How can I sell the contents of my storage unit?

Changes in life offer an opportunity to start fresh and eliminate all that old stuff from your life. There’s likely no greater concentration of unwanted belongings than in your storage unit. After removing photo albums and other family heirlooms, sell the rest of your storage unit through a classified ad, a garage sale or an auction.

The most profitable way to eliminate your stored belongings is by selling valuable items individually. Take out an ad in your local newspaper or online classified service. Describe your items accurately and arrange to meet prospective buyers at your storage unit. While this method works well for large items such as appliances, sporting goods and home electronics, it’s less likely you’ll find a buyer for libraries of books or household decorations. You can also sell the entire contents of your unit as a large lot through a single ad, but expect to receive less than half of the value of selling pieces individually.

A more thorough way to sell what’s in your storage unit is to have a garage sale. Check with the owners of your storage unit to ensure that the security gate of the storage complex can be opened to allow your customers in. Some managers only allow tenants onto the property for security purposes. Advertise as you would for any other garage sale: a notice in the newspaper and signs around the neighbourhood. Price the items aggressively: you want everything gone by the end of the day. In the late afternoon, make whatever deals you can on the remaining items. By evening give away the dregs or take them home with you. Sweep out your storage unit and take down your garage sale signs.

It’s possible to sell everything in your storage unit at once, though you may not get much money for the contents. Renters who don’t pay their bills for storage find their possessions auctioned by the owners of the self storage facility. You can hire these auctioneers to sell your unit. Speak to your facility’s management to get a recommendation and to allow access to the auction attendees. Most storage unit auctions are “blind”. The bidders aren’t aware of the contents of the unit beyond what they can see standing outside. Arrange with the auctioneer to illuminate more valuable items or move them to the front of the unit before the sale. An auction company works on a commission of the final sale price, so it’s in their best interest that your unwanted stuff sells for as much as they can. However, storage unit auctions generally only average £195, depending on the contents.