If you’re one of the millions of Americans who spend their leisure time participating in hobbies, you likely know that they tend to take up a large footprint within your home. All of those components, parts, and pieces that are necessary to partake in your favorite pastime can also be major space invaders when you’re not partaking in your favorite pastime. The answer? Mini storage.
At CubeSmart, we consider storage lockers or “mini storage” to be an ideal storage solution. These units are typically 80 cubic feet (4’ x 4’ x 5’) and closely resemble a closet but are only about half as high. Personal mini storage is the perfect option for hobbyists who want easy access to their supplies without the burden of keeping them at home.
Pastimes That Take Up the Most Room
While some hobbies, like hiking or swimming, don’t take up much room in your home, we can’t say the same for others. Below, you’ll find 7 hobbies that definitely need mini storage, but trust us: it’s not just limited to the ones listed. Once you find that your hobby – no matter what it is – is overwhelming your space, it’s time to improve your living arrangements by packing up and moving it to a secure, climate-controlled personal mini storage unit.
Keep reading for the top 7 hobbies that need mini storage:
1. Cooking & Baking
While making food is the most popular hobby among retirees in the U.S., it’s no slouch among other demographics either. With the rise of Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, it seems everyone is channeling their inner Betty Crocker and churning out meals, cakes, cookies, and breads to rival anything you might find in a restaurant or bakery. And the pandemic just upped the interest. Sourdough starter anyone?
If you’re a home cook, you might be overwhelmed with the tools and supplies that are absolutely critical to make a specific dish – and then sit unused until it’s time to make that dish again. Candy thermometers, stock pots, springform pans, breadmakers, potato ricers: we’re looking at you. Do yourself a favor – and streamline your kitchen – by packing up anything that is “single-use only” and depositing it in mini storage. Like ingredients, you can pick it up when needed – and put an end to kitchen clutter in the meantime.
2. Spinning Records
DJing is not one of those hobbies that people think takes up a lot of space – until they start to DJ. Think about all that DJing requires turntables, mixers, speakers, cords, microphones, and…records. Did we mention records? As we covered in our recent piece on how to store and sell antiques and collectibles, records require climate-controlled storage as they can warp and be ruined at 140 degrees F. And DJs have a lot of records.
Both home and professional DJs oftentimes need a spot for their equipment and records in between gigs or parties. Search for “mini storage near me” to find the closest of our 1300 CubeSmart locations, and call or visit to ask about available mini storage options. If you find you need a larger space, you can always scale up to a 5’x5’ or 5’x10’ unit.
3. Making Artisanal Goods & Crafts
The popularity of “craftcore” has inspired countless makers and artists to pursue their crafts more seriously – or at least more frequently. If you’re a hobbyist painter, jewelry maker, quilter, knitter, or any of the above, you may have already realized how much room these hobbies can demand – and be looking around for a solution. If you decide to use mini storage to keep some of the items out of your home, be sure to pack anything fragile or liquid extremely carefully so that nothing is damaged or broken during the move.
4. Fishing
Fishing tackle and gear can quickly overwhelm a small space. Tackle and gear is also (generally) used only in warm weather months, so they are the perfect items to store. While mini storage might work for the smaller items, you’ll want to make sure any unit you choose has enough clearance for your rods. If you do decide to store your rods at home, check out this article for cool and unique ways to do it. And remember, always clean and dry your equipment before storage. You’ll thank yourself when you pull it out in the spring.
5. Collecting
Many people look for a “small storage unit near me” when they decide to store their collectibles until they appreciate in value. While that’s definitely a great place to start, you’ll want to make sure that any unit you choose offers climate-controlled storage. Humidity, heat, sunlight, and cold temperatures can all wreak havoc on delicate collectibles, drastically diminishing their value and ruining any hopes you might have had for profitable resale.
While the size of storage unit you’ll need depends greatly on what you’ll be storing, one piece of advice remains applicable to all collections: organize them to the best of your ability before you store them. Consult other hobbyists or do your own research about how to best sort and store your valued items and invest the time and energy to do it right. (If you collect sports cards, you’re in luck because we recently published the definitive guide to organizing baseball cards.)
6. Restoring Furniture
Nearly everyone who’s interested in furniture restoration has a backlog of pieces just waiting to be worked on. While mini storage is not going to be the answer for large furniture pieces, you can easily store your woodworking and refinishing tools in a smaller sized unit. The items themselves will likely need a larger size, although you’ll want to make sure it’s climate controlled. Too much or too little humidity can do a number on wood.
7. Taking and Developing Photos
Photography is one of those hobbies that seems like it won’t eat up much room . . . until you start. Pros and amateurs alike know how quickly printed photos (not to mention film, cameras, tripods, lighting, refractors, and more) start to take over living quarters. The solution? You guessed it: personal mini storage. Ideally, you’ll want your storage unit within a few miles of your home so that you can quickly pick up your equipment on the way to shoot – and drop it off when you’re done. One note: you cannot store hazardous, combustible, or toxic chemicals in a self-storage unit, so you’ll need to find an alternative for any developing fluids you might have.
Hobbies are a great way to improve mental health and overall wellbeing. They can also result in a lot of extra items in your household that are only used occasionally. Take our advice and opt for mini storage (or larger, depending on your needs). You’ll always know exactly where your items are, and have easy access to them when you want to partake in your hobby. What could be better than that?
