What’s your passion in life? If you’re lucky, it’s something very inexpensive that doesn’t take up much space – but what are the chances of that? Anything that’s really worth doing can all too easily take over your life, your house, or your bank account!
While the funds are probably better discussed with your boss or your bank, there is plenty you can do to find yourself some extra space. It’s a shame that square footage is all too often a barrier to people just doing what they want to do with their spare time, particularly if their hobby is of the outdoorsy persuasion – but it doesn’t have to be. Putting your gear in self-storage could be the solution you’re looking for.
Equipment that’s built for tackling the wider world is unfortunately rarely built for convenient home-storage. If you live in the hustle and bustle of city centre and have taken up kayaking, off-roading, motocross, water sports, quad biking or mountain biking as an excuse to get back to nature, then you’re likely either forced to choose between renting kit or squeezing your own stuff in to your flat.
Renting gear as and when you need it to indulge your interests may mean you can move from room to room without constantly tripping over a pile of oars, but it’s hardly ideal. Rental costs stack up and you may not be able to find something that suits you every time, or at the times you want to use it. Of course, there’s also no opportunity to customise or personalise the things you use, which can sometimes be a big part of the enjoyment of these hobbies.
Taking the plunge and buying your own will give you freedom in the wilds, yes, but will also restrict you at home. With bikes, kayaks or surfboards taking up valuable living space, you’ll might end up sick of the sight of your gear, and find yourself fed up of lugging it up and down the stairs. Sticking it in the garage, on the other hand, leaves it at an increased risk of theft – if you’re even lucky enough to have one.
It seems like rental is still the answer, it’s just that the situation needs a bit of a shuffle around: buy the kit, and rent the additional space to store it! A clean and secure storage unit would keep a bike, quad, kayak, canoe, surfboard, hang glider, jetski, pontoon, zorb – you name it – out of sight from day-to-day, and ready to go when you need it.
Just make sure you pick somewhere with plenty of parking available, as you’ll likely need to park up and manoeuvre your gear in to the back of your car or van. If you can find a unit that allows you to drive right up to the door, then that’s a bonus! Flexible access and good security are also a must, so you can access your equipment when you need it, but with no risk of anyone else getting their hands on it.
And one last thing – make sure you go for a more spacious facility. No one wants to spend an afternoon grappling with a hang glider that’s got itself wedged in a corridor. No one.