There are nearly 50,000 self-storage facilities in the U.S., and on average, each of those has over 500 units. That’s about 25 million individual storage units—or approximately one for every 13 residents in the entire country.
That means you probably know someone who has a storage unit. It also means you probably know someone who is paying to store things they don’t really need, they don’t want, or they don’t even remember they have in the first place.
Emily was one of those “someones.” She had a storage unit originally intended to store her husband’s Porsche—but that Porsche was sitting in a carport, because the unit was full. What’s worse, she wasn’t sure just what was in the unit, although she had paid rent to keep her stuff there for eight years.
Decluttering both her storage unit and her home had been on her to-do list for a long time, but she never knew where to start. Then COVID hit. She wasn’t working, she was indoors for the most part, and she knew it was time to make a change. After hearing about me from a friend, Emily signed up for one of my special “declutter festivals” to tackle her home.
Group and one-on-one work
I met with Emily and all other participants individually before the festival to learn more about her and help her feel more comfortable about opening her home to me—which often is difficult for people in the decluttering process. Shame is a common feeling among those who feel that they have too much stuff, although it shouldn’t be: We all have our own challenges, and trust me, you aren’t the only one with clutter. (I mean, did you see those stats about self-storage facilities?)
The festival consisted of six people and 13 group sessions—Saturdays for lessons, Tuesdays for check-ins and Q&A, and one follow-up meeting a month after the last session.
Overcoming challenges
There were additional challenges for Emily, who lives with her husband, her mother, a housemate, and a son who is there part-time. (A daughter is away at college.) Because her husband was not going through the process, she needed to work around him while respecting his things and his space. This meant focusing on her stuff only, along with the main areas of the kitchen and linen closet.
Still, she did great—getting most of her home decluttering done during and immediately after the festival. She loved the camaraderie of the group and the structure of the sessions, with goals and expectations each week. Doing the work on Saturdays was perfect; her husband was usually out doing other things instead of working at home, so she had easy access to areas that would have posed a problem on other days.
She has gotten through every category of stuff except her sentimental things (more on that in a bit). Her wardrobe is streamlined, most papers are managed, the kitchen looks tidy. Instead of holding onto things “just in case,” she is more willing to let them go. The only thing she has missed? A garlic press—and that’s just because the one she kept (out of the three she had) happened to break unexpectedly, which wasn’t the end of the world.
Emily has gone through stuff with her kids, too. “Mom, this is so much better,” her daughter said while helping to cook in the kitchen. “It’s so much more organized, it’s cleaner, there’s more counter space.” With that unprompted response, Emily knew the work had been worthwhile.
More to be done …
Since the declutter festival, Emily and I have had a few meetings to start focusing on her sentimental items—the hardest thing for almost everyone to let go. There are things in the attic, items she has been keeping for her children since they were born, and of course, there are some things left in that storage unit. She is on track to have everything done by the end of 2021 except for pictures, which will be the focus in the first quarter of 2022. (Most people do pictures last, even well after the rest of the process.)
“All of us appreciate it being ‘lighter’ around here,” Emily says. “I’m so glad I did it … it’s worth the investment and effort.”
Is it time to make your space ‘lighter’?
Even if you don’t know where to start, even if you’ve tried before and stopped, even if you’re scared—you can do this, too. I’ll work with you to create a plan that works, both today and in the future. Start the conversation by emailing me at natalie@natalievanderpump.com. The consultation is free!