Moving to a new home, a new state, or a new country is one of the most exciting experiences in life. However, the entire moving process may seem a little daunting, especially if it will take a while to get a new home in the new locality. Renting a storage unit is the best way to temporarily store your belongings or long-term if you’re moving abroad. With numerous storage facilities worldwide, you can easily find affordable storage units with numerous amenities. But before you pack up your belongings and head straight to the storage unit to pile everything up, don’t forget to look at this comprehensive guide for storing your things smartly and efficiently.
Why Storage Units?
Moving your belongings to storage units is one of the best options to keep your stuff safe from damage, humidity, and theft. Storage unit facilities offer storage units in a variety of sizes and types. More importantly, you are free from the stress of moving everything in one day as you can slowly pile up your belongings or store stuff you won’t need urgently way before your move.
Due to their increasing popularity, storage units are now available in almost every big city and many smaller towns. The coastal areas have storage facilities with climate control to keep your belongings safe from the damages caused by humid weather conditions.
If you live in temperate areas like Lewes, Rehoboth Beach, and Delaware, you’re privileged to have some of the top-ranked storage rental services like All Climate Storage Center. With 24/7 security surveillance, electronic keypad access, and covered loading and unloading zones, self-storage in Lewes has never been more convenient.
Choose a Storage Unit that Best Fits Your Needs
Besides the basic security requirements, accessibility, condition, and proximity, you must consider the storage units that best fit your personalized requirements. The size of the storage unit you rent depends on the number of belongings and your budget. Some storage rental facilities provide a size estimator to know which size is best for you. Before choosing a size, visit the facility and look at the location, size, amenities, and accessibility of each storage unit available. Choose the one that best fits your storage and accessibility requirements.
Check for Storage Restrictions
When choosing a storage facility, make sure you go through the contract in detail.
- Go through the instructions to check what you can and cannot store in your storage unit.
- Ask for all rules and regulations if the storage facility does not provide you with a list of prohibited items.
- Check the timings to visit the storage unit and get a detailed briefing from support staff on security, entrance, and electronic keypad access.
- Check if the storage facility provides lock-and-key security or if you have to arrange it yourself.
Create a List of Items You Need to Store
After deciding on the best storage facility, it’s time to sort through the items you need to store. Reduce your item list and get rid of things you no longer require. More useless things in storage will clog the space and leave no room for important items.
Moreover, you’ll need a bigger storage unit if you store more; bigger storage units would mean higher monthly rent. Try decluttering your belongings and donating or selling things you no longer need.
Avoid Storing Dangerous and Perishable Items
Storing items like gasoline cans, paints, chemicals, fertilizers, spray bottles, perfumes, propane, and other hazardous elements can risk the entire storage facility. This is why many storage facilities scan your belongings to filter out any potentially harmful and dangerous items. Also, avoid storing perishable items like medicines, ready-made food, fresh produce, plants, and makeup products.
Disassemble Large Items
Large items can become difficult to handle and take up a lot of extra space if not disassembled. Try to sell furniture that is too large and cannot be disassembled.
Dismantle large items like tables, dressers, large sectional sofas, vanities, racks, wall panels, beds, etc., and wrap each item separately to avoid mixing up pieces and safeguarding them from wear and tear. Always store mattresses on their flat side to prevent damage.
Pack Appliances Carefully
Appliances are among the most delicate items to store. Before moving them to the storage unit, clean them thoroughly to prevent mold growth and strong odor. Wipe clean and make sure all the appliances are dry. Pack the appliances with foam sheets and bubble wrap. If there are any loose parts inside the appliances, like plates and metal racks inside microwaves, try wrapping and packing them separately or stick them inside the appliance with tape or rope.
Label Each Box
Storing your belongings in storage units means you probably have to pile them on top of each other. It’s always a good idea to label each box or attach a list of the contents to make things easier to find. Write ‘fragile’ on boxes that contain delicate items so you can put them in a safe place when moving to self-storage.
Also, ensure they’re strong enough to endure long-term storage and changing weather conditions.
I prefer Using Clear Plastic Boxes.
Instead of doing all the tedious work of making lists and labeling boxes, you can use clear plastic boxes to make the contents visible to you. This way, you can keep an eye on the condition of the items inside and find them more easily upon your visit to the storage unit.
Make the Most of Your Storage Space
You’ll want to make the most of your storage space to keep your storage budget minimum. Therefore, you must pack and stack wisely and use vertical and horizontal space. When storing your belongings, be strategic about how and where you store each item in the storage unit.
Start with items you will not open inside the storage unit and pile boxes vertically in order of their importance. Make sure you place a box with delicate items on top to avoid damage. If you’re laying your mattress flat, avoid putting it at the bottom of the storage unit. If you intend to store seasonal clothing, keep it in an accessible location near the entrance. Store larger items like bedsides, mirrors, and racks in an upright position adjacent to the wall.
But, Don’t Stack Your Boxes Too Tall
Stacking boxes creates a lot of extra space to store additional items but stacking them too tall increase vulnerability. If you stack your boxes too high, they may come crashing down over time, wrecking your belongings and wreaking havoc.
Stack your boxes at a reasonable height. Don’t put heavy boxes on top of lighter boxes; it will increase the chance of them falling over.
Storing Inside Your Home
If you’re living abroad and keeping your house, you can avoid the additional costs of renting a self-storage unit. Allocate a room or two inside the house, clean it thoroughly, and slowly move your stuff into these rooms. Try to choose a room that is free of molds, leaks, and electric or plumbing hazards.
Final Thoughts
If you’re planning to relocate to a new state or take a long trip abroad, storing your belongings in a self-storage unit is a great idea. Before you move your precious belongings, it’s always a good idea to do your homework on the best available storage units in terms of security, affordability, size, amenities, accessibility, and proximity to your location.
The quality of your packing supplies, the arrangement of items inside the storage unit, and climate conditions greatly impact the condition and security of items. It’s always a smart option to get insurance when renting a self-storage unit to relieve yourself of the stress of looking after your belongings while you’re away.
We hope that this guide will assist you in preparing your belongings and safely transporting and storing them in a storage unit.
I'm so excited to tackle all my home improvement projects! From plumbing to DIY and cleaning - I'm ready to get down to work! #homerepair #homecleaning #plumbing #diy #fixerupper #realestate #renovation #interiordesign #farmhouse #diy #homedecor #hgtv #home #farmhousedecor #modernfarmhouse #farmhousestyle #fixerupperstyle #fixandflip #homerenovation #realestateinvesting #beforeandafter #homesweethome #remodel #realestateinvestor #interior #realtor #joannagaines #flippinghouses #countryliving #design #homedesign #farmhouseinspired #investmentproperty #bhghome #renovationproject #farmhousekitchen #homeimprovement #farmhouseliving #cottagestyle #decor #realestateagent #magnoliahome #homeinspo #magnoliamarket #kitchendesign #dreamhome #shiplap #construction #houseflipping #investor #farmhousedesign #architecture #farmhousechic #homereno #rusticdecor #reno #kitchenremodel #webuyhouses #magnoliatable #rentalproperty #fixerupperinspired #newhome #interiors #homeremodel
