Are you moving to a new house? Many Americans find a new home during any given year and embark on the complicated job of moving their home base. And most of them will at some point consider holding a yard sale to get rid of unwanted items before their move.

However, a yard sale isn't always the right solution. There are times when renting a storage unit might be a better call. What might some of these situations be? Here are three that may affect you. 

1. When You're Rushed

Some people have plenty of time to plan, pack for, and execute a move. However, others end up moving within a very short time frame. Whether it's due to a job change, sudden health change, or landlord issues, you'll need to prioritize the most important tasks. Holding a yard sale may not be one of them. 

If you don't have time to get rid of what you plan to sell, get it out of the house by storing it while you focus on packing up what you want to keep. 

Moving long distance? Take the sale items to your new home and hold your yard sale after things quiet down. Moving locally? You can store the stuff as long as needed and possibly even hold the yard sale from the unit. That means you can return and handle this task even long after you vacated your house. 

2. When You Don't Know the Home

How familiar are you with the size and layout of your new house or apartment? When you aren't completely sure of the dimensions and what will fit where, you may not want to sell a lot of belongings to others yet. You might sell the wrong furnishings, downsize more than you need to, or even fail to get rid of enough items. Sometimes, it's best to wait until you really know what you're dealing with. 

3. When It's a Bigger Project

Some yard sales are fairly easy to do in one day or one weekend — simply by putting clothes and baby gear on the lawn for a while. 

However, other sales need more work and time. You may be able to get a better price by listing large items online or holding things until the right season. Maybe you can't get a donation truck to pick up leftover goods until later. Or perhaps you need to hold the sale over more days. 

Whatever the reason, holding a complicated sale of goods at home while packing up that home could make things chaotic and stressful. Consider using a storage unit as an off-site base and handling things at your own pace.  

Where to Start

Ready to start solving your downsizing challenges with the help of a self-storage unit? Start today by touring residential storage facilities in your area.