Anyone who’s spent time living with a friend, roommate, or family member understands the importance and frustration of sharing space with someone else. Whether you’re defining hard boundaries in your shared space or agreeing on what to share, there never seems to be enough room for everything, and you may find yourself looking into self-storage as a way of clearing out your home.
Thankfully, there’s no rule against sharing a storage unit, and splitting one with whoever you live with can save you space without breaking the bank. Let’s go over a few steps towards making the most out of renting a unit alongside another person.
1. Figure out how large your unit needs to be
Before you start looking into units near you, speak with your roommate about what you’re planning on storing and how much space you’ll need to store it. For example, storing a few smaller items like clothes or a bicycle might only need a 5’ x 5’ storage unit. Larger pieces of furniture, on the other hand, may require a 5’ × 10’ or even a 10’ × 10’ unit. For more common storage unit sizes and what can be stored in them, take a look at our convenient storage unit size guide.
2. Figure out what features you need
Different storage facilities have different features for different needs, so discuss what you may require with your roommate. For example, if you’re storing furniture such as a couch or dresser, consider a storage facility with drive-up unit access so it’s easier to move furniture to and from a vehicle. If you and your roommate have a busy schedule, you should consider a 24-hour access facility so you can visit your unit at any time.
It’s also worth considering a climate-controlled storage unit, which maintains a predictable environment to protect your belongings from temperature and humidity damage, and enhanced security features such as gated access and video surveillance.
3. Pre-pay the storage facility
Financial situations and housing needs can change without warning, so to avoid running into any payment difficulties later on and having to pay late fees, be sure to get your money together and pay the storage facility for whatever unit you choose up front. Planning to pay this way will allow you to make a clearer budget for your storage needs and find the best possible deal.
4. Organize your unit
Once you’ve selected and paid for the storage unit that best fits you and your roommate’s needs, it’s time to move in. To keep your unit organized, keep a document of everything that you’re storing and mark out specific areas of the unit that correspond to your items and your roommate’s items. For best results, line the walls of the unit first so it’s easy to navigate through it and decide who gets which walls.
If you find you need more room in your shared living space, splitting a storage unit with your roommate can be a simple and cost-effective solution. Once you’ve outlined exactly what you require, take a look at Storage.com’s search tool to find units near you that match your needs.
