The Art of Decluttering X Shift Your Storage
The Truth About Storage Units: What We’re Really Storing (and Avoiding)
When The Art of Decluttering’s Amy Revell sat down with Shift Your Storage founder Prue Madigan, the conversation hit a nerve many Australians can relate to (1 in 10 in fact) ..the mysterious world of storage units and the growing number of storage facilities popping up.
Not the neat, Pinterest-worthy ones, but the real ones. The ones full of “stuff we’ll deal with later or come back too.”
And as Amy put it best, this isn’t about “storage shaming.” It’s about honest reflection, that friendly nudge from someone who loves you enough to say, “Heya darl, maybe you’ve spent tens of thousands storing things you don’t actually need and it might be time to make a change."
The Hidden Cost of ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’
Storage units have become Australia’s quietly growing secret. You don’t bring them up at dinner parties or mention them in group chats. It's not really "sexy" chat.
Yet, millions of Aussies (1 in 10 in fact) are paying monthly fees for spaces they rarely visit, if not ever visit and often filled with items they’ve long forgotten they had or need.
As Prue explained on the podcast, people rarely go into a storage unit thinking it’ll be long-term. It starts as a temporary fix, a quick solution while moving, travelling, downsizing, in a state of change or crisis or even just decluttering. But before long, months turn into years, and the cost quietly adds up. The average length of storage unit use in Australia is 7 and half years.
Amy and Prue agree: storage units often represent something deeper than clutter. They’re a holding space for decisions we haven’t made yet or aren't ready to make yet.
Why We Hold On So Tightly & For So Long
Prue shared insights from her experience helping people sort and empty storage units across the country. Often, it’s not laziness or denial, it’s emotional attachment. Items in storage units usually carry meaning: a parent’s old furniture, children’s keepsakes, or the leftovers from a life stage we’ve moved on from but aren’t ready to release mentally & emotionally.
Amy calls it “emotional storage.” We think we’re keeping items safe, but often, we’re keeping memories trapped in boxes instead of integrating them into our lives or letting them go.
The Reality Check Moment
The conversation didn’t pull any punches but it was filled with compassion as well. Prue described the lightbulb moments clients have when they finally open those roller doors: realising they’ve been paying hundreds (mostly thousands) for items they no longer want, need, or even remember they have.
And it’s not just about wasted money. It’s about emotional & mental energy - the weight of unfinished business sitting behind a padlock.
Shifting the Way We Store
That’s where Shift Your Storage comes in. Prue’s business helps people reclaim their space, physically, financially and mentally. From organising and digitally inventorying items to selling, donating, recycling or sending them home, Shift Your Storage gives people the permission (and practical help) to finally deal with their storage units.
Amy and Prue’s chat was a refreshing take on a cheeky taboo topic. No guilt trips, no judgment.. just truth, humour, and hope that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to lift the roller door and see what’s really inside with a bit of help from SYS.
Because sometimes, letting go of what’s in storage isn’t just about clearing space anymore and saving cash.. it’s about shifting your life forward.
https://www.theartofdecluttering.com.au/podcast/ - have a cheeky listen. Only 20 minutes and some awesome tips from the decluttering wizard Amy Revell!