Clearing a Storage Unit You’ve Stopped Using
Storage units are meant to be temporary, but many end up holding things for years. If you’re paying every month for a unit you rarely visit, here is a calm, practical way to finally clear it.
First, decide what the unit is for now
Storage units usually start with a good reason: a move, a downsizing, a parent’s house sold quickly, a family member between homes. Over time the reason fades but the unit stays.
Before you visit, ask yourself a few honest questions:
Before you visit, ask yourself a few honest questions:
- When did anyone last take something out of the unit?
- Do you know what’s inside, or only roughly?
- Is there a home waiting for these things, or are they waiting for a home that may never come?
- Would you buy these items again today at their current value?
Plan the visit
A storage unit is a different kind of cleanout. There’s often no power outlet, limited light, little room to spread out, and the facility has rules about hours and what you can leave behind.
- Check your rental agreement. Find out the move-out notice period, access hours and any rules about leaving items or trash on site. If the unit is in someone else’s name, such as a parent, make sure you’re authorised to access it.
- Bring the right things: gloves, a flashlight or battery lantern, a box cutter, markers, a few empty boxes, trash bags, a dolly and water.
- Bring a helper, especially for furniture and boxes stacked high.
- Take photos first. Before you touch anything, photograph the whole unit from the door. It helps with planning and with getting a removal quote.
- Decide how much you can carry home. If you’re in a car, the keep pile has to fit in the car.
Sorting inside a small space
Work from the front to the back. Pull items into the aisle or the area just outside the door if the facility allows it, and sort into three groups:
Watch for damage. Items stored for a long time may have water damage, mould or signs of pests. Wear gloves, and don’t bring anything home that could spread a problem into the house.
- Keep: things with real sentimental or practical value that you’ll take home today.
- Donate or give to family: usable furniture and household goods in good condition.
- Let go: anything damaged, broken, mouldy, stained or simply not wanted.
Watch for damage. Items stored for a long time may have water damage, mould or signs of pests. Wear gloves, and don’t bring anything home that could spread a problem into the house.
What usually turns up in a long-forgotten unit
Every unit is different, but certain things show up again and again. Knowing what to expect helps you plan how much time and help you’ll need.
- Furniture from a previous home: dressers, bed frames, dining sets and sofas, often taking up most of the space.
- Mattresses: often stored “just in case” and rarely in a condition to use again. See our mattress removal page.
- Boxes of paperwork: tax records, old bills, files. Keep anything important and check with the family’s attorney or accountant before shredding financial or legal papers.
- Kitchen goods and linens: usually duplicates of what’s already at home.
- Old electronics: TVs, stereos and computers, which shouldn’t go in the trash. See electronics removal.
- Keepsakes: photo albums, children’s artwork, letters and medals, sometimes at the bottom of a box marked “kitchen.”
When it’s a parent’s or loved one’s unit
Clearing a unit that belonged to someone else can be emotional. You may find things you didn’t know existed, or things you remember from childhood. Give yourself permission to go slowly with the personal items.
If the unit is part of an estate, check with the family’s attorney or executor before removing or giving away items. They can tell you what needs to be kept, documented or shared among family members.
A useful approach is to set aside a single “family box” for photos, letters and small keepsakes, and go through it at home later with others. That keeps the storage visit practical and the remembering for a better setting.
If the unit is part of an estate, check with the family’s attorney or executor before removing or giving away items. They can tell you what needs to be kept, documented or shared among family members.
A useful approach is to set aside a single “family box” for photos, letters and small keepsakes, and go through it at home later with others. That keeps the storage visit practical and the remembering for a better setting.
Getting it all out in one trip
The hardest part of a storage unit is usually the furniture and the volume. Mattresses, dressers, sofas and boxes of books don’t fit in a car, and the facility won’t let you leave them behind.
This is where many people call for help. With Junk Runner, you text us photos of the unit for a free quote. The cost depends on factors like how much is in there, what kinds of items they are and whether any need special disposal. We set a weekday, text a photo of our crew before we arrive and meet you at the facility (or work with you by text and photos if you can’t be there). We carry everything out, set aside good items to donate or rehome, sort recycling from trash and sweep out the unit so it’s ready to hand back. Read more about our storage unit cleanouts.
This is where many people call for help. With Junk Runner, you text us photos of the unit for a free quote. The cost depends on factors like how much is in there, what kinds of items they are and whether any need special disposal. We set a weekday, text a photo of our crew before we arrive and meet you at the facility (or work with you by text and photos if you can’t be there). We carry everything out, set aside good items to donate or rehome, sort recycling from trash and sweep out the unit so it’s ready to hand back. Read more about our storage unit cleanouts.
After the unit is empty
- Give notice to the facility as your agreement requires, and confirm the final payment date.
- Remove your lock and hand back any gate cards or keys.
- Take an “after” photo of the empty, swept unit for your records.
- Put the things you kept away at home within a week, so they don’t become a new pile in the garage.
Key takeaways
- Decide honestly what the unit is for now, then keep only what truly matters.
- Check your rental agreement and photograph the unit before you start sorting.
- Open every box: keepsakes and important papers often turn up where you least expect them.
Need a hand?
Junk Runner is a family-owned team in East Berlin serving York County. Text us a photo for a free quote, or see our Storage Unit Cleanouts.
Related
Common questions
Often, yes, as long as the facility allows access and you’ve arranged it with them. We can work with you through texts, photos and video chats so you can see what’s happening.
It depends on how much is in the unit, the types of items and whether anything needs special disposal. Text us photos and we’ll send a free quote.
Yes. We clean up after every job, so the unit is empty and swept when we leave.