Storage when Travelling

[HomeBuyAU]

I'm planning to travel overseas in a few weeks and I have been considering what to do with my household items and personal things. It seems to pay for storage is quite expensive for long term so I will sell or give away my furniture and other stuff while I will just store important things I need to keep. I don't want to rely or friends so that is out of the equation.

So just for a 3x3 area it will cost at least $100 per month and it goes up a lot more. So I'm looking at anything from $600 - $1000 for 6 months.

I wonder if there are any cheaper places in Sydney or Newcastle?

Another idea is that a unit I own has an area in the basement which is shared between 3 units and there is some space there (about 2x3 metres) so I could store some things there that have little value like some furniture etc but I would still need a secure storage space to keep other important things while I'm away.

any ideas welcome.

 

[weg]

Selling off some of the stuff you don't really need will pay for the storage of the stuff you do want, as well as reduce the size of the storage area you need to pay for.

I would not be selling anything I would have to purchase again on my return. Financially that would be a false economy.

$600 to 1K really isn't that much to pay.

 

[pennyk]

take a look in your local paper, because some people offer storage space in lock up garages etc, and its usually less expensive than an actual storage space... although risks in terms of weatherproofing and theft etc.
Pen

 

[HomeBuyAU]

Selling off some of the stuff you don't really need will pay for the storage of the stuff you do want, as well as reduce the size of the storage area you need to pay for.

I would not be selling anything I would have to purchase again on my return. Financially that would be a false economy.

$600 to 1K really isn't that much to pay.

Yes that is why I'm I have been thinking to sell larger things like furniture to reduce size and have some extra cash. Lucky my local paper allows 5 items per week free under $200 and there are a number of trading websites now with free or low fees.

Yes and that is the other thing I have to be careful I don't sell things I will need again like power tools I use for renovations etc when I come back

take a look in your local paper, because some people offer storage space in lock up garages etc, and its usually less expensive than an actual storage space... although risks in terms of weatherproofing and theft etc.
Pen

The local paper is a good idea so I will do that although I will have to find a secure, dry and reliable place as I might be storing some things like expensive music equipment, power tools etc that I would not want stolen.

One thing I was thinking was to buy another property with a few rooms and just let out the rooms and keep one for myself. The problem with that is it could slow down everything going for more finance, getting equity and looking for properties as I would like to go soon.

Another option was to actually buy a storage place.. I seen this thread and it gave me an idea if I could spend a few thousand and buy a cheap bit of land and put a shed on it and it would be an investment then instead of paying someone else all my money. But the problem is keeping it secure, even if it was padlocked etc then it could become a target for thieves if they see it unattended for a long period. For land that cheap it would probably have to be in a remote area anyway.

any ideas welcome.

 

[The Y-man]

So just for a 3x3 area it will cost at least $100 per month and it goes up a lot more. So I'm looking at anything from $600 - $1000 for 6 months.
.

Surely someone on Somersoft has a "room to let"? That's a pretty "trouble free tenant" I reckon.... won't even use power or water

Cheers,

The Y-man

 

[Y33]

How long are you going OS for?
If more than a yr. Sell anything that is electrical like comps, tv, dvd, etc. When you get back new models will be out. Also off load manchester items like sheets, pillows etc as if not kept clean a haven for dust mites and mold.

 

[billyb67]

$100 per month for 3mx3m is a total bargain .

Any decent secure storage facility in Sydney will cost you at least $250 per month for that size space.

 

[HomeBuyAU]

How long are you going OS for?
If more than a yr. Sell anything that is electrical like comps, tv, dvd, etc. When you get back new models will be out. Also off load manchester items like sheets, pillows etc as if not kept clean a haven for dust mites and mold.

It could be for quite awhile as I might travel around the world but I'm looking at 6 months until I come back collect the mail, maybe buy another property here and check the ones I own etc then probably take off again. That is why I'm starting to think about selling as much as I can. The problem is you don't get a lot for second hand things and it will cost a lot more to buy them again and most of the things I have like my sony stereo for example are top quality so I could keep it for 10 years and it would still be all i need. I don't have a lot of household items anyway, just basic stuff.

$100 per month for 3mx3m is a total bargain .

Any decent secure storage facility in Sydney will cost you at least $250 per month for that size space.

I think $100 - $120 is about average for 3x3, I'm not sure where you seen those high prices. In fact I think I can get one for $80 per month up hear near Newcastle so I might just go with that but I will have to get rid of a lot of things to fit everything into 3x3.

 

[Y33]

Monsoon, The other option is set yourself free and sell all your possessions until you return. It is amazing how clustered our lives come with materialistic items. Time in a few third world countries is a good way to evaluate what you need and what you want.

 

[HomeBuyAU]

Monsoon, The other option is set yourself free and sell all your possessions until you return. It is amazing how clustered our lives come with materialistic items. Time in a few third world countries is a good way to evaluate what you need and what you want.

Yeah I totally agree and when I go to Asia and to Europe I will be free from all this junk, I will be happy with an acoustic guitar as the only material thing. I do need my laptop for work as well as my camera but other than that everything else is not important and I will only carry hand luggage with me, no baggage.

The things I have to store here are just stuff I own that are the sort of things I would have to buy again in the future though. For example I have good quality power tools I purchased and these will be used on future renovations of more properties as well as maintaining properties as well as other tools. There a few things I can get rid of but I'm hesitant to sell things like my stereo and LCD TV, music equipment, expensive mountain bike etc as I would probably want to buy all these again when I come back even if I have lived very basically in Asia or other parts of the world as I travel.

It's also good to clean up your life and simplify it like you touched on. It is amazing how good this is for you. I'm getting rid of a whole lot of junk, might even digitize all paper receipts etc for business too.

 

[wylie]

Is there an IP that you own that has a room that is not being used (spare bedroom, or downstairs lock up area) where you could install a good lock and reduce the rent for the duration of your absence.

One of your tenants may be happy to have reduced rent in exchange for losing a room for a few months.

May one of your friends has a similar set up that you could use?

 

[HomeBuyAU]

Is there an IP that you own that has a room that is not being used (spare bedroom, or downstairs lock up area) where you could install a good lock and reduce the rent for the duration of your absence.

One of your tenants may be happy to have reduced rent in exchange for losing a room for a few months.

May one of your friends has a similar set up that you could use?

I only have the two properties at this stage. One is a house with 2 bedrooms and I have already found a couple with a child to rent this out when I move out. It has a garage but no proper door but I might be able to leave a couple of bulky things in the back since I sort of know them.

The other property is a 2 brd unit and the previous owner rented it out from settlement for 1 year and she has a uni student in the room. But there is some storage area in the basement that is split up between 3 units so I can leave a few things there like some boxes or things I wouldn't care too much if they went missing although she said they should be fine there. I can also leave furniture there if I don't sell it too so that will help. I also have a couple of friends in Sydney that I could ask if they will look after a few things so I do have a few options although I don't like depending on friends etc.

I just need to find a place to store some more valuable and important things, I think I will just pay the storage place about $80 - $100 per month and live with that.

 

[MichaelW]

I actually built another storage room under the house in Narrabeen before I moved to Brisbane. Cost me about $500 for timber I think and I did it properly with bearers and joists on three more poles. Fully enclosed, waterproofing, cladding and a door. Its 3mx3m, I know because I built it!

Got so much stuff stored in there now but wished I'd brought a few more of the tools North...

Cheers,
Michael