Is your home overflowing with ‘stuff’? If your garage or spare room is jam-packed with excess belongings, the wasted space could be costing you more than you might think. Downsizing to a smaller residence and renting a storage unit will not only clear up space in your home – it could actually save you money, too.
Here we take a look at Brisbane to compare the average price of renting a 3-bedroom house with the average cost of renting a 2-bedroom apartment and a storage unit in several suburbs. Check out how much you could be saving by trading in your larger home.
Please note: Prices are based on calculated averages on realestate.com.au and National Storage costs. Your savings would naturally vary depending on many factors including the style, age and street of your respective properties.
Inner Suburbs
By opting for a smaller home and a self-storage unit in the inner suburbs of Brisbane, you could save yourself around $551 every month. That could afford you:
- A night in a 5-star hotel in the city
- Dinner for 2 in a fancy restaurant every weekend
- An after-work cocktail every day.
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane City | $2720 | $2362 (1.9 x 2m unit) | $358 |
| Fortitude Valley | $2680 | $1935 (2 x 2.1m unit) | $745 |
Northern Suburbs
Making the change to a smaller home and a storage unit in the northern suburbs of Brisbane could have you pocketing around $415 per month. That extra cash could get you:
- 2 front-row tickets to the ballet at QPAC
- Returns flights to London (if you save for 2 months)
- A family pass to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary every weekend.
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspley | $1800 | $1635 (1.2 x 2.5m unit) | $165 |
| Kedron | $1980 | $1727 (1.5 x 2m unit) | $253 |
| Virginia | $2528 | $1700 (1.5 x 2.5m unit) | $828 |
Eastern Suburbs
Downsizing to a smaller home and a storage unit in the southern suburbs of Brisbane could have you saving around $718 every month. These savings could go towards:
- A weekend getaway for 2 on the coast
- 4 weeks in Europe (if you save for a year)
- A decent work lunch every day.
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon Hill | $2560 | $1696 (1.5 x 3m unit) | $864 |
| Coorparoo | $2300 | $1732 (1.5 x 2.5m unit) | $568 |
Southern Suburbs
By choosing a small home and a storage unit over a large home in the southern suburbs of Brisbane, you could save yourself around $275 every month. This extra cash could go towards:
- A big night out
- 2 large coffees every day
- A luxury pool table (if you save for 6 months).
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browns Plains | $1480 | $1320 (2 x 2m unit) | $160 |
| Capalaba | $1780 | $1447 (1.5 x 3.5m unit) | $333 |
| Macgregor | $2120 | $1565 (1.5 x 3m unit) | $555 |
| Mt Gravatt | $1840 | $1684 (2 x 2m unit) | $156 |
| Springwood | $1720 | $1549 (1.5 x 3m unit) | $171 |
Western Suburbs
Trading in your larger home for a smaller home and a storage unit in the western suburbs of Brisbane could leave you with an extra $236 every month. That extra pocket money could get you:
- A family pass to the Queensland Museum every weekend
- Return flights to Hamilton Island
- 2 tickets to the movies (and popcorn!) every week.
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indooroopilly | $2160 | $1859 (1.5 x 2.5m unit) | $301 |
| Oxley | $1760 | $1589 (1.5 x 3m unit) | $171 |
Don’t bleed money into a large home that’s filled with ‘stuff’ – put your excess items in a storage unit and save hundreds with a 2-bedroom apartment. Get ready to start saving with a National Storage self-storage unit today.
