Traveling carries with it a handful of concerns, and chief among them is where to store your stuff. If you have a house, then long-term storage is less of an issue. However, if you’re one of those who rent, you may have to find more creative ways of stashing your stuff. Here are a few ideas for places you can put your things while on a long trip abroad.

Storage Pods

Storage pods are a useful solution that can cater to many travelers. Storage pod rental varies by location and company. It may be in your best interest to shop around until you find a rental solution that suits your pocket and the amount of stuff you have to stash.

Give It To Someone Who Needs It

Many people are adopting the KonMari tidying method, as Good Housekeeping calls it. With a minimalist focus, you might be able to get rid of most of the stuff you’re carrying around with you. The result is that you have less to store.

Borrow Some Space at a Relative’s House

If your parents or some other close relative has a house, you might impose on them to store your stuff for a little while. Depending on how close you are with the relative and their disposition towards you, the amount you can save with them may still be limited. There’s also the issue of getting your stuff back when you return from your travels.

Garage Rental

If you’re pretty tight with your neighbors, you can probably pitch them to rent their garage to you for long-term storage. While it’s not a perfect solution, you’re still paying money, but much less than a professional storage solution. The only issue is that there’s no insurance guarantee in case your items need to be replaced. If a disaster happens, you’re on your own, but if you prefer to leave your belongings at home then just make sure to get a garage door repair so you know it is working like it’s brand new.

Another solution you can consider is renting self storage units. There are storage facilities that offer short-term storage services which could be ideal for the duration of your trip.

Retrieving Your Stuff

The problem with all long-term storage solutions is that you’d like to get your stuff back when you return. Storage pods usually have insurance, so they’re the safest bet. You can’t ever get back things you gave away. Whether your relatives give you back your stuff when you come back might be just as questionable. Ideally, your best solution is to pay for storage. Unfortunately, if you can’t, you’ll be left at the mercy of free options, which might turn out more costly in the long term.