A Guide to Self-Storage: Packing Tips
The first two parts of this guide to self-storage looked at the options, sizes and costs and the questions to ask before renting. Of course, the “self” in “self-storage” means that, unless you arrange and pay to have someone pack up your things and move them into the unit, you are responsible for this job. This last part offers some guidelines to packing a unit efficiently.
- Make sure clothing and other fabric items are clean.
- Put heavy items in small boxes and light items in large boxes.
- Put clothing in wardrobe boxes.
- Put the heaviest stuff on the bottom of the unit and distribute weight evenly.
- Put anything you need to access often at the front of your unit.
- Leave a pathway to the back of the unit.
- Elevate things off the floor.
- Store mattresses, protected with a cover, upright along the side of the unit for short periods only; for long-term storage, keep them flat with nothing on top.
- Wrap mirrors and pictures with bubble wrap and store them upright along the side of the unit.
- Disassemble weak or heavy pieces of furniture.
- Cover furniture with sheets, not plastic, which could trap moisture.
- Store sofas (except sofa beds) on an end to maximize space.
- Clean refrigerators and freezers, drain water supply lines, vacuum coils, fill with other kitchen items and store with doors slightly ajar.
- Avoid moving during a rainstorm to prevent mold and mildew.
- Don’t store anything that is toxic, hazardous or perishable.
- Prepare an inventory, including an estimated replacement value for each item.
- Take pictures or a video for documentation.
- Consider securing the unit with a disc lock, regarded as one of the most drill- and pick-proof types on the market, but check any lock’s compatibility with your unit before purchasing.