SF residents have new alternative for DIY calamities

At the start of the New Year, Netflix displayed impeccable timing when it released a new series, “Tidying up with Marie Kondo.” For those unfamiliar with the pint-size, global phenom, Marie Kondo is world-renown home organization consultant-turned-celebrity. As soon as Netflix released the series, it trended on Twitter for several days in San Francisco (#TUWMK).

The need to declutter has become, for some, a growing mantra. For most of us -- not so much. Americans’ relentless accumulation and consumption of goods are out of control. In 1965, personal consumption expenditures were 431.4 billion. By 2018, this figure has exploded to 14,189.1 billion -- a 33-fold increase.

While the noble goal of “getting organized” is a perennial top New Year’s resolution, the prospect of purging, selling, or storing valued possessions can be overwhelming! The logistics of organizing one's life means ultimately deciding what to keep, what to get rid of, and even what warrants saving, donating or trashing. Devising a DIY storage game plan can be intimidating once everything is factored in from wrapping, packing, renting a moving truck, hauling items into and out of a Uhaul, sourcing an acceptable public storage unit, schlepping your prized possessions through the dark, dank maze of a public storage facility, dealing with rigid self-storage facility policies, recurring rate hikes, hours of operation, etc.

Alas, there’s a new kid in town that just expanded its service and has come to the rescue of San Francisco residents called Livible. A white glove, on-demand storage service, Livible wants to simplify the self-storage experience, liberating home and business customers from the laborious hassle of handling the self-storage process on their own. Business and home customers can schedule a visit from Livible via their website, mobile app or phone. Livible’s team arrives to pack, track, move and safeguard customers’ valued possessions quickly, carefully and at far less the cost than traditional public storage alternatives. The company guarantees to always cost at least 15% less and also facilitates customers in selling or donating items that they no longer want. The on-demand storage company works with a handful of local charities and 100% of the sale proceeds or the donation slip goes directly to customers.

City-dwelling is driving living spaces smaller and smaller. San Francisco residents are numb from rising home rentals, but the price-gouging is even worse with self-storage facilities, as they are unregulated by rent control laws. San Francisco happens to be home to the most expensive rental rates for self-storage in the country. As part of Livible’s expansion into serving San Francisco, it’s offering an instant savings bonus for self-storage customers: residents who switch to Livible from a self-storage facility will lock-in a new monthly storage rate 15% less than their current bill and will lock-in that guaranteed rate for as long as they store with Livible.

So, why not get organized, donate some unused items to local charities, sell other unused valuables that were collecting cobwebs, save a lot of money in the process and #sparkjoy all at once.