While we’ve seen apps to itemize and inventory your belongings, here’s a first: The MakeSpace service is blending digital cataloging of your precious stuff with actual real-life storage. It’s been taking NYC by storm, and I imagine it will be spreading soon–although certainly those of us in New York have more storage issues than most.
The way it works is that they drop off sturdy green, interlocking bins. You fill it, they store it in a very secure warehouse space. Then what’s super cool is that they create a complete list of every item you’ve stored in an app, so you know exactly what you have and where. That totally beats my “scribble a partial list on a box with a Sharpie and hope I remember the rest three years later” method which uh, hasn’t worked so well for me.
For those of you short on space, it’s a genius way to store those baby items you might be needing again some day; seasonal clothes or items like skis or bicycles or a big A/C unit (yes, they take big stuff too); fragile things you don’t want your toddler to break just yet; or items you want to keep but don’t need cluttering up your limited closet space.
It’s also a smart idea if you’re trying to sell a place, which is what our friend Ashley Albert of kids’ band The Jimmies did; get all the knick-knacks out of your place for a few months to make it more appealing to buyers.
If you have a lot of stuff, the truth is it’s less expensive to rent a storage locker like a lot of Manhattanites do. With MakeSpace you pay $25 a month for three bins, with $6.25 for each extra. As for bigger items, a bike is $25 a month, while a set of golf clubs or an air conditioning unit is $13.50. So for stuff you want to store for a while–or things you would probably swap out seasonally, it’s a very cool concept.
Plus you’re really paying a premium for not having to schlep to dark, creepy storage facilities each January when you need to stash the Christmas ornaments again. Or, schlep them back–for $29 you just use the power of the web site (iOS and Android apps coming soon) to tell MakeSpace which bin you want and they’ll bring it right back to you.
Hey, I’m all for less schlepping.
If you’re in the NYC area, check out the MakeSpace website for digital inventory and actual storage of your stuff. And keep an eye out; I imagine it will hit some other cities soon.
