Keeping your storage unit organised is vital. When renting a unit, you pay for the floorspace. By keeping your unit organised you can fit more belongings in a smaller space, making your storage as cost-effective as possible. Keeping your unit organised also allows you to find items more easily and reduces the chance that anything is damaged in storage.
Declutter
The first step to keeping an organised storage unit is to ask whether you really need to store all the items. It is very easy to put something into storage and forget about it. When choosing what to keep in your self-storage unit, think about whether you really need to keep it or whether you get rid of it. If you don’t wear an item of clothing or it no longer fits, don’t put it into storage - sell it or donate it. The same applies to books, notes, furniture, and accessories. Every item removed from storage is extra space.
Inventory
Keeping a list of what is in the storage unit allows you to keep track of what you are storing, and reduces the chance than items become forgotten at the back. For numbered or labelled boxes, a short description of the contents is helpful when you want to find an item without unpacking everything. Update the list whenever you add or remove something from storage.
Label everything
Alongside keeping a list, label all your boxes so you can distinguish them and have an idea of the contents. Spending a bit of time at the beginning creating labels for everything will save a lot of time later. If you are putting things in storage due to a move, label the box with the room the items came from to make for easy unpacking.
Use the same size box
Using a regular sized box might seem simple but doing so will allow you to stack and organise everything much neater than if the boxes are all odd sizes. Picking boxes specially for storage also allows you to choose strong and sturdy ones that will protect your belongings.
Dismantle
If you are storing furniture, it is much more space efficient to store it dismantled rather than intact. Taking the legs off tables, chairs, and beds means they can be stored flat. It also reduces the chance they will be damaged by having items piled on top.
Pallet the floor
It might seem odd but putting raised wooden pallets on the ground can help keep your belongings in good condition if you are planning on storing them long term. By raising items off the ground, you reduce the chance that moisture will get trapped underneath and make it hard for pests to easily access valuable pieces. If water seeps in, having items off the ground can also help keep them dry.
Organise by size
Avoid putting your items into the unit randomly. Doing so will only make them hard to access and unpack. Instead, organise your unit so that large or infrequently accessed items are at the back, while smaller and more regularly used items are towards the front.
Layout
Organising the layout allows you to find and access items easier. On your inventory or a separate document, keep a note of where everything is in the unit. When you come to need a specific item, finding it will be as hard as consulting the sheet.
It also helps to have a central aisle or walkway to allow you to access items at the back without having to remove or step over those at the front.
Shelves
For extra space, and to keep items off the floor, consider investing in a set of shelves. This will create extra storage room while giving an organised place to put smaller items where they will not be damaged by anything larger resting on them.
Keep a ‘tidy box’
Finally, by the entrance to the storage unit keep a box with some of the essentials that you need to keep the space organised and clean. Some examples could be labels and a pen, a mini hoover, and packing tape. Having these items easily accessible makes it much easier to keep on top of the unit.
Keeping your unit organised is one the most important things to make self-storage easy. With these tips in mind, you’ll be on your way to an efficient storage system.
Insurance
Above all, make sure your belongings are insured at full replacement value in case anything goes wrong. Store Insure offer an excellent insurance policy to cover your items when in profressional run storage facilities.