Storage and Packing Tips

Successful self storage often depends on proper packing of your belongings. After all, you’re probably only storing items you really want to keep, so making sure that they are safe and secure is important, right? You wouldn’t want to open up your stuff to find that it was damaged or ruined. Here are a few tips and pointers to make your self storage experience go smoothly.

It is important to choose the right containers for your items. Heavy items should be packed into smaller boxes. Too many heavy things will make for cumbersome moving, which increases the risk of dropping the box or having your stuff inadvertently fall out of the bottom. Containers should be appropriate for the size of the items, you don’t want your things to bounce around inside the boxes, either.

Quality packing materials do make a difference. Weakened or torn boxes, cracked containers, or cheap tape will not keep your things safe. Over time, these materials will quickly degrade, you might find yourself faced with disaster when you go to move them later.

When putting multiple items in the same box or container, place the heavier items on the bottom. Place things that belong together in the same box. For instance, you wouldn’t want to put your old books or record albums in the same box as your grandmother’s wine glasses. Keep seasonal items, financial records, or photo albums together for simplicity.

Wrap fragile or valuable items carefully. Bubble wrap is best. Many people choose to wrap things in newspaper for cushion, but over time the ink from the paper can rub off onto your items—so be sure that if you do choose to use newspaper for packing purposes that the items cannot possibly be damaged in the process. If bubble wrap is not available, then plain wrapping paper may work best in this situation.

Label all boxes and containers accurately so that you can find things easily. It is usually not recommended to list the exact contents on the box for security reasons (you can never be too careful), so come up with some sort of a ‘code’ or system for your labeling, such as a number system (e.g., box 1, 2, 3, etc.). Then, keep a detailed list with you that describes the exact contents. You might think that you will remember what items are where, but over time, these memories fade for most people. Later on, if you are trying to quickly find specific things, it can be very frustrating to dig through a bunch of irrelevant boxes. And, then, on top of that, you will be faced with the task of repacking everything properly—a huge waste of time! Also, remember to cross out any old labels on the boxes if you are reusing old ones, to prevent confusion later.

A little bit of planning and preparation goes a long way when you are putting your belongings in self storage. Choosing to use self storage usually means you are trying to organize and de-clutter your life, and following these simple tips will make it a more useful way to keep your important things safe and out of your way.