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A de facto, family separation or divorce is never a stress-free experience. It is life-changing. Not only are you separating from a partner, but you’re also weighing up the things you’re keeping, getting rid of, and storing. Chaotic!
With a whirlwind of emotions, decisions, logistical challenges (and potentially dividing up assets) self-storage can be a life saver. According to the Self Storage Association of Australasia, the annual industry turnover is over $2 billion, with over 2,200 storage facilities in Australia.
So, how can self-storage support you during a separation in terms of emotional relief and as a practical solution? This blog will talk you through self-storage options.
Why is Self-Storage Helpful During a Divorce?
Although it is a big thing to think about after separation, self-storage is well worth the investment. Here is why:
Navigate Emotional Challenges
Do you still have items at your soon-to-be ex-partner’s house, or are you disagreeing on where to put items that you both own? If there’s a property dispute in the works at court, things can get messy, but personal storage takes away a big part of the stress.
When already dealing with grief, anger, and uncertainty, having a neutral space to store belongings can reduce some of the pressure. It’s a good idea to create physical and emotional distance from shared possessions and have the space you need to process a change in your life.
Neutral Ground for Shared Belongings
When dividing up assets (such as cars, caravans, bikes, technology or expensive musical equipment) disagreements can arise over who gets what. But if you’re separating on good terms, you might agree to put your items all in one place.
A self-storage unit serves as a neutral ground for both parties to temporarily store items. You’ll be able to reduce conflict and provide time to make thoughtful decisions about the future.
Helpful for Downsizing
Are you moving to a new home, or making arrangements to move interstate but don’t have space to store your belongings? It might be smaller than the previous one, especially if you’re selling up and halving a property asset that you owned together. This can become more complicated if you’re taking custody of children, as you’ll need somewhere to store things!
Self-storage works as a temporary solution for extra furniture and belongings that don’t fit in your new space. You will feel relief when there’s less clutter around while you prepare for the upcoming move. Alternatively, if you need to live in a small rental apartment, personal storage is a good second home for your belongings.
Securely Store Important Documents
During a divorce, you need to keep all legal documents, financial records, and personal identification safe and organised. For example, if you have a vengeful partner who wasn’t happy with the decision to divorce, you’ll want your things under lock and key.
Self-storage units with climate control, for example, offer a secure environment to store sensitive materials and keep them in good condition. If the divorce was because of something like cheating, you might not want to see your spouse (or have an intervention order against them for domestic abuse), so storage means you don’t need to go to their place if you forgot something important.
What do you need to think about financially?
Separating from a partner can sometimes happen unexpectedly (and without financial security on your side), so you might be looking around for budget-friendly storage. In comparison to renting a larger apartment or hiring full-service movers, storage facilities offer flexible rental terms.
How does it compare to other storage options? While self-storage involves a monthly fee, it’s often more affordable than other options. For instance, renting a larger home to accommodate all belongings can be significantly more expensive. You won’t need to make fast choices about selling or discarding items, which can be emotionally taxing. Making use of self-storage as a temporary holding space can prevent immediate conflicts and provide both parties with the time needed to make fair decisions.
De Facto Relationships and Family Breakups: Ease the Transition
Legal divorce is the formal ending of a marriage, but many people experience complex and emotional breakups from de facto relationships. These are long-term partnerships without a marriage certificate.
These separations often involve shared homes, blended families, pets, and finances. Whether you’re separating from a long-time partner or navigating a family breakup, the emotional toll is real, and the logistics can be just as overwhelming.
What are some storage solutions for de facto separations?
De facto breakups can be just as legally complex as divorces. If you’ve been living together for more than two years (or have children together), you may still need to divide assets, furniture, and sentimental items.
This is where self-storage becomes a practical and emotionally neutral option. Instead of arguing over space or feeling rushed to move everything out, storing your belongings in a secure unit gives you time, space, and clarity.
Why does it help?
- It provides a temporary place to store items during legal or informal negotiations.
- Allows each person time to find a new place without discarding essential belongings.
- Offers security and peace of mind during uncertain transitions.
Family separations involving children also make it complicated. You might be moving into a smaller home or alternating between two residences. Children might have toys, books, school supplies, and seasonal items that don’t all fit in one space.
Self-storage can help keep the family organised and reduce the chaos. You can:
- Store items not needed daily, such as baby gear, prams, kids’ bikes, or duplicate furniture.
- Rotate seasonal clothes, school uniforms, or sports gear between homes.
