Personal Storage
Sometimes you need more room without needing a bigger home. A personal storage unit gives you a dedicated place for furniture, boxes, seasonal belongings, recreational gear and other items that are taking up space at home but aren’t ready to be given away.
Derrel’s Mini Storage offers personal storage units at locations throughout California, with a range of sizes for everything from a few boxes to the contents of an entire home. Find a Derrel’s location near you and choose the space that fits what you actually need to store.
Personal Storage for the Changes That Create a Need for More Space
There isn’t one reason people rent storage. Sometimes the need is temporary, such as moving between homes or making room during a renovation. Other times, a storage unit becomes useful extra space for belongings that are worth keeping but don’t need to stay in the house year-round.
Personal storage can make sense while moving, downsizing, remodeling, or reorganizing your home. It can also provide a place for seasonal decorations, extra furniture, bicycles, sporting equipment, boxes of keepsakes, and other belongings that otherwise end up filling closets, spare bedrooms, and garages. Instead of choosing what to get rid of simply because you’re short on room, storage gives you another option.
What Size Personal Storage Unit Do You Need?
The right unit depends less on how many individual items you have and more on the amount of space those items occupy together. Derrel’s offers a wide range of unit sizes, so it helps to start by thinking about what you’re storing rather than automatically choosing a large unit.
A 5’ x 5’ unit is comparable to a hall closet and can work for boxes, a chair, a desk, a file cabinet, and other smaller belongings. Moving up to a 5’ x 10’ provides roughly the space of a walk-in closet, with room for items such as a mattress set, sofa, dining set, and boxes.
For larger storage projects, a 10’ x 10’ can hold approximately the contents of a two-bedroom apartment, while a 10’ x 20’ offers space comparable to a one-car garage and can accommodate the contents of a larger apartment or home. Even larger options are available for households with substantially more to store.
Not sure where you fall? Use the Derrel’s Size Guide to compare unit dimensions and see examples of what fits before renting.
Storage for Moving
Moving rarely happens all at once. Closing dates change, leases overlap, renovations run long and sometimes there simply isn’t enough room at the new place for everything coming out of the old one.
A storage unit can give you a place to keep furniture and packed boxes while you work through the transition. Instead of surrounding yourself with belongings you aren’t ready to unpack, you can move the things you need first and retrieve the rest as you settle in.
Storage can also be useful before the move. Clearing packed boxes, excess furniture and less frequently used belongings out of the house can make it easier to clean, organize and prepare each room.
Make More Room at Home
Garages and spare rooms have a tendency to become permanent storage areas one item at a time. Holiday decorations get stacked beside camping equipment. Extra furniture fills the guest room. Boxes that haven’t been opened in months take over closet shelves.
Personal storage creates a separate place for belongings you still use or want to keep without allowing them to consume the space you use every day.
That can be especially helpful for items with seasonal uses. Holiday decorations don’t need to occupy a closet all summer, just as seasonal clothing and recreational equipment don’t necessarily need prime garage space throughout the year. The goal isn’t simply to move clutter somewhere else. It’s to separate the things you need close at hand from the things you only need occasionally.
Storage During Home Renovations
Even a relatively small home project can temporarily eliminate a surprising amount of usable space. Flooring replacement, painting and remodeling may require furniture and other belongings to be moved out of the work area. Moving those items into another room solves one problem while creating another.
A storage unit can provide temporary space for furniture, packed household goods and other belongings while work is underway. With fewer items in the project area, contractors and homeowners have more room to work, and the rest of the house doesn’t have to become the storage area for the room being renovated. Once the project is complete, you can bring belongings back as you’re ready for them.
Personal Storage Features at Derrel’s
Choosing a storage unit isn’t only about square footage. Being able to conveniently get your belongings into and out of storage matters too.
Derrel’s locations use controlled gate access with keypad entry, and many available units feature drive-up access that allows you to pull your vehicle near the storage space. Derrel’s also has on-site managers and offers moving and packing supplies for customers who need boxes, tape, mattress covers, bubble wrap and other storage materials.
Certain locations offer additional options, including temperature-controlled units. Because available sizes, unit types, and features differ by facility, check your nearest Derrel’s Mini Storage location for current availability before selecting a unit.
Pack Your Storage Unit With the Future in Mind
A little planning when you move in can save a lot of work later. Use sturdy boxes that can be stacked, and avoid making large boxes unnecessarily heavy. Books and other dense items are easier to move in smaller boxes, while larger boxes are better suited to lighter belongings such as linens.
Think about how often you’ll need each item as you load the unit. Belongings you expect to retrieve regularly should remain accessible rather than ending up behind furniture and stacks of boxes. Clearly labeling boxes can also save you from opening several of them to find one item months later. For clothing, furniture and mattresses, using storage-appropriate covers and packing materials can help keep belongings organized while they’re stored.
Find Personal Storage Near You
Extra space can make a move easier, give you room to renovate or simply help you reclaim parts of your home that have gradually become storage areas.
With Derrel’s Mini Storage locations throughout California and unit sizes ranging from small spaces for boxes and household extras to large units capable of holding the contents of a multi-bedroom home, you can choose storage based on how much space you actually need.
Enter your ZIP code or city to find the nearest Derrel’s Mini Storage location, compare available unit sizes and current rates, and find a personal storage option that works for you.