Storage Unit Cleanout in DFW: Stop Paying for Space You Don't Use

Storage units across the DFW area are full of things people intended to come back for and never did. Furniture from a move three years ago. A parent's belongings after they passed. Boxes that were supposed to be temporary. If you're paying $100 to $300 a month for a unit you haven't opened in over a year, this is how to close it out for good.

What's actually in there matters first

Before calling anyone, spend an hour going through the unit yourself, or with family if it belonged to someone else. Pull out anything with personal or financial value: documents, jewelry, tools, antiques, electronics that still work. Set those aside. Once a junk crew loads the truck, items are gone. That's the point, but make sure you haven't missed anything you'd regret.

If the unit belonged to someone who passed away and you haven't seen the inside of it, take photos before moving anything. Document what's there.

What storage facilities require before you close

Most self-storage facilities in DFW) Public Storage, Extra Space, CubeSmart, Life Storage, require that the unit be completely empty and swept clean before you can terminate your contract and stop being charged. You typically also need to cut the lock and leave the door open so staff can inspect it.

Don't assume a half-empty unit is close enough. They'll send you a photo and keep billing you. The unit needs to be empty.

How to handle the contents

Sort what you find into four categories as you go through it:

• Keep) goes in your car or a rented van today.
• Sell or donate, furniture and household goods in decent condition. List on Marketplace or call a donation pickup service.
• Haul) everything that's worn out, broken, or not worth the effort to sell.
• Shred or destroy, old financial documents, medical records, anything with personal information.

When to call a junk crew for the unit

If the unit has furniture, appliances, or significant volume, anything beyond boxes you can carry yourself, a junk crew is the right call. We meet you at the facility, load the truck directly from the unit, and haul everything in one trip. Most storage unit cleanouts take an hour or two. You hand us the lock when we're done, tell the facility it's empty, and close the contract.

A standard 10x10 unit runs $200 to $350 to clear, depending on what's inside. A 10x20 with heavy furniture runs $300 to $500. We give you the price before we start.

The math on waiting

A 10x10 unit in the DFW area averages $120 to $180 per month. If you've had it for two years and never touched it, you've already spent $2,880 to $4,320 storing things that probably cost $300 to haul. The sooner you clear it, the better the math looks.