Storing ones Furniture

[john_morris_uk]

We are planning for the day when we moving on board and will probably be letting our house out unfurnished. Is it just a matter of shopping around for storage prices? There are an awful lot of storage companies advertising their facilities. Are the removal companies that offer storage competitive? We are attempting to declutter, but there still seems to be a lot of 'stuff'.

One option we thought of was to build a 'proper' wooden outbuilding in the garden of our house and put all our things in there. It would have to have some heat and a dehumidifier and/or ventilation appropriate to keep everything nice and warm and dry, but it would become my workshop when we return from the live aboard life. Obviously it would have a proper damp course and decent roof and be insulated.

Has anyone got any inspirational ideas or comments?

 

[Stingo]

Just get rid of it. Storage doesn't do it any good. And there's a decent charity shop near Fareham that will collect it for free. I need to do a google search to find the name and address for you. BRB

 

[Stingo]

Here you go:
Community furniture project and workshops, food bank and help, low income, universal credit, jsa, benefits, homeless

 

[Clancy Moped]

There are some shipping container ideas out there that are worth a google.

 

[Stingo]

There are some shipping container ideas out there that are worth a google.

The biggest problem with storage is that it soon costs more to store than it does to replace the stored stuff

 

[Clancy Moped]

The biggest problem with storage is that it soon costs more to store than it does to replace the stored stuff

Don't think you'd lose to much selling it on when your done with it..

Used Shipping Containers for Sale in the UK | Portable Space

 

[PlanB]

I found when I came back to my stored stuff after 12 years, I really didn't want it any more, except for the stuff like antiques, sentimental stuff, paintings etc. Plus china and glass.
So as other have said, only store the good stuff, and replace the rest when you need to.

 

[sailaboutvic]

John I been a liveaboard for a long time , when I rented my house out like you I was thinking of putting all my stuff in storage, then I took at what I had and what it was worth and how much it would cost me to replace it , when I worked out what storage was going to cost I came to the conclusion best to get rig of it all , I did at one time think of not reating the garage with the house and store it all in there glad I didn't twenty years on , can you imagine what the sofa, mattress and every thing would be like .
If you planning to just move aboard for a year or two and you have valuable stuff might be worth storage but other wise get rid off and the money you save on storage buy new when you return .
Last thing re living on board , it don't always work out the way you thing I plainned two year last time I left the UK its now been twenty the first time I plain a year and it was ten , other we met its was the other way around they plain long term and ended up being much shorter .
Good luck ,

 

[john_morris_uk]

John I been a liveaboard for a long time , when I rented my house out like you I was thinking of putting all my stuff in storage, then I took at what I had and what it was worth and how much it would cost me to replace it , when I worked out what storage was going to cost I came to the conclusion best to get rig of it all , I did at one time think of not reating the garage with the house and store it all in there glad I didn't twenty years on , can you imagine what the sofa, mattress and every thing would be like .
If you planning to just move aboard for a year or two and you have valuable stuff might be worth storage but other wise get rid off and the money you save on storage buy new when you return .
Last thing re living on board , it don't always work out the way you thing I plainned two year last time I left the UK its now been twenty the first time I plain a year and it was ten , other we met its was the other way around they plain long term and ended up being much shorter .
Good luck ,

Some good advice and we are certainly getting rid of a lot of stuff. We've lived on board for months at a time in the past so we're fairly confident about what we are getting into.

Selling it all and buying new isn't going to work as some of it is valuable antiques and/or sentimental value. Beds and three piece suites can go, but things like my wife's great grandfather's Welsh dresser and my great grandfathers armoire are valuable and irreplaceable. I would also like to keep my father's desk (that I am sitting at typing this). I haven't got onto the pictures and paintings...

 

[sailaboutvic]

Some good advice and we are certainly getting rid of a lot of stuff. We've lived on board for months at a time in the past so we're fairly confident about what we are getting into.

Selling it all and buying new isn't going to work as some of it is valuable antiques and/or sentimental value. Beds and three piece suites can go, but things like my wife's great grandfather's Welsh dresser and my great grandfathers armoire are valuable and irreplaceable. I would also like to keep my father's desk (that I am sitting at typing this). I haven't got onto the pictures and paintings...

If there that valuable and sentimental I look for a good storage , you won't have to worry about fire or the roof leaking while your way .
Best of luck

 

[Baggy]

Hi John

I built a Shed/workshop in my garden, on a concrete floor with brick wall, ( three bricks high, only one where the door frame is ), then a wooden shed on top,
Keeps the little critters out, and keeps the wood shed base frame away from the damp ground
I also wrapped a membrane around the shed outer frame before nailing the wooden boards on
I have no insulation, just keep ventilated, I have air vents at both ends
I fitted a UPVC door, because they lock and seal up properly

Windows were white washed
I used EPDM sheets for the roof, as its easy to lay in one big sheet
No nails required, which can lead to leaks



My furniture, including a three piece suit have been fine for three years now
no problems

 

[grumpygit]

Just get rid of it. Storage doesn't do it any good. And there's a decent charity shop near Fareham that will collect it for free. I need to do a google search to find the name and address for you. BRB

Totally agree, it's just not cost effected. Time moves on and we do also with our tastes and outlook.
We put ours into storage and it sort of got forgot about but the invoices kept coming, then we sold the house. Top end furniture but more or less gave it away and donated the rest.

 

[nortada]

Twenty years ago we went afloat.

We disposed of most of our household stuff but distributed the treasured and valuable things around the family. Rather like the beneficiaries getting their inheritance early.

 

[Mudisox]

It's just "stuff".. and if you live on a boat you soon realise that you do not need much "stuff"

 

[nortada]

‘Just stuff’, so true, and if you don’t get rid, what do you do with all the new stuff you get to replace it

Junk will always expand to over fill the space available?

 

[rickym]

We sailed away 8 years ago. Give the good and sentimental stuff to family and friends to look after. We gave the rest away. Very limited spaces aboad, but amazing how much extra stuff you accumulate!

 

[PlanB]

If you want to store stuff, it is easy to find dry safe space. The further from city centre, the cheaper it is.

 

[sailaboutvic]

John posting in #9 need to be read , some people do have valuable good and more important good with sentimental value that's not replaceable .
My stuff which I sold and give away was every day stuff , cheaper to replace then to keep . also John not said how long he plain to live on board , many I known over the years only plain to live on board for a few years , some times not even lasting that long so for that type of period cost isn't that bad .

 

[Mister E]

With older wooden furniture in storage you would need to think about Woodworm and Damp problems.

 

[laika]

Late to the party but I'll join the "get rid of it" vote. We put our stuff into storage 6 years ago when moving aboard. We should probably have tried harder to sell things but giving everything away would have been better than storing: We could quite literally have re-bought all our possessions and had a 4 figure sum left over following 2 buy-outs and price-hikes from the storage company. In 6 years I haven't once "needed" anything from the storage unit except my snowboard once a year or so which is a good indication that I don't "need" it.