8 Interesting Statistics On Clutter

You straighten up closets, clean out corners, and move things to the garage, but stacks and boxes keep multiplying. You need two things: motivation and modern self-storage. Here are eight clutter statistics guaranteed to help inspire.

1.  WE WEAR 20% OF THE CLOTHES WE OWN 80% OF THE TIME

This stat seems to beg the question – Do we really need this many clothes if we aren’t wearing them often?

2.  THE AVERAGE CANADIAN SPENDS 12 WEEKS A YEAR LOOKING FOR ITEMS THEY OWN BUT CAN’T FIND

Collectively, we burn up more than nine million hours a day hunting for things that we know are somewhere around the house. In this case, misery doesn’t love company. It just wishes the clutter would go away and let you reclaim all that lost time.

3.  ELIMINATING CLUTTER CUTS HOUSEWORK BY 40% IN AN AVERAGE HOME

It’s dusty, disorganized and in the way. You freshen it up, rearrange it and move it to a new spot. If you think there’s something wrong with cleaning around clutter, it needs to go. Getting rid of it eliminates 40 percent of the chores around your home.

4.  25% OF PEOPLE WITH 2-CAR GARAGES DON’T PARK ANY CARS IN THEM

Remember when there was plenty of room for two? If squeezing in one is a battle, you’re among the 32 percent of homeowners with two-car garages who are losing the battle with clutter. Give it time, and you’ll join the 25 percent who can’t park anything in the garage.

5.  COSTS AN AVERAGE OF $10 PER SQ. FT. TO STORE ITEMS IN YOUR HOUSE

Mortgage payments, utility bills, taxes and general expenses make that 12-inch by 12-inch corner in the den worth $10. Compared to the value of your home’s floor space, monthly rent for a climate controlled self storage unit at Planet Storage is an inexpensive investment that conquers clutter.

6.  A TYPICAL HOME CONTAINS $1600 WORTH OF UNUSED CLUTTER

What’s a good resale price on the old Jet Ski? Were you impressed with the appraisal value of that inherited china collection? Did you know that the typical home fills up with clutter valued at approximately $1,600? Tuck it away in a safe self-storage unit, and cash in at your convenience.

7.  SERIOUS HOARDING PROBLEMS ARE PRESENT IN AT LEAST 1 IN 50 PEOPLE

One out of 50 people are prone to hoarding. For another one out of 20, the situation will grow into a serious problem. Letting things pile up is a nuisance, but harmless clutter can escalate into an obsession that takes over the space and lives inside a home.

8.  ONE OF THE MOST COMMON STRESS TRIGGERS – WORRYING THE HOUSE ISN’T CLEAN ENOUGH OR ORGANIZED ENOUGH

If you worry that the house isn’t clean enough and admit that disorganization is part of the problem, you’re in good company. Canadians list “clutter” as one of the top things they wish they didn’t have to worry about. A mess around the house triggers stress.

Now that you’re inspired, it’s time to conquer the clutter. For a few dollars a month, you can reclaim time, space and peace of mind at home. Life’s easier when everything has its own space, so enjoy the advantages of a modern, secure self-storage facility. Come visit us at Planet Storage and we’ll help you reclaim your space!

See you soon 🙂

 

What Type of Storer Are You?

Researchers recently revealed that there is a sort of life cycle of self storage and how we use it at every stage of our lives. So what kind of storer are you?

1. The Study storer?

Many of us remember our University days and living out of town for 8 months of the year in residence or off campus in a shared house. Some people schlepped all their stuff back and forth twice a year. I cannot imagine doing that. Many of us found a place to store our stuff for a few months during the summer at a self storage facility.

2. The Mover and Storer?

Once we finished school, we then proceeded to live in a few different places before getting the idea that perhaps we should decide to put down roots in one spot and stay a while. What did we do as we bounced around from place to place that varied in size? We put our things in self storage. Occasionally pulling things out and putting things in as the size of our apartments grew or got smaller.

3.  First Runger?

Eventually, our jobs become careers, and we start to think of marriage and and children and a home. By this point we have accumulated a fairly substantial amount of furniture and an almost mind bobbling amount of other “stuff” like CD’s and DVD’s, a large amount of sentimental items, suitcases, bags, shoes, clothes, bikes, sports gear, kitchen gadgets  etc. What do we do with stuff when we run out of room? We re-assess and decide what we need to keep in our house and what to store.

4. Big mover?

Families get bigger. Careers get bigger. Opportunities get bigger. Houses get bigger. We decide to move  a bigger home, or move across town, or province, or country. We need to de-clutter, we need to make room for the growing family, the kids’ friends, and sleepovers, and dinner parties.

5. Streamliner?

With all of the stuff that we accumulate over the years, we eventually look around and say to ourselves. Holy moly we have a lot of stuff we don’t use. We snap to our senses and decide to sort what we need and what we can get rid of. We give some stuff to charity and some goes to the dump. The rest, that we haven’t quite figured out what to do with yet, goes into storage.

6. Big Clearout?

This stage I am all too familiar with because every time I visit my parents, they are trying to give me something. They have completed the life cycle of storage. They have decided what they want to keep and are getting rid of everything else. They have re-organized their life, and they will soon move from the large family home into a smaller place that suits just the two of them.

So there you have it. The life cycle of storage. Where are you in this cycle? Leave us a comment and let us know.

See you soon 🙂

 

Working at Home and Self Storage Options

Flexibility, the power of being self sufficient and being your own boss are among the many reasons why more people than ever are now opting to work from home. Journalists, designers, software engineers and even lawyers and insurance agents will readily tell you how great the commute is from their bedroom to their home office 60 steps away while they sip their coffee in their slippers. When a brilliant idea strikes, they can start working on it right away no matter what time of day and there is no worry about an office lease.

However, along with all these great benefits, there are a few down sides too. One might not be at their productive best in a relaxed home environment. Or they might not be able to find the ideal space in the house to convert it into an office. And if you have a significant other and/or children, sometimes your home schedules might hamper your productivity. But probably the biggest challenge is trying to keep your home office clutter free.

Working in a chaotic place is neither fun nor comfortable. Clutter can be a hindrance in productivity. And if you don’t designate a place for everything, your home office can quickly become an awful mess.

If you are a retailer, a supplier or have inventory that cannot always be stored at home, a place like Planet Storage is ideal for you. Renting a  storage unit can prove to be very useful if it’s near to your place and is convenient. Planet Storage is loaded with security features that you probably don’t have at your house, and can act as a great document archive, and your warehouse. Planet Storage is run by professionals and your important inventory and/or personal belongings would be safe here, creating much needed space for you to work efficiently.

So come check us out and let us help solve your home office clutter.

Is Personal Storage Good For Your Health?

Getting a self storage unit is the perfect solution to a number of issues such as having too much stuff around your house or seasonal gear that you’re not sure what to do with. But here is something that I’ll bet you haven’t considered. Apparently its good for your health!

According to a recent blog post on Extraspace.com, personal storage might rank right up there with exercise, eating right and brushing your teeth. So now, along with the many other benefits that Planet Storage offers, apparently we can have a big effect on your health.

“Clutter and a lack of space can cause stress and tension. Too much prolonged stress can result in health issues. It can cause headaches, insomnia, body aches, and so much more. Coming home to a mess can be depressing and be a drain on the positive energy in a home. Once we make the effort to organize and streamline our lives and our stuff, oftentimes certain levels of stress are known to disappear and our well-being improves.”

So if you’re looking for a way to improve your overall health and well-being try organizing and streamlining your life with the help of a storage unit at Planet Storage, your stress level will thank you!