Recommendations to Make Your Next Move Relaxing

Storage units can be invaluable, and many people find that they need one at some time or other. Whether you're having serious renovation work done on your home, you need to temporarily downsize, you're dealing with possessions left behind by a loved one following their death or you're planning to travel around the world for a year, there are plenty of reasons you might consider hiring a storage locker.

Space can come at a premium, however, and when you're filling one of these storage units it can be easy to accidentally store all the wrong things. If you're looking for a little guidance on what to keep and what to get rid of, read on.

Five Things To Keep

1. Anything of sentimental value. This comes first, because it overrides anything else on the list: If something has sentimental value to you, it's okay to keep it! There's no shame in hanging on to your father's favourite chair even if it's a little ratty, if it means something to you.

2. As many books as seems reasonable to you. Print media is sometimes said to be struggling, but books are both important ways to store and acquire knowledge and quite difficult to dispose of well. Throwing books away is generally a bad idea, but second-hand stores tend to be overflowing with paperbacks--so hang on to anything you're willing to make space for.

3. Home decor, ornaments and fabrics. The things we use to dress and decorate our homes can be expensive, and they're also generally quite small and easy to store. If you like something, keep it--your personal taste probably won't change that much, and you're likely to want it again one day!

4. Children's clothes and toys. Even if all of your own kids are grown and gone, children love having things that belonged to their parents--so hang on to stuff to pass down to the grandchildren.

5. Anything that counts as an antique.  When you think about it, nobody really owns an antique. Even if you bought it with your own money, you're really just a custodian of it: It's belonged to other people before, and it will belong to other people again when you're gone. Show these objects the respect their history deserves by looking after them and ensuring that when they leave your care, it's to their next real home.

Five Things To Throw Away

1. Small electronic appliances. Microwaves, kettles, toasters and the like are all easy to replace, and if you're going travelling you'll likely spend more on storing them than you would on buying new ones when you need them again.

2. Anything even remotely perishable. Storage units tend to have firm rules about food, but edibles aren't the only perishable goods! You should also avoid storing makeup and toiletries, which will 'expire' eventually.

3. CDs, DVDs and other hard-format digital media. In this digital age, CDs and DVDs have few particular benefits. Digitise what's on them and keep it in the cloud rather than letting them take up space.

4. Things that aren't in good working order. Save yourself a bigger job later on by getting rid of broken furniture and useless knick-knacks right away.

5. Bills, statements and other paperwork. Once upon a time it was advised that you keep all this stuff, but the truth is you'll never need any bill or statement that's more than three months old. Make sure you recycle them all, and consider going paperless wherever you can.