Is your spare room or garage full of unused items, special collections, or projects you’ll get around to ‘one day’? If your extra space is being wasted on stuff, you might want to consider how much money you could save by downsizing to a smaller property and renting a self-storage unit for your excess belongings.
In the first instalment of our Storage Space vs. Living Space series, we take a look at Perth to compare the average cost of renting a house with a spare room against the average cost of renting a smaller home and a storage unit. Let’s see how much you could be saving.
Please note: Figures are based on calculated rent averages from realestate.com.au and National Storage unit prices. Your savings would naturally vary depending on many factors including the style, age and street of your respective properties.
Inner Suburbs
By downsizing in the inner suburbs of Perth, you could save yourself around $574 each month. With that extra cash you could afford:
- A fancy restaurant dinner every weekend
- 4 regular coffees every day
- 5 tickets to the AFL Grand Final
- Or even a weeklong Christmas holiday in Austria (if you save it up for 6 months or so).
Now those are some great incentives to swap your unused garage or spare room for a smaller home.
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embleton | $1780 | $1234 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $546 |
| Malaga | $1705 | $1176 (1.2 x 3m unit) | $529 |
| O'Connor | $1680 | $1089 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $591 |
| Osborne Park | $1885 | $1151 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $734 |
| Welshpool | $1685 | $1215 (1.5 x 3m unit) | $470 |
Northern Suburbs
By making the move to a smaller home in the northern suburbs of Perth, you could save yourself around $509 every month. That extra pocket money could buy you:
- A lunch meal every day
- A round of 12 beers for your mates every Friday afternoon
- A ticket to the ballet every weekend
- Or even 2 return flights to London (if you save it for 4 months).
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | $1620 | $1116 (1.2 x 1.5m unit) | $504 |
| Guildford | $1685 | $1211 (1.5 x 1.8m unit) | $474 |
| Wangara | $1670 | $1119 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $551 |
Southern Suburbs
By swapping your larger home for a smaller home and storage unit in the southern suburbs of Perth, you could save around $461 each month. With that in your bank account, you could buy yourself:
- A family pass to the zoo each weekend (and snacks while you’re there!)
- A significant shopping spree every month
- Or even a weeklong holiday in Thailand (if you save for 5 months).
| Suburb | 3-bedroom house per month | 2-bedroom apartment & storage unit per month | Potential savings per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canning Vale | $1640 | $1229 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $411 |
| Cockburn | $1720 | $1267 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $453 |
| Forrestdale | $1580 | $1081 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $499 |
| Mandurah | $1480 | $996 (1.5 x 1.5m unit) | $484 |
If you need some extra space for your excess stuff, don’t waste your money on a large home with a spare room or garage dedicated to your belongings. Downsize to a smaller house, rent a National Storage self-storage unit and start saving today.
