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Live in A Small Space? This Affordable Solution Saved My Life

Danielle Blundell
Danielle BlundellExecutive Director of Home at Apartment Therapy
As Apartment Therapy's Executive Home Director, I head up our decorating, trends, and designer coverage. I studied Media Studies at UVa and Journalism at Columbia and have worked in media for more than a decade. I love homes, heels, the history of art, and hockey — but not necessarily in that order.
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updated Sep 9, 2019
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Credit: Carina Romano

After living in New York City for the past decade, I’ve accumulated an impressive (to put it nicely) amount of stuff. The problem is, my square footage has stayed relatively constant, so my blank floor, wall, and closet spaces are at a premium these days.

I’ve tried to follow the “one in, one out” rule and pare down each season, which has helped. However, I test out kitchen appliances and home products for a living, and I concoct gorgeous tablecapes for fun. Oh, and did I mention my husband loves to play (and buy, repair, and sell) guitars?

All that extra stuff, tucked into corners and sitting out on surfaces, stresses me out and makes me feel like my place is in disorder, even if it’s clean. But when we started to plan our wedding earlier this year—and collected a boatload of invitations, decor, and more—I knew we needed to make a change.

I heard about a new service Manhattan Mini Storage, a local NYC storage company, was offering called Full-Service Plus. For about $99 a month—or sometimes more, depending on how much you want to stash—they’ll store your belongings in a nearby facility so you can have pretty much anything you want to be delivered back to you within a day’s notice. There is a $50 fee for delivery to your door, which sounds steep, but taking a cab or Uber even 20 blocks these days in New York traffic can add up.

That said, it does make you really think about what you can live without, which may be the sign that it’s time to get rid of something permanently anyway. The best part? For full-service plus customers, Manhattan Mini Storage will also send movers to your apartment and whisk away your stuff for that same fee of $50, which its totally worth it if you live in a walk-up.

Full Service Plus Storage System
Mini Manhattan Storage
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It’s been a few months since we finally sent some stuff to storage, and gaining those precious feet back has been so worth it.

Sure, getting rid of all your surplus stock is the ultimate goal for Marie Kondo disciples, but I’m just not there yet. But at this point, I also don’t think you can put a price on how an uncluttered home feels.

If you live outside of New York but still want to put your extra stuff out of sight and out of mind, I’d encourage you to look into storage. It’s not a forever solution but something that can help right now or at a stage or event in your life like a wedding, where you’re carrying more cargo. You might not be able to find the exact same full-service, easy retrieve and restore situation, but self-storage will likely be a whole lot cheaper and give you the same room to breathe. If you’re reading this and you have an attic or a basement, boy, do I envy you!

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