Using A Storage Unit When Blending Two Families For A Smoother Transition

Blending a family can come with challenges, but especially when it comes time to move both families into one household. How do you make two families worth of stuff fit into one home? More often than not, sacrifices will have to be made – some items will need to be sold while others can be put away in a storage unit for future use. So, how do you decide what to do with so many things?

Whole-Family Communication

This transition may be difficult for you and your new spouse, but it can be especially hard on the children involved. You may have already decided in your head what will come with you to the new home, what will go up for sale and what you can put away in storage, but will your decisions have a negative impact on the other members of the family?

Talk with the kids about what they want. This doesn't mean that you have to give in to every one of their wishes, but it lets the kids know that you care about what they think and that you will consider what they want.

If some things seem to be important to a family member, do what you can to include those items in the blended home. Chances are, the things that the kids want to include in the new living arrangement will not be intrusively large, so it shouldn't be too difficult to make it work.

Sell or Store?

Once you have gotten through all of the things that the kids are attached to, how do you decide what goes to storage and what you should sell? Which living room set do you use in the family room? What kitchen set will your family share dinners on? Will you eventually be buying a larger house that will require the furniture that you already own?

When deciding about the big pieces, think about the condition, the value and the size of each item. Which piece is in better condition? Will it fit into the home nicely? This can take some time and organization to get through, but communication with your new spouse is crucial to avoid conflicts from occurring now and in the future. Really listen to what he or she has to say about what pieces will be sold or put in storage.

If you are holding on to things to be used in a new, bigger house, think about how long it will be before you purchase the new home. If you won't be making this huge investment for more than five years, you can probably go ahead and sell the large pieces to avoid the cost of storing them for so long.

You don't have to make any of these decisions immediately. Put anything questionable in a storage unit. Then, revisit the storage unit in several months, or even a year. At that point, you will have a better idea of what you want to hold onto and what you can let go of. This can decrease the stress and tension levels during an already challenging time. Using a storage unit when blending two families for a smoother transition. (For more information, contact Rock Solid Storage LLC or another company)