Long Term Storage Choices for Nomads
In our last blog we told the story of selling our large suburban home and downsizing to a 1600 square foot rental and then into a 5 x 10 storage unit. The goal? To pursue a nomadic lifestyle.
Since September 2021, we have been traveling full-time in Europe, the Caribbean, Central America, and the US. While we’ve dramatically reduced our possessions, we still own things that we decided to place in storage. In the coming months, we will return to Wilmington, North Carolina (our last place of permanent residence) to further reduce our possessions. Our goal is to fit everything that’s left into a 5-foot x 10 foot (450 cubic feet / 12.75 cubic meters) storage unit. Currently, our remaining possessions fill one 10x10 unit and part of another.
In this week’s blog, we will go through the steps and key takeaways from our long term storage experience and some tips that you should consider if you plan to do something similar.
To pursue our adventure of being nomadic we either needed to get rid of everything that we were not going to take with us on the road or find a place to store some of it. Some of the thoughts we had as we were preparing to travel centered around our longer-term plans which are still up in the air. For example:
What if we don’t like the nomadic life?
What if we need to “settle down” for some reason beyond our control (e.g., health, family, etc)?
How long will we want this nomadic lifestyle?
What if we find “the perfect place” while traveling and just decide to stay there?
Through all of this uncertainty, we tried to carefully consider what was worth storing and what would be easily replaceable when the time comes to own a home again (whenever that might be).
Where Should My Storage Unit Be While Nomadic?
For nomads who choose to store some items, a big consideration is where your storage will be located. One option that many nomads use is to store items at a friend or family member’s place. This is a possibility if you have a family member who has the space and is open to letting you use it. Of course, it also depends on how much stuff you have! When considering this option, take into account whether or not your friends or family are likely to move during the time that you are away. In our case, our friends tend to move fairly frequently and our families do not have much spare space available to store our things. We also just didn’t want to burden them with storing our stuff.
If you decide, like we did, that a commercial storage unit is the where to go, the next question you’ll ask yourself is, “So, where should that storage unit be located?” It makes the most sense to choose a location relatively close to where you plan to travel on a semi-regular basis. This will make it easier to access things like important paperwork, sporting goods, or seasonal clothes. Since we plan to be back in Kansas a couple of times each year, it makes sense for us to store our things there.
Even when renting a storage unit, you should consider leaving your storage information (access code and/or key) with a friend or family member should you need them to go retrieve something for you while you are on the road. Twice we’ve needed to have a friend retrieve a document from our storage unit and send it to us.
Questions to ask yourself as you determine where your storage unit should be may include:
How frequently do you plan to access it?
Might you need to have a friend or family member access the unit for any reason?
Is the unit accessible after business hours and on weekends should you be arriving from a trip late in the evening or on a weekend?
Should Nomads Store Things In Climate-Controlled Units?
Climate-controlled storage units are insulated to protect from extreme heat and extreme cold (generally 55-85 F). While this is a wider temperature range than you would typically have within your house, it is much more controlled than keeping them in an uninsulated shed, garage, or warehouse. This helps slow the deterioration of your items but it doesn’t stop it. Things will still age (and go out of style!).
Some items are fine to store in unconditioned spaces, but most will last longer in the more moderate conditions of a climate-controlled storage unit. Another benefit of a climate-controlled unit is that they are usually cleaner than uncontrolled units which often allow some outside air in for ventilation. When outside air enters an uncontrolled unit it can also contain dust and pollen, which can make your items dusty and dingy. We have friends who left for ex-pat assignments, only to come back to a TV and other electronics covered with 4 years of dust due to being stored in unconditioned spaces.
While climate-controlled units are generally preferable, there are a few downsides we’ve discovered:
They cost more. To be specific, roughly 35% more than a comparable unit that is not climate controlled. This is an important consideration if you’re planning to live frugally.
Climate-controlled storage units are often more difficult to access. Many uncontrolled units are accessed by driving your vehicle right up to the roll-up door. Due to the need for added insulation, most climate-controlled units are housed within a larger building. This means that you have to enter the building first, then enter your storage unit from an interior hallway.
Climate-controlled storage units are typically not humidity-controlled. So, if you are storing musical instruments, wine, or art, investing the extra money in a climate-controlled unit may not do the trick. You may need to seek out humidity-controlled storage units for these items.
How Much Does Self-Storage Cost?
In looking at the cost of self-storage, you can plan to spend about $150 per month ($1,800 per year), inclusive of insurance for a 10’x10’ climate-controlled unit. This is a rough estimate, as prices can vary quite a bit by location, incentives, and length of the contract. A similar-sized storage unit that is not climate controlled would cost about $100 per month ($1,200 per year).
