{"id":18416,"date":"2021-09-21T10:40:56","date_gmt":"2021-09-21T14:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubesmart.com\/blog\/?p=18416"},"modified":"2023-11-07T13:50:05","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T18:50:05","slug":"how-to-get-adult-kids-to-stop-using-your-house-as-a-storage-unit-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.cubesmart.dev\/blog\/your-space\/organization\/how-to-get-adult-kids-to-stop-using-your-house-as-a-storage-unit-2\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Adult Kids to Stop Using Your House as a Storage Unit"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Cluttered
Free image via Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Be honest: Are your grown kids using your house as a storage unit? Are you ready to declutter your home of all their extra stuff? If the answers are \u201cYes\u201d and \u201cHeck yeah!\u201d then keep reading for our best advice on how to clean a home of childhood belongings \u2013 especially those that belong to your grown-up kids! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, get clear on the impact that keeping their items in your home is having on you. Your home shouldn\u2019t be the free storage space for your grown-up kids until the end of time. Just think great it will feel to finally get rid of all that clutter. Maybe you\u2019ve been holding off on converting a childhood bedroom into a guest room, an office, or a gym while you wait for your children to collect their stuff. Or been putting off downsizing because of the sheer amount of childhood items clogging up your feng shui. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever your future plans, if you\u2019ve determined you\u2019re ready to take charge of the chaos, use the following tips for getting your grown kids to stop using your house to store all their childhood stuff \u2013 and realize the many, many benefits of having their own storage unit. For you \u2013 and for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find Storage Near You!<\/a><\/strong><\/h3><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When kids move out, parental homes often become de facto storage units for all the clothes, photos, and other childhood belongings they leave behind. For grown up kids who\u2019ve long depended on mom and dad (and the places they live!) for everything, it\u2019s a very tough behavior pattern to break out of it. That\u2019s why one of the best solutions is to rent a storage unit <\/a> as soon as your kids move out. Organize, sort and move all their excess items to the unit together so that they can play a part in decluttering a home \u2013 your<\/em><\/strong> home. It\u2019s also important to include your grown kids in on the process so that they can weed out the things they no longer want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can\nhelp your child make the transition by offering to pay a portion of the storage\nunit cost but be sure to set clear limits. Let them know that you\u2019ll pay for\nthe storage unit<\/a> only\nuntil they graduate or move into their first real apartment. Once that happens,\nremind them of your agreement and give them a month to get everything out. If\nthey really want that stuff after all, they\u2019ll take the initiative to go\ncollect it and store it in their own home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase Out Old Childhood Items<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Pile
Free image via Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve missed the first window to move your kids\u2019 stuff into\nstorage, don\u2019t worry. There are other ways to get rid of the items you don\u2019t\nwant. One of the biggest barriers to getting their childhood belongings out of\nyour house is if the project keeps getting put off again and again. If that\nhappens, it\u2019s likely because this particular home cleaning task can often seem both\nphysically and mentally overwhelming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nsolution is to start small. Simply set things out little by little each time\nyour grown kids come over for a visit. Fill a moving box or two with odds and\nends from their collection of stuff. Tell them that they need to sort through\nthe selected items and take what they want. Whatever they leave behind<\/a> will\nbe donated or dumped in the trash. It might be a little time-consuming to do it\nthis way, but your kids will enjoy it more, and you can spend more time\nreminiscing over the most interesting finds at each visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a Surprise Drop-Off<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Moving
Free image via Pexels<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If all else fails, you may just want to be a little sneaky about\nhow to get your grown kids to move their stuff out. In fact, you might decide\nthat you just don\u2019t want to wait on them any longer. In this case, it\u2019s time\nfor a surprise visit to your grown kid\u2019s home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you\u2019ll need to do first is box up all of their excess personal\nand childhood belongings. If the situation has gotten a little out of control,\nyou may even need to rent a moving van (or borrow one for free from your local\nCubeSmart). Load up everything your child has left behind and set out for their\nhouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If possible, it\u2019s best to arrive when they are not home. This\nworks well if your kid has given you a key to their home or the access code for\ntheir garage. Then, you can leave everything inside with a nice note telling\nthem you thought they\u2019d like to have all their stuff back. This \u201ctake no\nprisoners\u201d home cleaning strategy can still work if your grown kid is at their\nhouse, though. Just let them know (gently) that the era of using the house as a\nstorage unit has come and gone so you wanted to bring their belongings to them.\nWhile you may be a bit annoyed at having to take things this far, you\u2019ll\nfinally be free of all the items your grown kid wants to keep \u2013 just not\nnecessarily at their<\/em> house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it\ncomes to adult kids using your house for storage, there\u2019s only so much you can\ntake \u2014 and that\u2019s OK! When you\u2019re ready to begin decluttering a home without\nkids\u2019 storage, give them a chance to take the initiative, but don\u2019t be afraid\nto put your foot down if they procrastinate. It\u2019s your home, after all, and if\nthey no longer live there, there\u2019s absolutely no reason you should have to\nstore their childhood items for as long as they like. We wish you the best of\nluck in your endeavor, and are always here to offer solutions and advice!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Be honest: Are your grown kids using your house as a storage unit? Are you ready to declutter your home of all their extra stuff? If the answers are \u201cYes\u201d and \u201cHeck yeah!\u201d then keep reading for our best advice on how to clean a home of childhood belongings \u2013 especially those that belong to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":23594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,639],"tags":[1943],"class_list":["post-18416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-organization","category-your-space","tag-home-cleaning"],"yoast_head":"\r\nDecluttering a Home Without Kids' Clutter | The Storage Space<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you ready to declutter your home but your grown-up kids aren't? 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