In a troubled economy, it can be hard to keep up with your bills. If you’re experiencing financial hardship, finding a way to cut down your monthly expenses becomes vitally important.
One cost that may quickly get away from you is the expense of monthly storage unit rentals, and foreclosure on a storage unit can be very stressful.
When you fall behind on your payments, the storage facility has the right to auction off your items to satisfy the lien. If your unit sells for more than the amount you owe, you should be entitled to the overage, but this doesn’t always happen.
Going into foreclosure can leave a bad mark on your credit, and you run the risk of losing items that were meaningful to you.
Rather than facing these risks, it might be a good idea to sell the contents of your storage unit on your own. This allows you to sort through your items and remove anything sensitive or valuable that you can’t bear parting with. It also gives you a chance to sell off the items for a profit.
Our OnlineStorageAuctions.com service is completely free, and anyone can put their storage unit up for auction through our system. Just provide us with a description of the items inside and a photograph. We’ll do the rest by posting it online alongside other storage unit auction listings.
Eager buyers from throughout the area will bid on your items. They may be looking to re-sell them themselves, stock a thrift store with them or simply keep them for their own homes.
Items that may be of little use to you could be worth a substantial amount to someone else, and selling your storage unit before you go into default is the best way to avoid foreclosure.
Please leave your creative comments in the box below.
michelle lanthier
September 29, 2013 at 5:57 PM
We do not have a storage unit set-up yet. My mother has a bit of a hording problem and we would like to get valuables into a storage unit and sell it. How can we be guaranteed that we will not be low-balled?
admin
September 29, 2013 at 8:44 PM
Great question Michelle. Our system allows you to enter a starting price &/or a reserve price. You can set these prices at any amount, thus ensuring that the unit will not sell for less than you want.
Dara
March 13, 2014 at 12:27 PM
I have a storage unit that is loaded with custom furniture ive been thinking about getting rid of but don’t want the hassle of selling it off piece by piece. Is this something you do?
T.C. Lane
March 13, 2014 at 12:58 PM
Dara,
Yes, anyone can use OnlineStorageAuctions.com to sell their storage unit. Best of all, it’s completely free!
jenny palmer
June 27, 2014 at 10:40 AM
I have two storage units in blackburn for sale size 65sqft and one 75sqft i am hoping to sell them for 19 grand for the two but open to offers of 17.500 hoping for a quick sale thanks
Chuck G.
June 27, 2014 at 10:46 AM
Jenny: You can post the storage units on our site if they are for sale in the USA or Canada.
Lisa
April 8, 2014 at 4:30 PM
we have several storage unit with QVC boxes-unopened and need to sell it all-fast. Does anyone pickup the goods and how can we be sure to get a minimum of several thousand dollars?
T.C. Lane
April 8, 2014 at 7:35 PM
Lisa, you can set a reserve or a minimum opening bid to ensure the units don’t sell for less than you want. And yes, the buyer is responsible for pick-up.
shahida
June 10, 2014 at 10:44 PM
They may be looking to re-sell them themselves, stock a thrift store with them or simply keep them for their own homes.
Di Taylor
June 12, 2014 at 12:40 PM
I inherited a storage unit that is filled to the brim. I am not sure what all is in it (household items, etc.), but it is costing me about a $150 a month. I do not have the time to go through everything. What do you suggest?
T.C. Lane
June 12, 2014 at 12:52 PM
Di, I suggest that you take photos of the unit and list it for sale on OnlineStorageAuctions.com. It’s completely free. We don’t charge buyer or seller fees.
Erika
July 14, 2014 at 6:29 AM
I have two storages in Fullerton California I no longer live down there I would like to sell there’s lots of everything from antiques, collectibles, a little of everything. I would like to sell it as fast as I can.what do you suggest.
Chuck G.
July 16, 2014 at 8:17 AM
Erika: You can take a photo of your units and place them on our site free of charge. See what happens.
John Jackson
July 15, 2014 at 7:32 PM
So I set the total price/reserve for the items in my storage unit that I want to sell and you auction on line no charge to me? Should I take pictures of everything I want to sell? How do I start?
Chuck G.
July 16, 2014 at 8:15 AM
John: Take a few good quality photos and then load them up. Just click the “Post an Auction” button above and the site will walk you through the rest.
Mario Delgado
August 30, 2014 at 1:50 PM
I have a 10×12 storage unit in miami a no longer live there i have thousands of dollars in tools and so forth i will like to sell it right away .
