Plan For The Future You When Packing A Storage Unit

When packing a storage unit, there is one guideline you must adhere to above all else: put the needs of "future you" above the desires of "present-day you." You might be feeling tired or stressed right now, but if you just toss everything into the storage unit messily, you will pay for that mistake in the future. So how should you pack a storage unit in a way that is beneficial for the next time you visit? Take a look.

Put everything on pallets or shelves.

Invest in a few wood pallets or some basic shelving units for your storage unit. This way, you can store your boxes off the floor, which will decrease the chances that anything gets moldy or damp. It's also easy to pick a box up from a shelf than from the floor, so this strategy will help you avoid hurting your back in the future.

Label your boxes clearly.

It should go without saying that you need to label your boxes — but a lot of people are too vague in their labels. Don't just label three boxes with the word "kitchen," for example. Label them "toaster and other small appliances," "dishes," and "pots and pans." This will save you from having to open box after box to find what you need a few months or years down the road.

Put the things you'll need the soonest in the front.

You may not know exactly what items you'll need first, but you should have a general idea. For instance, you will probably need your spare kitchen items sooner than you need the old albums of family photos you are storing. Put the items you will need sooner closer to the front of the storage unit so you don't have to move as many things to access them.

Clean items before you store them.

You will not enjoy opening up smelly boxes of moldy goods! To prevent this, wash and dry any clothing. Wipe down appliances with bleach water. No matter what the item is, make sure it is clean when you put it in storage. 

Put the heaviest boxes on the bottoms of stacks.

Make sure you stack your boxes in order from heaviest to lightest. This way, you won't have to pick up a lot of heavy boxes to access the ones on the bottom.

When packing a storage unit, always keep your future needs in mind. You'll be thankful that you put in the extra effort early on. For more information about renting storage units, contact a local storage facility.


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