One thing that a lot of people are clueless about before moving to New York City is that many of the apartments don’t have closets. In this city, those who have closets built into their bedroom walls for clothes are considered lucky, while closets in the hallway or bathroom devoted entirely to the storage of coats or linens are marks of extremely luxurious living situations. According to a recent study conducted by MakeSpace and Ask Your Target Market, however, New Yorkers aren't the only ones that are absolutely desperate for more storage space. Even those whose apartments come with closets are ready to go to great lengths for some extra room.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
MakeSpace, a full-service storage solution, surveyed 1,000 men and women across the country for the survey, and the results show that many Americans are willing to sacrifice a lot for more storage space as long as it means they don't have to give up their belonging — so much for the KonMari Method.
One of the most shocking findings in what MakeSpace dubbed "The State of Stuff In America," is that nearly 50% of those surveyed said they would give up sex for six months if it meant they could get more closet space. So if you've ever wondered what people value more, sex or money, this survey's results seem to show that it's the latter. Less than 20% of participants say they would take a pay cut for six months as a way to get more closet space.
Since there is no service that rewards people who abstain from sex or ask their bosses for less money with walk-in closets (that we're aware of, anyway), the Americans surveyed have come up with some pretty creative storage solutions. 15.4% of respondents say they use kitchen appliances like ovens and microwaves for storage. Even though it's a little unorthodox, this idea isn't super surprising to us, since even Carrie Bradshaw used her oven for storage. (And she had an amazing closet!)
A more quirky tactic that 15% of people admitted to employing is storing items in the trunks of their car. While that's one we've never heard before, a less shocking finding is that 59% of people said they use the space under their beds to store clothing and other items. This particular storage method worked for us in our college dorm rooms, so why not keep utilizing it? After all, we too live in tiny apartments, and understand the all-too-real struggle of having next to no closet space. Maybe we should also get a car.