Some people feel discouraged when they consider all of the storage units in the United States, as though they represent an American obsession with stuff. For others, the discouragement associated with storage units originate from them being symbols of stress or difficulties, as they’re used when someone died and left behind all of their belongings. Perk up people, and use storage units in a number of creative ways that are actually quite fun and innovative.

Use a Storage Unit to Host Your Garage Sale

As long as it is not against the rules and regulations of the storage unit company, you may use your unit to host a garage sale. Many of the items that are in storage are there because you cannot or do not want to use them. So why not just sell them? Hosting the sale in the storage unit means that you do not have to haul everything off-site and then bring back the unsold merchandise. You can do everything from one location. If the proprietor of the building allows it, a garage sale can be a great way to make the unit pay for its self.

Keep Inventory for a Small Business

If you have ever thought about starting a business, storage units are very useful for keeping your inventory in a safe, secure and climate controlled location. If you use the unit to store your products, you can easily access only what you need when it comes time to restock or ship to your customers. You can even set up a shipping station inside of the unit so that you can do all of your packaging in that location, and head directly to your local shipping service. Storage units may be particularly helpful for mail order or online commerce.

Hold a Workshop or Class

A climate-controlled unit can also be a great place to hold a meeting, workshop or class. This option is especially helpful for people that live in small spaces, such as studio apartments, or with large families. In those instances, it may not be possible to host your book club meeting in your home. Instead, you can have everyone bring a chair and some refreshments to the storage space, and host the meeting in there. While it is not the most common way to use a storage unit, it is definitely creative!

If you are in need of some extra space, no matter the reason, think about renting a unit in one of your local storage spots. These units can help alleviate all sorts of issues and help you solve problems that you may not have realized that you had. They are a low-cost alternative to renting a large social space and provide an interesting option for garage sales, inventory maintenance and even the periodic meeting or workshop!