T.C. Lane
August 30, 2014 at 2:04 PM
That’s great Mario. You came to the right place. Just take photos of the contents of your storage unit and post an ad on OnlineStorageAuctions.com. Storage unit buyers love tools and you’re unit should sell for top dollar!
Janette Nicholson
October 14, 2014 at 10:10 AM
I have a storage unit in Atlanta and am deciding whether to take it to a consignment shop or use an on line service like yours. How do you make money if there are no fees to list ?
T.C. Lane
October 14, 2014 at 10:32 AM
Janette, OSA is funded through advertisements and the generous support of our members. There are no fees to buy or sell; however, if you would like to give back, you can do so by visiting the “support our site” link in your user dashboard.
Gini Hand
December 16, 2014 at 2:02 PM
I have a lot of really top of the line office equipment- executive desk, chairs, horizontal cherry (matches desk), desk topper, 6 office chairs, horizontal media console, antique desk valued over $5000 (needs refinishing), chest of drawers, and nightstand (not in great condition), fax machine with copier, container store shelving, vaccination refrigerator (valued at over $1000 including shipping), misc medical equipment, coffee table and end table, misc wall hangings, etc. The total value is over $10,000 and I am willing to sell for $3000. Is this something you can help me with or send me in the right direction. I am paying for a storage unit that I just do not need.
The Public Storage Unit as only granted me several hours to sell the contents. My husband does not want me to use Craigslist due to the many things that could go wrong with a woman making multiple trips to meet strangers to show times. I am in the process of taking photos of all the contents and will have them ready tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Gini
T.C. Lane
December 16, 2014 at 3:38 PM
Gini, yes we can help. Simply take photos of the merchandise inside of your storage unit, then click the “Post an Auction” button located in Online Storage Auction’s navigation menu. Fill out the form, upload your images and then your listing will be live on our website. Buyers in your area will place their bids and you’ll be notified when the auction ends. You can then contact the highest bidder through our anonymous internal messaging system to make payment arrangements. There are no fees to buy or sell on Online Storage Auctions, so whatever amount the buyer pays you is yours to keep.
Joshua
February 4, 2015 at 6:01 PM
If I were to auction off my storage unit, but had personal items that I wanted to keep (old mail, old nonfunctioning laptop, children’s arts/crafts, family photos) AND could NOT actually get to and not 100% sure all that I wanted (mostly children’s stuf/family photosf) what could be done concerning this auction caveat? Thanks.
T.C. Lane
February 4, 2015 at 6:39 PM
Joshua,
Just let buyers know that you’ll be keeping personal documents and sentimental items in your auction’s description. Most buyers would be more than happy to give things like that back to you anyway.
Joshua
February 4, 2015 at 7:04 PM
T.C. Lane….Thank you.
Robie Harris
February 19, 2015 at 2:26 PM
I have a storage unit that has antiques, crystal, vaces, totes of odds and ends silver things and jewlery. I want to sell the whole unit for $3000 the units content is worth much more. it is located in Madison TN
T.C. Lane
February 19, 2015 at 3:30 PM
Robie, go ahead and list it on the site. With smalls like that, try to take high quality photos of the items in groups.
Cherri
March 11, 2015 at 7:30 PM
I closed a bridal shop a few years ago and put the remaining inventory of dress, furniture and fixtures in storage in hopes of reopening. I am not in a position to reopen and want to sell off the Bridal Shop inventory is this something that I could auction off? Do you get a percentage of the sale? What exactly is the cost?
T.C. Lane
March 11, 2015 at 10:52 PM
Cherri,
You can auction off anything on the site, as long as it’s in storage. No, we don’t take a percentage. There are no fees whatsoever to buy or sell on OnlineStorageAuctions.com.
Michael
March 13, 2015 at 3:51 PM
1. I just signed up, but I’m being “provided” a password and not the
option of creating my own. I need to be able to personally change
periodically my password.
2. [Selling the *entire* unit] Can you show me on how to do that, steps,
procedures, etc., on OnlineStorageAuctions.com?
3. If I live in Michigan, the bidders would have to also live in my area so
he/she can give me the cash and pick up the entire unit’s items. Is this
correct? Has it ever happened that someone played along with the bidding
and then renegaded at the end?
Thanks
Michael
T.C. Lane
March 13, 2015 at 5:02 PM
Michael,
When you login, look in the upper right hand corner and you’ll see “Howdy + your username.” Click on that and then you can change your password in your profile.
Selling is easy. Just take photos of the contents from several angles, click on the “Post an Auction” button, then follow the steps. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask them on the forum.
