Storage facility in SD for household stuff - recommendations?

[orbsah]

Hi all - We're getting antsy on retirement and full time RV next spring (at the latest - maybe sooner) and looking at places to keep some of our household stuff in storage. Of course, we plan to sell most but I do have some shop equipment that I'm not ready to part with just yet. Until convinced otherwise, it might make the most sense for us to find a facility in or near Rapid City, SD. I found several places online. Anyone have some specific recommendations? Thanks!

 

[ocbizman1]

Hi all - We're getting antsy on retirement and full time RV next spring (at the latest - maybe sooner) and looking at places to keep some of our household stuff in storage. Of course, we plan to sell most but I do have some shop equipment that I'm not ready to part with just yet. Until convinced otherwise, it might make the most sense for us to find a facility in or near Rapid City, SD. I found several places online. Anyone have some specific recommendations? Thanks!

My advice is DO NOT get a storage unit. Sell or donate anything you are planning to put into storage. Just be done with it. We went from a 2,400 sqft house to a 240sqft 5th wheel. We have about 20 boxes being stored in my sons attic. Everything else is gone. You'll be so much happier when it's gone!

 

[mkevinmarshsr]

Agreed, storage units are a never ending money put. My father spent $15k plus storing "antiques". Eventually he'd had it taken to the dump because it was just old junk that no-one would pay anything for.

 

[Hoopy Frood]

If full timing is going to be a relatively short term thing, 1-3 years, store your stuff. Be cheaper than buying all new.

 

[Steven@147]

I guess it depends on how sure you are of continuing to full-time. If you have any doubts I would store some stuff for a little while. In our case anything I thought I might use later (tools) I gave to my son or S-I-L so I could still use it, and so could they. Everything else we gave to family, friends, sold at yard sales, or donated.

We had a 3000 sqft home- 4 bedroom, 3 bath, dining room, office, every room with furniture and all kinds of stuff like antique glass, plates, clocks, paintings, porcelain dolls (mostly inherited from parents) , my collection of miniature gas pumps, model cars/trucks, cowboy and Indian figures, even a huge set of Texas Long Horns over the fireplace. Not counting all of the Wife's stuff! All on 2 acres and then 2500 sqft of shop space behind the house crammed with all kinds of automotive restoration tools and stuff.

I was never so happy in my life to get rid of all the stuff we had accumulated over 40 years of home ownership. Now if it don't fit in the RV we don't have it.

 

[fmartinmn]

Hi all - We're getting antsy on retirement and full time RV next spring (at the latest - maybe sooner) and looking at places to keep some of our household stuff in storage. Of course, we plan to sell most but I do have some shop equipment that I'm not ready to part with just yet. Until convinced otherwise, it might make the most sense for us to find a facility in or near Rapid City, SD. I found several places online. Anyone have some specific recommendations? Thanks!

We just wet through this. We sold or donated 95% of what we owned. The 5% we kept is in a 10 X 10 storage unit that we are committed to eliminating in one year. During that year we plan to digitize family photos and stick the grandkids/great nieces, nephews with stewartship of "prized" family momentos. Our experience was that the younger generations do not want corded tools or antiques. My wife's last day of work is Wednesday and we head out for 8 mos. on the road two weeks from now. God's Blessings to you. Frank.

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

We sold and donated 99% of our household goods (that we didn't take with us in the coach). We have a 5x5 climate controlled unit in Texas that contains the small things we couldn't part with our would be more expensive to replace if, and when, we bought a house. The furniture, we calculated that a 10x20 unit, for 3 years, plus the cost of moving the furniture, would be about the same as buying all new (or garage saling) the furniture. We didn't have any antique or keepsake furniture that wasn't given to family so that was an easier decision.

My big rolling toolbox was sold, but all of my hand tools, I kept. I also kept most of my electronic components (think ICs, resistors, capacities, and the like) and design stuff (very expensive to replace). The wife kept pictures she really likes and some small keepsake things from her parents, she also kept her big quilting items so when we do have a place she can jump right back into her willing hobby/passion. Unfortunately our daughter, who we took to college when we started full-timing, wanted to keep a bunch of stuff as well, so that's about half of the unit!

 

[orbsah]

Haha! Well, it took about 2 1/2 years but finally I got some replies to my original post! ��

We’ve been on the road full time for the past year and a half. We did get rid of most of our stuff and as mentioned above, it’s very satisfying. Although on the other hand, kinda disturbing looking at all the useless junk we accumulated over the years.

Unfortunately we don’t have family where we were (in southern New England) so we do have a few things in a small storage unit there. If/when our kids settle somewhere, maybe we can borrow their attic.

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

Haha! Well, it took about 2 1/2 years but finally I got some replies to my original post!

We’ve been on the road full time for the past year and a half. We did get rid of most of our stuff and as mentioned above, it’s very satisfying. Although on the other hand, kinda disturbing looking at all the useless junk we accumulated over the years.

Unfortunately we don’t have family where we were (in southern New England) so we do have a few things in a small storage unit there. If/when our kids settle somewhere, maybe we can borrow their attic.

Lol! Well, normally I look at both the OP post and what I'm replying to for when they were posted. I failed on this one! Safe travels and enjoy the road!

 

[kb0zke]

This is a common question on RV forums, and the answer always comes out the same - unless it is something that is irreplaceable AND has great significance to you or other family members you may as well get rid of it. A few years before we went full-time we purchased some fairly nice furniture. Jo Ann wanted to get a climate-controlled storage place for it, so that when we got off the road we would have it. Long story short, a year's worth of storage rent would buy that furniture back again. We sold it. That was more than 10 years ago, and we still don't have any use for it.