Declutter Your Home Before Renting a Storage Unit (2026)

Alright, friend. Let’s have a real talk. You’re staring at a garage that looks like a thrift store threw up in it. Your spare room is a no-go zone. You’ve got kid stuff, hobby stuff, grandma’s old stuff… and you’re out of space.

So you’ve thought, “I’ll just get a storage unit.” It feels like the easy button, right? Just pack it all up and make the clutter disappear.

Whoa, hold on. Pump the brakes.

Before you call anyone, before you even think about box sizes, I need you to do one thing. It’s the single most important step that most people skip, and it costs them a fortune.

You have to declutter first.

I know, I know. You’re rolling your eyes. “But that’s the whole point of a storage unit, so I don’t HAVE to declutter!” Trust me on this. I’ve seen it all. I can’t tell you how many folks rent a 10×10 unit, jam it full, and then six months down the line they’re paying $150 a month to store a bunch of stuff they’ve completely forgotten about. They’re essentially paying a monthly subscription for their own junk.

Let’s not let that be you.

Why This is Your Secret Money-Saving Move

Think about it. The price of a unit is based on its size. A 5×5 unit is cheaper than a 10×10. Way cheaper. If you can get rid of the stuff you don’t actually need, you can rent a smaller, cheaper unit. That’s money straight back into your pocket every single month. Money for coffee, for gas, for your kid’s ice cream. Why would you pay to store a broken office chair?

Plus, let’s talk about the actual moving day. Do you really want to haul box after box of “miscellaneous kitchen junk” and “who knows what’s in here” down a flight of stairs and into a truck? Your back is already groaning at the thought. Decluttering now means less heavy lifting later. It’s a gift you give your future, slightly-less-annoyed self.

The “No-Brainer” System You Can Actually Stick To

Don’t make this complicated. You don’t need a fancy book or a color-coded chart. You just need four piles. Not boxes, just piles on the floor. We’re keeping it simple.

1. The Love It/Use It Pile: This is for the no-doubters. Your holiday decorations you actually put up. Your seasonal sports gear. Your family photo albums. The stuff that sparks joy, as that lady on TV says. If you saw this at a friend’s house, you’d compliment it.
2. The Someone-Could-Use-This Pile: This is for the perfectly good stuff that just doesn’t have a place in your life anymore. Clothes that don’t fit (be honest!), old but working electronics, that bread maker you used twice. This pile is for donating or selling. It feels good, I promise.
3. The Trash Pile: The real enemy. The broken things. The “I was gonna fix it” projects from 2012. The random cords to devices you no longer own. The dried-up paint cans. Be merciless. This pile is dead weight.
4. The “Why Do I Even Have This?” Pile: This is a fun one. You’ll find things that just make you laugh. A single novelty sock. A menu from a restaurant that closed years ago. A VHS tape of a recorded episode of Friends. Toss it. It’s just taking up psychic space.

Tackling the Tough Stuff Without the Guilt

This is where people get stuck. The sentimental stuff.

You don’t need to keep every single piece of art your kid ever made. I know, it feels like you’re throwing away their childhood. You’re not. Take pictures of the ones that are just “okay” and keep the absolute masterpieces in a single, manageable memory box. The memory is in you, not in the crumbling piece of construction paper.

And for the “just in case” items… let’s be real. If you haven’t used that fondue pot since the 90s, you’re not going to. If you need one for a wild party someday, you can buy another one for the $40 you saved on one month of a smaller storage unit.

So, you’ve done it. You’ve sorted. You’ve donated. You’ve tossed. The pile that’s left? That’s the good stuff. The stuff that’s actually worth keeping. The stuff that tells your story.

Now you’re ready

And when you bring that curated, meaningful collection to us at Bristol VA Self Storage, you’re not just dumping a problem on us. You’re giving your valued possessions a clean, safe, and dry home. We’ll help you find the right size unit—one that fits your stuff without wasting your money. We see folks who’ve done the decluttering work, and honestly, we get a little jealous of how organized and stress-free they are.

You’ve done the hard part. You’ve been smart about it. Now, let us help you with the easy part: keeping it safe.

Sound good? We’re here when you’re ready.