Don’t worry, as of March 2015, our site gets over a half million page views a month. So, assuming you don’t set a ridiculously high reserve bid, your unit will sell.
From time to time, a buyer will back out, but in cases like that, you just contact the runner up bidder which is only $10 apart.
Cindy Page
May 27, 2015 at 9:37 PM
I have a large storage unit full of stuff that I need to sell. The unit is 10′ X 10′ or larger in an air-conditioned, climate controlled building.. It contains some typical household items, and some non-typical too. Much of it is from before 1960 and belonged to a friend who passed in 2004. I kept most things her adult children didn’t want, and the rest is mine. Much of it is circa 1930-1980. Some cool stuff in there. But I can’t afford to ship anything. I’m in Sacxramento, CA. I have no idea what price to set for these things. I don’t think my stuff would sell for the same as typical family storage. Old tools, analog communications equipment, old cartographer’s supplies, and unique things from the kitchen. Where would I go to find out what to ask for my things?
T.C. Lane
June 4, 2015 at 12:52 PM
Cindy, in your case, I recommend that you contact an auction house since antique & vintage items can fetch a premium. A storage unit auction might not be the best venue for antique & vintage items, unless you are willing to take the time to take inventory and photograph the more valuable items in the unit.
James
June 16, 2015 at 1:34 PM
I have recently moved and have removed most everything I plan to keep from my unit. After rummaging through many boxes there is a lot of trash and the entire unit is in disarray. There are still a few very valuable items in the unit. I contacted the office about auctioning the unit and was told I would have to sign over the unit to the company and I would receive nothing. How can I auction the unit with all of its contents without having to sort through everything, pay large landfill fees, sign it over for free, or drive there to take pictures?
michel
July 14, 2015 at 1:08 PM
Hello,
I have a 10×10 unit full of furniture used for only 5 days during an event in Miami and some electronics (thermal printers, wi-fi equipment, etc.). These are pretty much brand new and I would like to sell it. Unfortunately, I live abroad and cannot be present to open the storage unit (I have a picture that shows the unit full), and I would not be present to open it after the sale (I can authorize someone to do it). Is it still possible to sell my unit contents on your website anyway? How do I proceed? How long it usually takes to sell the contents?
thanks,
michel
T.C. Lane
July 15, 2015 at 2:04 AM
Michel,
Yes, as long as you can make arrangements with the storage facility manager and/or a friend or relative, you are welcome to list the items for sale on this site. When you’re ready to begin, just register with OnlineStorageAuctions.com, then go to the Post an Auction page. We recommend allowing your auction to run for 14-21 days, which allows us adequate marketing time and maximizes your auction’s exposure.
Erika
July 16, 2015 at 6:48 AM
I have a 10×15 unit full of furniture and appliances, but I live abroad and I’m planning go back in September. How long generally it takes to sell? Can I advertise it now? How much can I get? I have to take some personal belongs out of there yet.
T.C. Lane
July 16, 2015 at 11:31 AM
Erika, we recommend that you allow your auction to run for at least 10-14 days. This gives us adequate time to market the auction and for you to respond to any questions that buyers might have. This is just a minimum guideline, feel free to run your auction for as little or as long as you like.
We do advertise your auction through several other auction and classified sites. With this advertising and the massive amount of traffic OnlineStorageAuctions.com receives, you’re guaranteed maximum exposure. If you would like to do some advertising on your own, we recommend placing links to your auction on social media sites, Craigslist, local classifieds or even running an inexpensive ad in your local paper. Also, sites like Facebook usually have groups of local resellers. Joining a few groups to announce your auction can only increase your chances of getting top dollar for your merchandise.
There is no way to predict how much your unit will sell for, that all depends on what can be seen in the images, where you’re located, how full the unit is, etc. Like a fingerprint, every storage unit is different.
If there are items that you need to remove from the unit, just exclude them from the sale in your auction’s description. Most buyers will completely understand and as long as you’re up front about it, you shouldn’t have any issues.
Ann Hernandez
July 17, 2015 at 9:15 AM
What is the number to contact you?
Sunni King
July 23, 2015 at 4:35 PM
I have a storage unit 10×10 that has slot a lot of valuable pieces and some collectibles. Unfortunately unbeknownst to me, my leather sofa set has suffered some damage of mold on it. I have been quoted to clean it and it’ll be fine, but in your experience, do you think this would inhibit me from selling the unit as is?
Ron
December 28, 2015 at 3:03 PM
If i live 3000 miles away and want
to sell stuff in storage how does the buyer get access?
