Angelika Over the years, more and more stuff gradually and steadily accumulates in the household. In Germany, the attic or the basement is typically used for storing this clutter, provided one owns a house. However, in America, houses are generally built without basements or attics, and the double garage usually houses two cars. So, where does the clutter go?
Sorting out would be one option, but for those who don't want to part with their belongings, they can also store their items in a warehouse ("storage"). At every turn, you encounter these garage-like giant buildings where customers rent small or larger storage units.
These ugly concrete blocks are often found in more rural areas, but San Francisco is not lacking them either. Friends told us that a 4x4x4 foot (1.2x1.2x1.2m) storage unit there costs about $45 a month. Now, I can understand needing to store something temporarily because of renovations or a move, but for daily use, I find it a bit inconvenient. Who wants to always get in the car to retrieve something from storage? After a while, probably no one even remembers what was actually stored there.
A special service is offered by the company PODS They drop off a small lockable container in front of the house, and you have 30 days to pack your stuff into it. Once you're done, you call, and then a truck comes and takes the container to the storage center. If you want your stuff back, you call, and a truck will place the container back in front of your house. It's not exactly cheap, but for those who can't part with their unused items, sometimes there's no other choice. However, our principle is: Whatever would go into the storage center is either given away or thrown in the trash.