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There is nothing more liberating than setting out to see the world! You’ve spent so much time preparing, saving and researching the absolute trip of a life time! But have you thought about what you are going to do with your home? All of your furniture and personal items?
There are quite a few options you can go for, all of which depend on your circumstances.
Depending how long you go for you may be able to get away with having mum come and feed the pets, water the plants and empty the mail box. What if you are going for a longer time? Say 3 months? Or even a year?
Do you really want to keep paying rent or a mortgage while you are away? That is valuable spending money going on a house you don’t need at the time.
If you are going to travel between leases or if you are going to rent out your home whilst you are abroad, there still stands one important question…
What will I do with all of my stuff!
If you are lucky enough to have a large shed or garage either on your property or you know someone who has, this can be a great option for storing everything.
It is reasonable when renting out your place to draft a lease that excludes the shed from the agreement, meaning you can store everything in there and have someone else pay your mortgage while you see the world!
If your furniture is destined for a family members shed then even better!
What if I don’t have a shed I can use?
Many people do not have ready access to a large storage area, but this is not going to hold you back.
A quick google search for ‘storage center’ will provide you with a huge list of places that will be able to store your goods. Not only are they affordable they also have the added bonus of better storage conditions and higher security!
Professional storage centres have staff that keep the premises clean and dust free, they generally have better climate control than a shed (this is more important than you may think!) and they have professional security systems that give you that extra peace of mind.
The last thing you want is to be wandering through an exotic market, visiting an awe inspiring temple or basking in the local culture only to find yourself wondering if all of your possessions are safe!
Tips for getting the most out of your storage area
- When you are paying by the cubic meter it can actually end up cheaper in the long run to have the professionals work their magic, hire professional removalists to load the unit.
- If you have leather furniture you will want to make sure that you are storing it somewhere with good climate control, sheds and shipping containers left outside can heat up quite a bit, which damages the leather.
- Always store fridges and freezers with the doors open a crack, if they are sealed this will allow mold and other nasties to grow. Throwing some tea bags in can also help keep it fresh whilst in storage!
- Use plastic to protect upholstery, most storage centers will have a wide range of plastic covers for lounges and mattresses, these help keep the dust out of the upholstery. Don’t use plastic protectors on leather however, as leather needs to be able to ‘breathe’ which means the plastic may do more harm than good.
- Have plenty of cardboard, towels and sheets ready to put between items in the stack, this will stop the small abrasions and scuffs that than can occur when furniture is stacked up in a unit.
When you are heading out on the trip of a life time, you don’t want to be concerned with how things are back at home. If you follow these simple tips you should be able to avoid a lot of stress about your belongings; giving you more time to enjoy the journey!