M..branch
July 7, 2017 at 8:12 AM
20 by 10 storage. Need to sale it in vagas
jeffrey weiss
July 29, 2017 at 7:31 PM
Have a storage unit to sell!!
Please contact me.
Thank you
Jeff
Fred Palmieri
August 13, 2017 at 5:17 PM
I have two large public storage units filled to the brim with the contents of a 3500 sqft pet store that was operated at the Meadow Mall In Las Vegas for ten years, including custom kennels, sales counter, fixtures and pet supplies. I estimate the value at over $30000 if purchased new as we spent over $200,000 building and furnishing that store. We have been paying the $500 monthly rent for three years since closing the store but can’t afford to keep paying the rent. Pet stores have become non viable in Las Vegas due to recent regulations so could not sell the store or contents. I gave photos of the store while in business and fixtures but pictures of the units are not very descriptive. What do you advise?
Kevin Exler
September 7, 2017 at 2:38 PM
I have a the contents of a town home in a 10 x 10 storage unit that I would like to sell. I want to auction the entire unit rather than sell piece by piece. If I can do this how do I get the money from the winning bidder and do I meet them at my facility and unlock it so they can move everything out?
Travis
September 13, 2017 at 12:45 PM
Yes, and the buyer would pay you in person.
Ashleigh Keeney
October 4, 2017 at 3:19 PM
Just for clarification; it can be done piece by piece, not all at once?
Lynn k jarvis sr
October 24, 2017 at 2:06 PM
Interested, have someone call me, I am not good at texting.
Lynn k jarvis sr
October 24, 2017 at 2:11 PM
Please message, have a storage unit I need to sell. (Lynn).so do it.
Dorys Delgado
December 3, 2017 at 9:48 AM
I have 2 storage units & im needing to sell the items or auction both units.
One storage has several brand new kitchens for a home which we had as models in our store along with desk & office furniture. The other storage unit has office furniture as well as lawn mowers.
Pat Wolf
February 5, 2018 at 9:48 AM
We have retired our small manufacturing company and have various sewing equipment stored in three units in Smithville, TX. The rent is starting to be a burden. What to do?
Sheena
April 12, 2018 at 1:48 PM
I have 3 units that contain my late-father’s contents of his home. I am planning to remove the sentimental items and leave things like very large furniture, file cabinets, etc. The unit is located in Mt. Pleasant TX, do you all provide these services to small towns as well?
Harry Temple
April 27, 2018 at 11:29 AM
I have equipment used for construction of elevators, such as extension ladder, 2000 pound chain fall, false car unit, 1000 pound 2 wheel dolly hydraulic lift, welders and much more.
David Rutledge
June 5, 2018 at 6:56 AM
I have a storage unit that has got tools paintings all kinds of nice stuff but I am in a desperate need of money and I need it as soon as possible within the next day or two you can even look at what I have I need to sell it and I need to get some money as fast as possible my phone number is 714-605-4069 and it is located in the city of Santa Ana California my name is David call me as soon as possible like I said I will let you even look at everything I got hand tools power tools paintings artwork I’m in desperate need please call
Mitchell York
August 23, 2018 at 7:42 PM
I have 2 30×15 units. Most items are household, furniture, garden tools, all in boxes. Someone who knows where/how to sell could make a killing. I don’t want to inbox or deal with it. How does your service work? Do bidders come and look first?
Thanks
Sage Dakota
September 6, 2018 at 3:14 PM
What if my storage unit is so crowded with stuff that the photo doesn’t show most of what’s in their? I have injuries, can’t move it, and can’t afford to hire someone to pull the stuff out to photograph it. Will a description of the big-ticket items and a basic photo or two be enough?
John Bell
September 16, 2018 at 5:35 PM
I have a large storage unit in Arlington Virginia filled with a large assortment of tools, some furniture, a few paintings, and music equipment.
Jameela Allen
December 13, 2018 at 5:17 AM
I have a storage unit full of daycare center furniture and supplies. I want to auction off the entire until as soon as possible. The unit is located in lanham Md-
Please email me ASAP!
DAN
July 9, 2019 at 12:40 PM
I HAVE A STORAGE UNIT IN SACRAMENTO CA. HOW DOES YOUR SITE WORK?
T.C. Lane
December 4, 2019 at 1:34 PM
Dan, , you can now place an online auction or classified ad on OnlineStorageAuctions.com for just $4.99. Just go to the bottom of the home page and select the single ad package.