My Furniture Is In Storage

Online pic.

Basements have suitcases with size 10 dresses when owners are now size 40, bell bottom pants that were symbolic of the good times i.e. booming economies and guaranteed jobs, old Harley motor bikes, kids’ bicycles and hockey sticks.

The propensity to keep things we will never use again resulted in storage companies, located in industrial areas of most cities. People proudly say, “My office furniture is in storage.” How long has it been there? Five years?

It might be a waste of money in the long run because the traditional office with its desk, photocopier and filing cabinet is on its knees.  Just look around downtown and count the OFFICE TO LET signs. The office has moved to the coffee shop, the park, sports stadium, anywhere. Before spending money to keep things in storage for a year, it would be prudent to check the following:

-      do you want short term or long-term storage?  Short term gives you breathing space to decide if you want to keep your possessions or sell them.

-    will you sell them for more now as compared to selling them after two years?  They might be paintings that Sotheby’s is interested in.

-    will you buy or rent space that is the same size as your old house or office?

-    will it be easy, later on in life to find replacement parts for old appliances or farm equipment?

-     are you keeping things in storage for your kids?  Will they appreciate them when they are older?

You can add more questions, but it is important to remember that there’s only one thing that gets more valuable over time. Land. But we don’t keep it in storage, do we?

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger