So moving day has arrived! You have all your belongings securely packed in totes and boxes. Your mattress is protected with a secure mattress bag. You have the trucks loaded up. You drive to the storage facility to unload everything. You throw open the rolling door, and….NOW WHAT?!
Moving your belongings into a unit can, at times, be rather stressful and very confusing. People always ask themselves, “how on Earth am I going to get everything in there”? Even if you took the time to asset exactly what you have, it might still be very overwhelming. The first, and most important, question you’ll need to ask yourself is how often will I need to enter my unit and access my belongings?
Frequently Accessed Units
If your answer to the above questions is “often” then the best way to organize your unit is with a pathway down the middle. This allows you to clearly access item anywhere in your unit. You do not want to pack it so tightly that every time you come to your unit you’ll have to unpack everything just to get one item out. Also, make sure to pack your most frequently needed items towards the front. If you know you won’t need a particular item for your entire stay, put it towards the back and possibly even underneath your other items. Using shelving racks can also be very handy. Storage Authority welcomes anyone to use their own shelving racks, just please make sure that no screws or nails are drilled into the walls.
Infrequently Accessed Units
If you know that you will not need to access your unit all that much then a pathway is not necessarily needed. Pack your items as tightly as you can to use up all the space. Our units are roughly 8 feet in height so you have plenty of space to stack totes and boxes high. Using as much as you can will save you money and effort.
Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind when packing and moving your items into a storage space:
– Stack the heavier boxes and totes on the bottom and place the smaller, lighter boxes on top of the heavier ones. This will save you some much needed space. However, do not place too much weight on boxes that contain fragile items.
– If you’re storing a kitchen table, make sure to remove the legs and lean the table up against the walls. Again, this will save you space for other items.
– Don’t place sharp or heavy objects on your furniture. This could cause a tear in the fabric. Also, it is wise to place a blanket or plastic sheet over any furniture whether it’s made of fabric or wood. This will protect it from dust and any water that may get into the unit. Remember that storage facilities take many precautions to avoid water leakage but accidents do happen time to time. It’s always a smart idea to cover items that can be damaged in case of an accident.
– Finally, an extremely helpful idea is to pack your drawers full of items if you’re storing a dresser. These items will essentially take up zero space in your unit. Use every inch you can to maximize your space.
Always remember that you shouldn’t be overwhelmed when you get to your storage unit. These units don’t always look the largest when they’re empty and sometimes it’s hard to believe what you can store in them, but if you follow these simple tips you’d be amazed what you can accomplish within the space. The last thing anyone wants is having to go on a “treasure hunt” just to find one small item. So always think ahead and always prepare yourself. If you keep your unit property organized I personally guarantee your stay will be much easier.