Due to the recent pandemic situation across the world, many of us are opting for household goods storage solutions to store our belongings safely. Storage and warehousing facilities are being used by people who have got work from home facility for next few months due to Covid-19 spread. If you are planning to relocate to your hometown, and you don’t want to continue paying monthly rent for your home, using storage and warehousing facility can be the best solution to store your goods safely for a few months.
Depending
on the availability and the monthly rental costs of the storage units, you may
opt for a self-storage or a warehousing facility before, during or after a move
to store household goods, furniture and appliances safely. Storage units are
commonly available these days to store all types of household goods and
belonging. And if one can organize storage units correctly, they can make the
most by renting out small storage units easily.
Storing
your household items in the self-storage unit will help save the monthly cost,
and ensure safety of your goods, as you can prevent dust, dirt and other
factors from damaging them.
However,
the whole purpose of renting a self-storage unit will not be served if you are
not arranging, organizing and storing it correctly. This is because half the
time you may find it difficult to track what you have kept inside which box.
You probably have to open each and every box just to find a single item. Also,
if you are keeping things haphazardly, you will not be able to make the most
out of the space available to you, and may require plenty of space, and that
could be expensive.
Moreover,
unless you store the goods properly, the stacks of boxes may fall over and
damage your belongings or even hurt you. So, you should pack, plan and organize
the storage unit correctly from the very beginning.
And,
if you are not very sure about where to start and how to get it right, then
continue reading. Today in this post, I am sharing a few of the most essential
tips that’ll help you to organize storage units like a pro.
Make list of inventory
If you are planning to store too
many items inside the storage unit, trust me, it will not be humanly possible
for you to remember each and every item that you have kept inside the unit
unless you open and check every box. You may remember the larger item like bed,
sofa etc. but after a few months, you, in high probability, will forget about
most of the small items that you have stored inside the unit.
So, to avoid such a situation, you
should create and maintain a list of all your belongings that you have stored
inside the storage unit. At the time of packing these items, note each and
every item in a spreadsheet. You may also take pictures of the stored items
simultaneously. However, do save all of the pictures and also the inventory
descriptions in a safe place and avoid misplacing them. It is also good if you
are able to create a map regarding where you have stored the items inside the
unit. Do not forget to update the list if you add items later inside the
storage unit as well.
Opt for clear bins instead of cardboard boxes
Well,
there is nothing wrong in using cardboard boxes for storing your items inside
the unit. In fact, they are cheaper than the plastic bins as well. But, the
reason why I am suggesting the plastic bins is because it is much easier to
keep a proper track of the items that you have stored inside. In other words,
if you used the clear bins instead of the opaque cardboard boxes, you will be
able to locate the item you are searching without having to dig through the
boxes.
Disassemble and store the furniture upright
If
you want to make use of most of the space available inside the storage unit,
then one of the best things to do is disassemble the large furniture and then
place them inside the storage unit. Ideally, you should remove bed frames,
headboards, table legs, mattresses etc. before storing. This will help you load
and unload things easily as well because the overall weight of the furniture
will become less.
However,
when you are storing the individual items, keep them vertically and at the end
of the storage unit. Of course, in the case of a mattress, you may lay them
flat, or keep it vertically. But, for the rest of the items, storing them in a
vertical position will make more floor space available which you can use to
store many other items.
Keep heavy and large items at the bottom
Well,
when you are storing items inside the storage unit, make sure that the larger
and the heavier boxes are placed at the bottom. This helps create a stable base
for the lighter objects. Also, it would be a great idea to place them towards
the back of the storage unit. Just be a little careful while placing the heavy
objects because if by any chance any light or fragile item comes underneath a
heavier object, the lighter one will get damaged.
Keep frequently used items at the front
If
you are keeping items in the storage unit that you frequently use or use more
than the other items, then it is advisable that you keep them at the front.
This way you can access them easily whenever you need them. This will save you
from digging through loads of boxes every time you go to the storage unit for
getting the items that you require frequently. Such items will usually include
the toys of your baby or the seasonal clothes, hats, flip flops etc.
Labeling the boxes is a smart idea
Labeling
the boxes definitely falls in the list of essential tips to organize storage
units like a pro. You may feel that you will remember everything you have
stored inside a box. But trust me, you will not, especially if you have kept
them inside for a long time without touching. So, please take some effort in
labeling each and every bin or box before storing them inside the storage unit.
You can either go for printed labels or use a permanent marker to label the
boxes.
One
more thing, try to keep the labeled part of the bins facing the front of the
unit. This is because it will help you see it easily upon entering.
Use storage shelves
Not
all storage units come with storage shelves. In fact, very few of them have it
and those that do usually are a little more expensive. If your storage room has
storage racks, then it is better as they will help keep the space organized.
Otherwise, you may consider putting in a couple of storage shelves of our own,
as the shelves are not that expensive. Also, you can go for second hand
shelves. So, place them in your storage unit and enjoy storing items in an
organized manner.
10 tips to consider when renting storage unit
Well, by now, you might have already understood how to organize storage units correctly. How about things to remember when renting a storage space or storage unit? Well, here are a few of the most essential things to consider when renting a storage unit.
If you are looking for a self storage unit, always look for the right, not too large or too small.
When you have rented a storage unit, you might have got it clean but if you think that it is not that clean then get the space cleaned up properly before storing your goods.
Be clean about what items you can and cannot store inside the storage unit you are renting to avoid any issue.
When you are packing the items to store, always use good quality packing supplies, containers and boxes.
Make sure you use packing tapes to seal the boxes because that will help in warding off dust.
In case of small electronics and cords, try to place them inside waterproof plastic bags.
Do pad up the breakables.
When you are preparing metal equipment or tools for storage, make sure you fully drain them off fuel. Rubbing down with some oil will prevent the occurrence of rust.
It is better to avoid a watery mess. For that, the refrigerators and freezers should be stored with the doors open. They should be defrosted and the washing machines should be drained out completely.
It will be good if you place mothballs, moisture absorbents and rat baits in important areas.
Conclusion
Most
of us are pretty protective of our belongings especially for the items that we
value a lot. So, when there is a home relocation and there is a lack of space
to store items in our home, most prefer renting storage space to store the
items safely. But, unless you are storing the items in a proper and organized
manner, you may actually end up damaging some of your goods. Also, you will not
be able to make maximum use of the storage unit space, if you are not
organized.
This
is why I have shared these essential tips to organize storage units like a pro.
Starting from making a list of items stored to placing items well to labeling
the boxes etc. all of these makes things easier for you. The best thing is you
will be able to track items easily without hunting all the boxes.
So,
it is better to invest a little extra time in organizing and storing the boxes
at the very beginning and avoid any issues later on.
What else do you think one should do to organize storage units correctly? Feel free to share your comments and household storage ideas by commenting below.
