Newsletters

This Start-Up Will Get Rid of All Your Ex’s Sh*t For You

Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson is a reporter in Boston. She got her start at the Boston Herald, where commenters would leave sweet messages like “Megan Johnson is just awful.” Now, she's a contributor to publications like People Magazine, Trulia and Architectural Digest.
published Sep 5, 2018
comments
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
See More Images
(Image credit: Elena Nichizhenova/Shutterstock)

If you’ve been in a relationship that’s gone south, you know there’s a point in time where you can’t stand to look at the sh*t your ex has left at your place—but you don’t necessarily want to throw them out either (because what if you end up getting back together?!) Well, a new service will solve this problem for you (without having to pull a mutual friend into the middle of your drama.)

Enter: ExBox, a service that sends a box to your home, and asks you to fill it up with all the stuff lying around that reminds you of your former significant other (who you’re totally better off without). It’s a cheeky joint effort between MakeSpace, an on-demand full-service storage solution, and Mschf, a digital marketing agency. Whether it’s that old, ratty t-shirt you still find yourself wearing on the reg, or even their collection of Hummel dolls (which should have been a red flag anyway, just saying), just pack the items up in the box and they will soon be out of sight, out of mind.

“With cuffing season around the corner… we got to thinking about people’s summer flings ending—and the need to clear the emotional and physical clutter of recent relationships,” Amory Wooden, MakeSpace’s vice president of brand, told Apartment Therapy. “Because how will you be ready for a new relationship if your apartment is full of your ex’s stuff?”

See More Images
(Image credit: ExBox)

Here’s how it works: The company will schedule a time for a “SpaceSaver” (aka someone who picks up your ex’s crap) to come to your home and collect the box full of your ex’s belongings. Then, they place it into a storage facility until you decide to crack it open. ExBox uses an online signup program that can unlock levels of discounts based on questions that determine how awful your ex was. (Think “on a scale of one to ten, how awful was your ex?” with “I’m never dating again” at the top.) Customers can choose monthly or annual plans and they can get any or all of their belongings delivered back to them at any time… you know, if you and your ex happen to reconcile. ExBox is essentially your Lorelai Gilmore come true—they’ll take the stuff away (until you decide you want it again!). If it’s really over between you two, MakeSpace is happy to help donate all the things you never want to see again. They have a partnership with Goodwill, and customers can request a Goodwill bag to be dropped off during your appointment and MakeSpace will handle the donation for you.

“We are hoping people find their space and their psyches renewed and ready to move on with their next relationship,” says Wooden. “We’re also hoping that people realize how fresh and new their home can feel with less clutter, and more space in their lives.”

The ExBox site launches Wednesday, September 5, and the company tells us that monthly prices will start at around $79, and vary by zip code. It will roll out in Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and New York; and Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco are expected to follow soon.

Filed in:
Moving