The way you pack your belongings into your storage room has a bearing on the outcome of your storage experience. If you have different types of things to store you need to give your packing technique a lot more thought than if you only have one or two items to store.

Storing the contents of a household will necessitate making the most of every bit of space you have available in your self storage room. Decide whether you need to find and retrieve items easily whilst they are in storage as this will determine your packing technique.

So the way you pack your storage room will depend on how much stuff you are storing, and whether you need to access it while it is in storage.

Some Tips for Packing Your Self Storage Unit

The outcome you want to achieve when putting your belongings into a storage unit is that they remain undamaged and emerge at the end of their time in storage in the same condition as when they were packed away.

You can ensure this by following a few simple rules:

  1. Use good, strong boxes. Heavy duty boxes will keep their shape when stacked on top of each other. Don’t make your boxes too heavy, so pack the lighter stuff at the top.
  2. When stacking boxes up in your storage unit, put the heavier ones at the bottom, and place the ones containing your fragile items on top.
  3. When planning the layout of your unit, erecting plastic shelving along the sides will provide more vertical space.
  4. Leave a corridor down the middle of your unit so that you can easily access any box you need to. If you do not need access, you can pack your storage unit with no gaps.
  5. Labelling your boxes in detail is something that cannot be stressed enough! This way you can easily find the item that you are looking for without opening box after box and muddling up their contents.
  6. Store the boxes that you definitely won’t be needing at the back of your unit, and any items you may be needing access to, at the front of your self storage room.

Here are some tips for storing furniture and large bulky items such as mattresses in your self storage unit.

  1. Disassemble any furniture item that you can, and keep the screws and bits and bobs in a zip lock bag taped securely to the furniture item so that you do not displace it.
  2. Don’t wrap wooden furniture in plastic as this will cause the wood to ‘sweat’ which can cause mould which will damage your furniture. Rather use blankets or dust sheets to protect your furniture against scratches and dents.
  3. Place large items of furniture at the back of your unit.
  4. Don’t store mattresses or even sofas on their sides as the stuffing will fall to one end and your item could be ruined.
  5. Store your electronic items carefully. TV’s need to be stored upright.

Items That You Cannot Put into a Self Storage Unit

Different storage companies have their own rules as to what may or may not go into their units, but the following items are sure to be on that list, regardless of who you are storing with.

  1. Firearms, weapons, and ammunition may not be stored in a storage unit as they can present a problem if they go off accidentally. There are liability issues, and insurance issues involved, so if you have these kind of items that you need to store, speak to the owners of the facility first.
  2. Any stolen property or illegal goods. This goes without saying but be aware that self storage facilities such as Stop & Store Lowestoft are well monitored. Any suspicious activity will be reported.
  3. Anything living, including plants and animals, are not allowed to be stored. This also includes people – no one can use a storage unit to live in.
  4. Any type of foodstuffs will encourage vermin such as rats to make your unit their home, as well as attracting unwanted insects such as cockroaches. These pests can wreak havoc with your stored belongings. Perishable items also go mouldy and attract mildew. Most facilities ban any type of food, but if you wish to store non-perishable items in sealed containers, rather discuss it with the storage company first to find out what their policies are.
  5. Any toxic, flammable, or combustible items are considered hazardous materials and may not be kept in a storage unit. These include propane tanks, paint, fertilizer, fireworks, oil, fuel…there is a long list of these prohibited materials. Many removal companies will not take these items either, so even if you are moving home you will have to dispose of these materials yourself.
  6. Irreplaceable items that you cannot live without do not belong in your storage room. If the worst happens such as a flood, fire, or a robbery at the facility, your items could be destroyed or stolen. But most of your antiques and paintings can be safely stored after being carefully packed.

Final Words

It is worth taking the time to pack your storage unit carefully using strong boxes for your goods and protecting your furniture with blankets.

Remember to label your boxes carefully and in great detail to save you many potential headaches down the line.

Don’t pack any of the prohibited items in your storage unit…they are on that list for a reason.

Stop & Store Lowestoft Self Storage Units

When you need some extra storage space for your belongings, Stop & Store Lowestoft is a storage facility to bear in mind.

  • We offer state of the art security so that you can be sure your goods are safe.
  • Whether you want to store your goods for a few weeks or a few years, we can assist you.
  • Please check what our customers have to say about us in their reviews on our website.

Please contact us on:

Tel: 01502 580005. We are here to discuss your storage requirements.

Enquire Now

Website: https://lowestoftselfstorage.com/