The end of a romantic relationship is a one-two punch: the slap of emotions followed by a sting of logistics. The feelings will come and go, at which point you’ll notice that other things have stuck around. Like, say, a few of your ex’s cozy sweaters, or worse, a shared sofa. That kind of baggage requires a game plan. You may be tempted to keep things as they are, or wade into the emotional obstacle course that is having your ex pick stuff up. You might even consider throwing everything out a window. But MakeSpace, an on-demand storage company, and Mschf, a creative agency, are offering up another solution in ExBox, a new service that launched today. Amory Wooden, the company's vice president of brand, explains how it works: “You just tell us whatever items remind you of your ex, and then give us your number so one of our organizational experts can call to schedule an appointment. We’ll drop off free packing bins, pick up your ex’s things, and take them safely into storage.”
If you're thinking, “Hm, how did MakeSpace just become part of my support system?” we definitely hear that. The idea came about when they noticed a pattern in their NYC, L.A., Chicago, and Washington D.C. markets over the years: “We realized that the stuff people surround themselves with is emotionally charged, and what you end up keeping in your space can really change how you feel,” says Amory. “So as we considered this in regard to this time of year, the end of summer flings and the start of the so-called ‘cuffing season,’ we came up with ExBox as a reason for people to get out of their ruts and move on from the past.” It helps that the service, which takes the form of an online quiz, is extremely cute and enjoyable to click through.
ExBox poses its services with some much-needed humor. During the quiz you'll share how bad your ex was on a scale from 1 to 10, get discounts based on the level of drama in your breakup, and then rid your home of those things for a minimum of three months. You can ask to have anything delivered back to you at any time, and if you feel like checking in, you can look at what you’ve securely packed away through photos on the company’s app. [Editor's Note: We do not advise regularly checking in on your Ex's stored belongings.] It's also possible to donate things to Goodwill when you first make an appointment—ahh, the relief!—or to store things indefinitely based on an ongoing monthly plan. And while the company won’t throw stored stuff away on a customer’s behalf, ExBox may give you the emotional space you need to someday do it yourself.
Amory jokes that ExBox’s flexibility caters to breakups and makeups, but also every stage in between. Are you the type of person who doesn’t mind a daily reminder of a former flame, or would you prefer to toss every memento immediately into the trash? It's easy to laugh at the playful interface, but ExBox could actually be the happy medium between holding on and letting go. When you’re just out of a relationship, that compromise could be exactly what you need to start moving forward. Plus, your apartment will thank you. “Nothing calls for a redesign more than the end of a relationship,” says Amory.
