Tips for preparing your belongings for self storage
Self storage facilities are a great option for anyone who, for one reason or another, needs somewhere secure to keep some (or all) of their belongings. Even companies offering the lowest self storage prices will usually provide amenities such as climate-controlled lockers, 24/7 customer access and CCTV monitoring. University students often choose to stow away their possessions in these places during academic breaks, while homeowners often avail of self storage spaces during remodelling projects, when they need somewhere safe to keep fragile household items that would otherwise be damaged by construction activities. If you're considering using this type of facility, here are a few tips on how to prepare your items for storage.
Opt for high-quality packing supplies
If you only intend to store your belongings away for a few days, then you may be able to get away with using very basic, low-quality supplies (that is, a few single-walled cardboard boxes and some masking tape). In almost all other cases however, it is best to invest in durable packing goods which will protect your belongings during prolonged periods of storage. Several flimsy cardboard boxes filled with heavy things and stacked on top of one another are likely to collapse under pressure and thus leave you with a mess of broken items that will need to be repaired or replaced.
Plastic storage boxes with airtight lids are the best option for storing books and important paperwork; these boxes will protect the contents from temperature changes and won't fall apart or flatten out when stacked on top of each other. If your budget won't stretch to plastic containers, the next best option would be double-walled cardboard boxes; these are significantly sturdier than their single-walled counterparts.
If you wish to store furniture, invest in some canvas tarps or cotton sheeting; this will prevent the accumulation of dust. Lastly, when packing any fragile goods (such as fine china, mirrors or artwork), make sure to use bubble wrap. Avoid using newspaper as a replacement for this type of protective wrapping, as while it might be cheaper, the ink from it could cause permanent staining.
Save space wherever possible
If you have a lot of belongings which you need to cram into a rather small self storage room, it's important to try to utilise all available space, including that which exists inside your belongings; for example, if you intend to store a wardrobe, a dresser or a washing machine in the storage facility, you can probably fit quite a lot of smaller, non-fragile items (such as decorative trinkets, kitchenware and soft furnishings) into the empty spaces inside these goods.
Additionally, if the furniture you intend to store is of the flat-pack variety, it may be worth spending a few hours breaking it down into its original parts, so that it takes up less room in your self storage locker. However, if you decide to do this, make sure to keep the instruction manual that came with the furniture in a safe place, so that you can easily put it back together when the time comes to take these goods out of storage.