Best Self Storage
It sounds easy putting your belongings into storage. Hire the right sized container, pack everything up, put in in a lorry/car, put it into the storage – done. But like everything else in life you can get the best from your self storage if you have a plan and think about how you’re going to use the space.
Boxes
The first thing to think about when you’re packing things into boxes is getting the right sized box. If all of the items you’re storing are a similar weight you will probably be better off picking one size of box, this way your boxes will stack easily. If you have a variety of items you will need to think more carefully when buying boxes.
You don’t want to make a box too heavy to lift, more lighter boxes are quicker to load and unload, and your back will thank you later. This might mean you’re better off with some smaller boxes and some larger. Try to pack items so they can be handled easily, even if you have help when loading into your storage unit you don’t know what will happen when you come to collect your belongings.
Label to keep track
When you’re packing into boxes have a system to keep track of your items. This could be a list of what’s in each box, with the boxes numbered or just a label on the box with which room it came from or the items inside it. It could even be a photo of the the inside of the box printed out and stuck to the outside of the box. Whatever works for you – it will save a lot of time to have a system, so if you need a specific item later on you will be able to find it without emptying everything out.
Labels on the outside of boxes should also say if the contents are fragile, and can have arrows with this way up. If your contents are fragile use bubble wrap or tissue paper to protect the contents. You can also label boxes that will be ok to have others stacked on them, and boxes that might crush if they have weight put on them. These might not be fragile – a box full of cushions will still get crushed if they have too much weight put on top. Once you have sorted a system for boxing everything you need to think about how to load items into your storage unit.
Larger Furniture
If you have larger items to store like sofas, beds or other items of furniture these should also be protected. You can use mattress protectors and cheap sofa covers to protect these items from any dust or dirt. If you have other furniture items they can be wrapped in old sheets. Our storage facility is a clean place, but if things are being stored long term it makes sense to protect them from dirt or mould.
Items such as fridges, freezers and washing machines should be thoroughly dried out before storing. Unplug and disconnect them, clean and leave standing for several days before your move. The less damp you bring into your unit the better your belongings will store. If you’ve taken flat pack furniture apart it’s a good idea to put all of the nuts and bolts into an envelope which you can attach to the item of furniture. Electronic items will store more safely if you remove the batteries before you put them into suitable bags or boxes.
Use all of the space
When filling your storage unit it makes sense to use as much of the vertical space as possible. First add large items that can be tipped on their end to make use of the height of the unit, these should be stored close to the walls on their ends. You then add smaller items of furniture and all of your boxes, stacked carefully so they will not crush. You put boxes on top of the smaller items of furniture so that the stacks of boxes don’t get too tall. It’s a good idea to have walkways through your stacked items, just in case you need something at the back of the room. With this in mind if there’s anything you are likely to need try to stack these boxes at the front – for example Christmas decorations. You can always label these boxes ‘pack last’ so you know they will need to be accessible.
We hope that these ideas will help you when storing your belongings, to get the best from your self storage. If you’re unsure what size storage unit you’ll need why not check out our storage size guide, or ask us for help.