Self-storage is an art and a science. Doing this properly and with some caution will ensure that your stack of boxes won’t fall down and possibly hurt you or damage your other items. This will also help you know where you put each item so that it is not difficult to find and reclaim later. That way, you don’t have to open each box to find just one item. More importantly, packing and organizing your things will make them last longer—because they won’t get obstructed with dust.
Self-storage whether short or long term, helps you free up some space in your home. Although it is a bit challenging to pack the storage unit, you have to do it properly. This will enable you to make enough room to keep everything secure. However, you need to take extra steps to keep your unit organized and assets safe.
If you’re ready to start using a storage unit to keep your life and home organized and safe, check out Self-Storage and Storage Solutions Melbourne, which offers storage unit answers, including, or keep your belongings safe during a move.
Below are self-storage tips to help you handle your storage like an expert:
Label Everything
While this tip may not technically save any space in your storage unit, it will make your life a lot easier when you need to get something out of storage. Labelling each box and bin inside your unit makes it quick and easy to find what you’re looking for.
If you move and store your belongings while you wait to move to your next home, it will make it much easier to find the things you need as long as you can unpack and move the storage in your new location. don’t do If you don’t label your boxes, your only other option would be to leave the items you need out in the open, which will waste a lot of space, or dig through every box to find the one you need.
Take Apart Furniture
A queen-size bed takes up a lot of space in the storage unit, but if you detach the bed, you can stack the pieces on top of one of the walls and free up a lot of extra space. Look at the furniture that goes into the unit and which pieces break apart to save storage space. Make sure any screws, nails, or finishes you need to reassemble the furniture are in a ziplock bag. Tape the bag into one of the furniture pieces to allow for easy assemble when it comes time to remove the furniture from storage.
Deconstructing your furniture can help with this. If you can, separate your furniture as much as possible, so you can pack items flat to make the most of your space.
Pack Well
It’s enough to figure out how to pack your things, especially when a moving container is involved. Being organized will allow you to easily access your items whenever you need them. The things you’ll need most should be stored on the front of the unit. The rest you can save behind because you won’t need them anytime soon. So you can store heavy items close to the ground. Also, create a pathway from the front to the back of the unit to allow easy access. Storage units usually contain some valuables that need to be kept away from suspicious people. Storage facilities may have cameras, although they don’t completely prevent some from happening. Hence, a strong lock ensures that everything is secure in there.
Keep The Items You Need Most Often at the Front
Chances are, there are some items you plan to use more often than others. Other items you need more often include seasonal clothing such as heavy coats, shoes, hats, flip flops, and swimsuits. While you won’t need these items every day, you will make a trip to the storage unit to retrieve them at least once a year. These types of items should be stored in well-labelled boxes or bins in front of your storage unit. Keeping them in an easy-to-access spot near the door will save you the hassle of digging through mountains of boxes every time you go to the storage unit.
Make Sure Everything Is Dry
This is an important self-storage tip if you’re planning on storing tools. For example, both the dishwasher and the refrigerator can hold water inside. You’ll want to make sure you remove your dishwasher and defrost your refrigerator before you store it. If you don’t, that water could leak out and get your other stuff wet. Water can also evaporate and accumulate in moisture which causes mildew.
The Foot Note
Always be smart when it comes to storage, the one essential thing you want to do is take everything out of your storage unit and dig through boxes looking for something, especially if the weather is bad or times are inconvenient. To make sure your storage unit is organized, a little planning ahead can save you headaches later.