If you are on the road for five years, that cost comes to approximately $6,000- $9,000. So, make sure that what you are storing is worth spending that kind of money! Again, consider if it would make sense to sell or donate the items now and buy again when you need them.
Perhaps you are living a nomadic lifestyle to “shop” for a permanent home somewhere. Do you think you will use these stored items to outfit your new home or condo when you are done traveling as a nomad? Perhaps your tastes will have changed? Remember technology and styles change quickly. Maybe you’ll choose a bigger or smaller house and the furniture you paid to store will not fit your new place.
Perhaps you’re even looking to move overseas. If so, you should also consider the potential future costs to ship these items to your future overseas location, as shipping can get fairly expensive.One other point to consider in this scenario is specific to electrical items. Will your electronic items work in the electrical system of the country you’re moving to? For example, will it be possible to use your favorite kitchen appliance (e.g., blender) in your new location? If this is your situation, think about all these costs versus simply buying again when you find your new home.
Tips for Storing Your Things
Here are some tips for long term storage of your belongings.
Label every box! Either write what is in each box or use some self-adhesive labels so that you can quickly recall what’s in each box without having to open them. We like using extra-large markers that make it easier to read, especially if the writing fades over time. We also recommend placing the label or writing on the side(s) of the boxes rather than on the top of the box so that you can read it when the boxes are stacked.
Use storage-worthy boxes. Cardboard boxes come in different qualities. Over time, boxes can sag and even become brittle. Stacks of boxes can then fall over and crush items inside. Therefore, if you plan to store items for an extended period of time, consider using heavy-duty boxes rather than weaker ones. We’ve had good luck with boxes from UHaul. They are designed for multi-year storage but still will begin to weaken over time. You may also consider using plastic storage bins.
Place any critical documents (such as birth certificates or marriage licenses) within a small fireproof box (LINK). It is very unlikely that a fire will occur in the storage facility, but the small cost of a fireproof box adds some peace of mind.
Finally, scan important paperwork. Save it on an external drive that you can take with you and/or on a remote server in a common format like .jpg or .pdf, not in some boutique file extension.
How Should Nomads Insure Their Things in Storage?
Should you insure your items? If so, how will you insure them? First, check with your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance company on the coverage you will have if you no longer have a home but want to keep household items in storage. Since we had a renter’s policy, we were able to extend it to the items in the storage unit. Not all insurance companies will include this coverage. Storage units may also offer insurance coverage that is better than your former homeowner's policy. Be sure to consider the coverage limit, especially if you have valuable items (such as art or jewelry) in storage.
Payments and Communication for Long Term Storage
For the most part, once you begin renting a storage unit and place your items in it, there’s generally not much to do. However, assuming you’ll be traveling when rent is due on your storage unit (typically monthly), you’ll definitely want to make sure you have a couple of details already set up before you depart:
Make sure the storage facility accepts online payments or that your automatic payments are properly set up and will work while you are on the road.
Ensure that the storage facility has your contact information so that they’ll be able to access you while you’re traveling.
Some Final Things We Learned
A few random tidbits of helpful advice related to long-term storage:
Storage facilities tend to attract insects! Check with the manager to understand how they control insects in the unit and what the common storage pests might be in the region. If they have no program, spray a pet-safe insecticide (like permethrin) around the perimeter of your storage unit.
Don’t store any food! It will likely spoil and will also attract insects and rodents.
Place your items on a pallet or other elevated floor. Moisture can wick up into/on your items from concrete floors. Elevating your items a few inches will help protect them should water come into the unit from flooding or something spilled in the hallway outside your unit.
Drape a plastic drop cloth over your items. This can help reduce any dust accumulation and also provide a bit of protection should the sprinkler system be activated.
Take photos and video of your contents in the unit in case you have to file an insurance claim.
Our Conclusion on Long-Term Storage
Long-term storage is one of the downsides of nomadic living. We’d like to become minimalists overnight and just get rid of it all, however, we are still trying out the lifestyle and have a few items that we are not ready to part with.
We did find that downsizing into a small storage unit is an iterative process. Take time for this—we’re 24 months in and still learning. Don’t let anyone pressure you into taking too long or too short of time for this process. If you do store too much, recognize you are only out the cost of storage and have reduced the time that someone else could have enjoyed your former possession.
Best of luck in your journey!
A little about us: We are full-time home-free travelers. In our mid-40s we sold our suburban home, quit our corporate careers before it was called the Great Resignation, sold almost all of our belongings, and hit the road to slow-travel the world. Some links in this article are affiliate links, meaning if you click through we may earn a small commission to help cover hosting fees and software at no extra cost to you. Thanks for reading our blog!
