If there is one thing that most – if not all – people know, property is expensive. No matter whether you rent or own or you just want to hire a space to be used on an ad hoc basis, it’s likely you’ll be spending a lot of money to do so.
Yet we must have somewhere to live; we must have somewhere to enjoy our hobbies and to be entertained. There is no way around it. However, sometimes trying to get that extra space that’s needed is just not possible. For example, if you can afford a two-bedroom house but need a third room, that might just be out of reach. Of course, there is another option; what about renting a storage unit? Although you can’t live in such a unit, these extra rooms can be used for a wide variety of things. Read on to find out what some of those things are because it might just be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Office Space
The idea of using a storage unit as an office is a good one, but not one that is always going to be possible. It will depend on the unit you’re renting and the facility you’re using, as well as whether you have any staff you expect to work from there with you – this is not always something health and safety laws will allow. However, suppose it’s just you and the rules allow it. In that case, this could be the ideal alternative to buying a house with room for a home office, building an extension, renting a dedicated office space, or even building a shed to work from the backyard in.
Working from home is becoming the norm, and more and more companies are choosing to allow their employees to do this permanently now. Yet this can be problematic if you were used to working in an office and your home is actually full of distractions. Using a self storage unit means you can get out of the house for a fraction of the price that renting anything else would cost.
Art Studio
Art is a wonderful hobby or career, but it’s a messy one in most cases. Whether it’s paint, clay, or any other medium, the fact is that there is sure to be a mess made. If you try to create an art studio at home, this mess could be a big problem – you might spend too much time cleaning up to really enjoy the art itself, or you might hold yourself back from expressing yourself how you really want to because you’re worried about the mess you’ll leave behind when you do.
Not only that, but art tends to be a solitary activity, so if you’re trying to do it at home where there is a lot of noise and movement due to the people you live with, again, you might not do your best work.
A storage unit is an ideal way to enjoy your art by yourself in a place where you don’t have to worry about the mess. Having said that, you will still be responsible for keeping the unit clean and tidy, but you can hang sheets all around and leave them in place (something you might not be able to do at home if you’re working from a bedroom or dining area, for example), and at the very least, clean up will be easier because there are no carpets and wallpaper to consider. Even better, you can leave a part-finished project in place and come back to it when you’re ready rather than having to keep packing everything away every time you’re done for the day.
Gym
Going to the gym is a good thing to do. We all need to exercise regularly, and ideally, that means doing at least thirty minutes of vigorous exercise every day. However, it’s not always easy to go to the gym; it can be anxiety-inducing for some, not to mention the fact that it’s often very expensive.
There are other forms of exercise, such as running, cycling, or swimming, but if you like the idea of working out on a variety of different machines all in one place, the gym might be the best option for you. If you want to do this all by yourself, it’s possible to buy the items you need at a reasonable price, but where can you put them? A garage is a possibility, assuming you have one, but you wouldn’t be able to keep your gym equipment in a living room or bedroom, for example. Therefore, why not rent a storage unit? You can keep everything in one place, set out exactly as you want it to be, and you can attend your ‘gym’ at any time of the day or night since there are no closing times. You’ll never have to miss out on exercise again.
Hobby Space
We’ve already mentioned art, but there are many other hobbies that take up a lot of space and will need more room to truly enjoy than most people can spare at home. Examples of these kinds of hobbies include:
- Pool or snooker
- Darts
- Scuba diving
- Kayaking
- Video gaming
- Fishing
- Collecting
No matter what it is you love to do, if you don’t have room to store your equipment or the items required for your hobby at home, a storage unit can be the perfect solution. You’ll know that everything is safe and secure, and you can access whatever you need when you need it. Rather than giving up a hobby because you don’t have room to enjoy it or take care of everything you need to do it properly, you can continue as much as you want to. You can even upgrade your storage unit to a larger one if the need arises.
Extra Wardrobe Space
Have you run out of space for your clothes at home? If so, you’re certainly not the only one; this is something that happens often. Perhaps you love to buy new (or second-hand) clothing, but you’re reluctant to dispose of anything you already have, for example. If so, why not rent a storage unit and use it as your second wardrobe? You can use hanging rails to keep everything neat and tidy, and you’ll never have to throw anything out.
This is a great idea to implement if you have a summer and winter wardrobe. You can switch the clothing over twice a year, and everything you’re not using can stay safe and secure in the unit.