How Self Storage Helps Digital Nomads

The Digital Nomad lifestyle is great.

You travel to different cities, soak in local culture, and enjoy freedom to the fullest. The challenge that is often overlooked is that you have to find a place to put your things.

You can’t carry everything you own in your backpack, and it can be painful and costly to leave your items amongst friends, or a flat that is not used.

Self-storage is a real advantage for this. It gives you a safe, inexpensive home base that accommodates the way you want to travel.

A Trustworthy Home Base

One of the most helpful things about storage is that it allows you the opportunity to travel light and still keep the things you love.

You no longer need to stuff your luggage full of out-of-season clothing, books, or sporting equipment; instead, you could pack it away in a storage unit and pick it up when you want.

In many cases, it is cheaper to hold a storage unit than to keep renting an empty apartment. A self-storage facility gives you peace of mind that your things are safe and costs you less, compared to your everyday cost of living.

Scenarios Where Storage is Helpful

Long-term nomads use storage to hold their whole house while travelling between countries.

The self storage option is also great for people who just travel part of the year, and the rest of the time they are at home. For example, an individual who travels to Europe for the summer and travels to Asia during the winter can store the clothing and heavy equipment that they need for each season and re-access them when they’re ready.

Storing your personal items is a practical choice for any traveller.

If you're renting your home while you are gone, you can store your personal belongings to keep them. There’s no need to list your furniture, artwork or collectables for sale. And, the same storage facility will hold your surfboards, vehicle, camping equipment, or project supplies that aren't worth selling but can’t fit in any trip.

For the remote worker with an e-commerce lifestyle or a creative local business, a storage unit makes sense for storing packing supplies or inventory.

Picking the Right Storage Facility

The effort in finding the right storage option will pay off in the long run.

Look for a location that is close to you, either near your home, the airport, or around an area you pass through often.

You should also know what size storage unit you'll need.

Indoor storage typically has a more controlled temperature and climate control, so if you plan to store electronics, art & delicate textiles, to begin with.

Make note of access hours. Some travellers require access 24 hours a day, others simply need daytime access.

Flexibility is equally important. You may or may not need to go down in storage size based on your needs.

Some storage centres are now offering smaller lockers or peer-to-peer storage, where people rent out some space in their homes. These options can be more affordable than a traditional storage space and more convenient if you have only a few boxes of belongings to store.

Storage Management

It’s easy to commit the storage “black hole” blunder, tossing stuff in, then forgetting it. With a few simple practices, you can manage your storage in an organised manner and save time and money.

Use your phone to take an image of each box and have a numbered list of what’s there. Label boxes, or even better, use QR stickers that lead to your list, making it easy later to find stuff whenever you want, instead of digging through a pile of boxes.

If you anticipate needing certain items frequently (like camping gear or camera gear), have those items accessible from the front or at the top.

Before you lock the door, take a minute or two to take an image of your valuable items and note the condition of each. This simply proves useful should you ever need to file an insurance claim. If you anticipate a long absence, arrange for someone you trust or a local service to have access if you need something picked up or to add something.

Storage and Moving with Ease

Nomads usually face the dilemma of moving belongings that are not close to the storage unit. Many storage companies now have collection and delivery services. Private couriers can collect boxes from your location or deliver them to the unit for you, saving you the hassle of moving everything.

Many travellers want to consolidate their belongings into a central storage location that makes them easily accessible from multiple sites.

Some even want to consolidate their belongings into one larger unit, instead of dealing with several smaller units. Make sure to compare the costs of transporting bulky items to your next destination versus the effort and costs of moving them yourself.

Planning for Risk and Protection

A good storage provider offers security, but you should read what their insurance covers. Look for exclusions, such as damage from damp or vermin, and whether you need special coverage for valuable electronics, such as computers or valuable artwork. If you want to move belongings across international borders, check customs rules, import duties and paperwork required.

It is also good to know what will happen to your belongings if you aren’t able to make a payment while you are there. Most facilities provide a clear policy regarding late payment, fees and processes leading up to auctioning before your unit access is forfeited. Knowing the process ahead of time can also save you lots of headaches.