- Create a more stable and clutter-free environment for children by storing excess items safely out of sight.
Whether you’re a newly single parent or exiting a long-term relationship, a storage unit can support your fresh start by giving you control over your possessions and allowing time to make calm, thoughtful decisions.
How To Choose a Self-Storage Unit?
Whether you are renovating, moving house, downsizing, or travelling after a split, a storage unit needs to match your lifestyle, needs and space.
Is the size suitable for what you’re looking for? Storage facilities often offer a range of sizes, from small lockers to large units that can accommodate furniture and boxes.
Does the location work for you? Select a facility that’s conveniently located, making it easier to access your belongings when needed.
Is the storage area easy for you to access? Consider the facility’s access hours. Some offer 24/7 access, while others have limited hours.
Does the facility have 24/7 surveillance? Continuous monitoring can deter theft and vandalism. Individual unit alarms also add security.
Is there gated access with PIN codes? Restricted entry ensures only authorised individuals can access the premises.
StorageWorks offers clean, state-of-the-art facilities with individual alarms, PIN-controlled security gates, and 24/7 CCTV monitoring, ensuring your belongings are secure.
Why store your things with Storage Works?
Whatever is happening, StorageWorks (Artarmon) is here to help you get started. We offer secure, personal self storage space for your personal belongings post-divorce. Let’s take a look at some of our features:
- Individual alarms
- PIN-controlled security gates
- Clean, state-of-the-art facilities
- 24/7 CCTV monitoring and recording
- Storer-only areas
- Extended hours
- Concierge services
Our units come in over 50 different shapes and sizes, from small storage units to large drive-up units and car park spaces. From furniture to sports equipment and hobby gear or seasonal decorations, our units give you the space you need.
If you aren’t sure, our storage space calculator can give you a rough idea when planning your storage space. Here are some things to keep in mind before renting our units:
- The cost will depend on the size of the storage space and floor dimensions; we have spaces from 1m3 to 60m3.
- Read our Space Estimator to maximise your storage space or reach out to us for a quote on size.
- One month is the minimum term for rent and you can rent one on a month-to-month basis! That said, we offer emergency storage options for less than a month.
- We reserve a storage space for 14 days without charge, but if you need to reserve for a longer period, we require a 2 month deposit hold, which is refundable once you move items in.
- Only you or someone authorised by you with the gate PIN and key to your lock can access your storage space. These buildings have 24/7 CCTV monitoring and recording, site graphics, and after-hours back-to-base monitoring.
- Home contents or business insurance is recommended, but it isn’t mandatory.
- Access your storage 7 days a week during opening hours.
- You will need to pay monthly in advance from the date you move storage in by cash, EFT, direct debit, cheque, credit card, or Visa/Mastercard. Prepayments of 6 or more months have a 5% discount.
- Transfer to another storage space at any time (subject to availability). Prepaid or unused rent can be applied to the new storage space.
- The notice period for termination is 7 days, although you can move out whenever you wish. After the first month’s payment, we will refund the unused portion of your rent on move out.
- When finished with your storage space, it must be kept empty, clean, and with your lock removed.
- You can purchase a lock from us as we have many for sale.
Located on the Pacific Highway at Artarmon on Sydney’s lower North Shore, we are conveniently accessible for storage if you’re near North Sydney, Crows Nest, St Leonards, Chatswood, Castle Cove, Neutral Bay, Longueville, Lane Cove, Lindfield, Greenwich, Mosman, Riverview, Middle Cove, Roseville, Waverton, and across Sydney CBD.
Storage in Sydney CBD? Call Storage Works
We want you to explore more of what life has to offer, and that includes getting through your divorce with ease. Get your stuff into self storage and let us look after it for you.
Keep your items in the best condition during the divorce process. A divorce is already a burden to bear, and you don’t want to be spending time frantically searching for a storage room. Storage Works aims to help you move forward with confidence. After building our first storage facility in 1993 in Artarmon, Sydney, our storage spaces have increased since 2021 and currently have around 1500 storage spaces.
And if you want to invest in vehicle storage, warehouse storage, or general business storage, contact us today at 02 9901 3200 or email artarmon@storageworks.com.au to get a quote and learn more about our prices and special offers! We also sell a range of boxes and packaging supplies. Your space is our place.
We have mini warehouses and large business spaces available. Shipping containers can also be received. Forklifts and pallet jacks are available onsite. We also offer concierge services for receipt and dispatch of shipments, Parcelpoint, and a Tesla charging point.
