ocean, the City of Angels has little room to spread its wings further, and if you are one of the 63% of LA households who rent, you might feel even the space you do have slowly shrinking around you. As tearing down walls and building extensions is rarely an option, you will have to be smart about it – enter self storage.

What’s so Smart about Self Storage?

I want you to imagine a room. It doesn’t take up space in your home, you can access it whenever you want, and more importantly you can put anything you want in it. Think of it as the Room of Requirement from Harry Potter. Well, this room isn’t magical, it exists and it’s called a self storage unit.

What Do I Put into Storage if I Live in Los Angeles?

Since it’s LA, you’re probably not skiing up in San Gabriel every day. Sports gear, especially for winter sports, sees little use out of season and can often be bulky: ski suits, snowboards, sleds, they all take up too much space for the amount of time they’re in use, and they can block access to other items or areas of the home. Remember – throwing something behind the couch doesn’t really count as storage.

Clothes and furniture often go hand in hand when in storage. If you have a whole family’s worth of winter clothes filling up a closet, they’re not going to see much use throughout the year, and neither will the closet.

Festive lights and other holiday-related items can join the clothes. Putting up Halloween decorations is a ton of fun but having them in boxes cluttering up the closet for the rest of the year is not.

Cars take up a lot of space not only out there in parking lots, but in your garage or driveway as well. Having a daily driver is a must for many, but a second car for family trips and weekend getaways often takes up precious space while not seeing as much use. Finding suitable vehicle storage in Los Angeles can free up a ton of extra space at home.

Where Should I Store My Things?

The key to getting the most out of your storage unit, and therefore your home, is to have it close by. Storage units can be found pretty evenly across LA, and areas like Chesterfield Square and Eagle Rock can land you the best prices. Check out LA storage unit types and sizes and then pick the best area for you.

What Kind of Storage Do I Need?

The great thing is that all the items mentioned up until now could easily fit together inside a standard 10′x10′ unit. The average price for Los Angeles storage units of this size is $270/month. Most people choose a 10′x10′ as it strikes a good balance between space and cost. It’s definitely cheaper than renting a bigger apartment or house and can hold just about everything mentioned in this article.

However, some of the things you store – wooden items or books, in particular – are at risk of warping or degrading due to variations in temperature and humidity. You’ll enjoy your newly decluttered home much more when you don’t have to worry about the condition of your stored belongings. In cases like these we heartily recommend getting a climate-controlled storage unit. In Los Angeles, the average price for a 10′x10′ climate-controlled unit is $305. It does come at an extra cost, but it will prove invaluable for your valuables.

How Do I Use My Extra Space?

Now that you’ve freed yourself from the tyranny of clutter, it’s time to put that new extra space to work! Pay special attention to the corners of your house and how you use them. You can use floating corner shelves, narrow bookshelves or freestanding coat racks to put things away where they won’t trip you up.

Remember that your most useful and precious space is between knee-height and shoulder-height, as you can access it without having to bend down or reach up. Keep this in mind as you reorganize, and it will help you see which items to keep on hand every day and which items probably have a better place elsewhere.

And lastly, multifunctional furniture is just the best. It’s like an instant cheat code for decluttering. Tables and beds with built-in drawers won’t just help free up your shelves, they’ll look great as well!

It’s really crucial to free up more space now that many people work from home and have to keep paperwork, materials and products on hand. Raise your hand if you’ve ever said “I’ll keep this… you never know when you’ll need it!” The items you use every day should take absolute priority over things you might need every now and then. There’s a place for the latter and it’s called storage!