[Candice81]

We have tons of boxes of stuff that belonged to my husband's dad. I call it "stuff" because it's nothing I would display or call an heirloom - old tools, clothes, art books, etc. We can't get rid of it because my father-in-law died when my husband was nine years old, so it's a very big deal to him to have these things, but I have no idea where to put it all. We don't have an attic or a basement and my closets are overflowing. Do you have special family items that you store away? Where do you put it?

[KatyDid]

I had a boyfriend whose mother was the kind to keep everything. She also made her sons hold things for her. I am the opposite. I don't like to own a lot of things. It drove me crazy that we had a box of old clothes and old silverware that were sealed and never opened the entire 5 years we dated.

[LexieLane]

Well I guess that could be touchy since it was his dads and he doesn't want to get rid of any of it. You might ask if he can go through it to see if there is something he could part with now since it has been so long. If not, then I think I would tell him he needs to find a place to store it since you are out of room!

[Ava]

I have a storage unit that I keep the over flow in. My husband has loads of his dads things, and we just do not have room for it all. I could never ask my husband to go through it, to get rid of it.

[Sweetpotato]

This is a tough situation. If you can convince your husband to do it, I've seen on TV where they've taken boxes and boxes of "sentimental" stuff and turned it into one or two items that the person can really cherish. For example, If the person had a bunch of magazines, then they might take one or two of the really interesting magazine covers and frame them or if the person had a lot of clothes, they'd make a quilt out of all the old clothes. Just something to think about.

Good luck to you.

[wreckedmess]

If you have enough of the stuff you can get a smaller out building that is water proof. I have seen a few go for pretty cheap but depending on what type of weather you have in your area you might need a heavy duty one.

[ash]

Is the "stuff" worth renting out a small storage unit or maybe one that would fit in your yard if you have space for it? If there is no room in the house you do not have that many options unless maybe it could be stored with another relative?

[Bella87]

It is a tough situation. I think that if you decide to get a storage locker then remember that you are basically paying just to own things. I guess I am just more of a fan of condensing than storing.

[ash]

What if you can trim down the storage space needs in order to make it easier to store in your home? I know that clothes can be vacuum sealed but I am not sure of the other stuff.