With a little careful planning, storage of your belongings in one of our storage containers can be a simple and stress-free process! Here are a few tips to help you before and during the storage process:
1.Sort and declutter your belongings
Before you begin to store your items, throw away or donate any unwanted items to reduce the total number of items you need to store; charity shops are always willing to take donations and will take those unnecessary items off your hands.
2.Select the right size storage container
Once you have disposed of any unwanted items, you will then know how much space you will need to store your belongings and can then select a storage container size that best suits your needs, without paying to store unnecessary items. We have different sized containers and indoor storage at Portland Business Park, view our size options here.
3.Pack items strategically and securely
Pack any heavy items in small boxes and lighter items in bigger boxes and ensure boxes are filled to the top so they don’t collapse when stacked.
Pack your items in labelled boxes to make retrieving items after or during storage much simpler. Colour-coded labels are great for easy identification of types of contents in each box or for which location they need placing in after storage.
Invest in strong boxes and use bubble wrap and protective packaging to prevent items getting damaged. Wrap fragile items individually and use packing peanuts if boxes have any space at the top of them or around delicate items. Use packing tape to seal packed boxes and clearly label each box with the contents.
4.Storing furniture
Where possible, disassemble any furniture to save space. Furniture covers should be used when this is not possible and use blankets or sheets to protect items such as mirrors from scratches and dust. Ensure ample packing materials are used between items and keep all parts for one item of furniture together including screws etc. This can be done by placing them in a small bag and then masking taping this to one of the pieces of wood.
5.Make the most of your storage space
Stack boxes vertically to get the best use of the storage container height. Heavy items should always be placed at the bottom and then stack lighter boxes at the top. Clearly labelled boxes will help to show the box contents at a glance. Remember to leave small aisles between the stacks of boxes so you can easily access your belongings.
Also make sure that any items you need frequent access to are placed at the front of the storage container so you can reach them easily and quickly.
By taking note of the above tips you will definitely get the most from your self-storage experience and save yourself a lot of money and stress in the process! There are lots of benefits of using our self-storage containers, for more information see our article on 10 benefits of self storage containers.
