How To Clear Out a Storage Unit

After the passing of a loved one, there are often administrative tasks that need to be sorted through and managed. The loved one’s assets such as their home and items within will need to be addressed. Often times the physical possessions may extend into garages and even separate storage units. In the case of an external off-site storage unit, the person who is managing these administrative details will likely want to discontinue using the storage unit and clear out the contents in order to stop the reoccurring monthly or annual expense associated to the rental space. The actual act of decluttering and clearing out a storage space can be an emotional and overwhelming task that requires both a plan and strategy. In this post I share a 5 step strategy to clearing out the storage unit including 5 key decisions that need to be made along the way.

STEP 1: SCHEDULE AND FORMULATE A PLAN

The person tasked to clear out the storage unit may not have any idea what is actually contained in the unit. For ease of explaining this 5-step process, let’s assume this to be true. If you are going blindly into the unit I recommend scheduling time to assess the contents of the unit first so that a reasonable plan can be created.

Before scheduling a date and time for your initial visit to the storage unit answer these relevant questions.

Is the storage unit climate controlled? If the answer is yes, you are likely not limited by the weather (hot or cold) and you probably have more flexibility in your plan to sort through the items. If the unit is not climate controlled be prepared to visit the unit at a time that makes the most sense related to the weather.
Although the unit may be climate controlled, that does not mean the facility is pest free. Consider this before you make your visit. You may need to prepare yourself for uninvited guests within the unit.

Decision #1: Schedule the date and time for your initial visit

Identify a date and time that works with your schedule and commit to this date. If you’re having trouble with accountability, go with a friend or tell someone that this is your plan. Sharing with someone else will give you the extra accountability to follow through on this task.

Now that you have made the initial visit to the storage location you will have a better idea of assessing what is involved. Based on the volume of items and your availability decide when your first working visit should be. The working visit will be the day you move into steps 2, 3 and 4 of the process.

Decision #2: Schedule the date and time for your working visit

Be realistic about how much time you will able to devote to this process and schedule accordingly. Make sure to add in extra buffer time for rest, breaks and meals as needed.

Decision #3: Decide where the sorting will take place

Determine if you will sort through the contents of the storage unit on site at the storage location or move all the items to another location where you have time to go through the contents.

STEP 2: GET ORGANIZED IN YOUR PLAN

By getting organized in your plan of action you are one step closer to less overwhelm in an already challenging task. Start by creating a list of supplies you might need as you go through the storage unit. For reference, I’ve laid out several items that may be useful during this process in decision #4 below.

Decision #4: Determine which supplies to bring

Identify a list of supplies you may need to help you sort through the items in storage. This will help you hit the ground running when you arrive on your first working session. Here is a list that you may consider bringing and the reasons why they would be beneficial.

Sharpie/pen – Label the boxes and record the inventory
Paper in different colors – Used to label boxes and create your inventory listing
Packing Tape in different colors – Used to tape up and secure boxes; different colors may help you label and organize by category and subcateogry
Heavy Duty Gloves – Protect your hands from sharp edges that may cause cuts, etc.
Box cutter – Having this tool may ease time and frustration as you open boxes.
Headgear with flashlight attachment – There may be limited visiblility in your storage unit so consider a flashlight that is hands free
Mask for breathing protection – Protect yourself from dust and mold
Goggles for eye protection – Eye protection is a must if you sensitive to dust and airborne allergens
Dress in appropriate work clothing – Our clothes should support us as we tackle this physical task. Make sure your clothes are flexible and supportive.
Ladder and/or step stool – As someone who is on the shorter side, I always think to bring a ladder to access hard to reach areas
Bins or boxes to organize and subcategorize the items in storage – Having plenty of boxes and bins to sort and organize is a critical part of the process

STEP 3: ARRIVE ON SITE FOR THE WORKING SESSION

Arrive on-site knowing that you have a clear action plan in mind with all the supplies you need to get started.

STEP 4: SORT AND GROUP SIMILAR ITEMS TOGETHER

This step involves opening any and all boxes and learning what is contained within. As you take each item out of the box identify what category or subcategory the item belongs to. This step allows you to group similar items together. During this phase of the process you will likely be reaching for more bins and boxes to help sort through the items. Once the box or container is filled, be sure to take the time to label, log and inventory the items contained in the box before taping it shut. Consider taking a photo of the contents before closing up the box and also label the box with the category name and box number to keep things organized.

For example if you end up with five boxes of books, label them in the following manner:

Book 1 Science Fiction
Book 2 Cooking
Book 3 Religious
Book 4 Self-help
Book 5 Hobby

Any variation of this works, so long as you are consistent with your approach in labeling. If you leave and come back at a later date this step on the front end of the process will save you time so that you will be able to easily identify the contents within the boxes upon your return on a later visit.

STEP 5: CATEGORIZE INTO BUCKET 1, 2, OR 3

We sort and gather in step 4 so that the decisions on which bucket the item belongs to is easier to determine. After all the items are grouped together by category and subcategory, choose one grouping to start the decluttering process. This is where we drill down even further and determine which bucket the items will go into. Categorizing into buckets 1, 2, and 3 sets us up for the final decision of deciding where the items should go. Once you have gone through the decision making process for the chosen category, move on to the next category and continue on until all categories have been addressed.

Decision 5: Decide what to do with the items in each bucket

The bucket categories are:

Bucket 1 – Discard/trash
Bucket 2 – Donations/Sell
Bucket 3 – Keep/retain for personal use

Determine how you will discard and trash the unwanted items. For donations, be in contact with local organizations and shelters that may benefit from the items. Some organizations will schedule a truck to haul the items away. For any items that will be donated or sold, start a subcategory for any major groupings. For example, if there are a large number of collectibles in one specific genre, keep these together so that the entire lot can be sold or donated together.

Also, do some research on local avenues for selling the remaining items that may have significant value. Finally, store any items that you will be keeping in a well-marked box to take home.

Final Thoughts

To tie it all together, in this blog you learned about the five steps to clearing out the storage unit as well as the five decisions to make alongside each step. This step-by-step framework makes an already difficult process, more organized and executable with a plan. The 5 steps are:

Step 1: Schedule the Initial Visit and Formulate a Plan
Step 2: Get Organized in your Plan
Step 3: Arrive on-site for the first working session
Step 4: Sort and Group Similar Items Together
Step 5: Categorize into Bucket 1, 2 or 3

The 5 key decisions are:

Decision 1: Schedule the date and time for your initial visit
Decision 2: Schedule the date and time for your working visit
Decision 3: Decide where the sorting will take place
Decision 4: Determine which supplies to bring
Decision 5: The final decision is what to do with the items in each bucket

To help you further on your journey I created a 1 page checklist and guide that is ready for instant download.

DOWNLOAD Checklist and Guide

Tidy on and tidy strong, my friends!