Three Tips To Help You Pack A Self-Storage Unit

Renting a unit at a professional self-storage facility, like Statewide Self Storage, gives you the opportunity to go through your possessions and decide which items you want to keep but that you don't need in your home. By transporting the possessions you use only occasionally to your storage unit, you can benefit from a home that feels less cluttered while still being able to retrieve your items by taking a short drive. Whether you're renting the smallest unit at the facility or need a larger one, maximizing the manner in which you pack your storage is ideal. By packing carefully, your possessions will be organized, easy to go through and will take up less space. Here are three valuable packing tips.

Packing Clothing

Whether you're packing seasonal clothing items that you'll retrieve in a few months or are putting away old children's clothing or sentimental apparel, there's a right and a wrong way to fold these items to maximize space. An ideal approach is to roll the items individually and then place them in a box so that each rolled item is standing upright. The rolling process helps each piece of clothing take up less space than when you fold it, and standing the items upright gives you the ability to quickly find what you're looking for upon opening a box -- no more having to sort through each box to find something hiding at the bottom.

Using What You've Got

Consider the large items that you wish to store in the unit and see if you can use these items as a temporary home for your possessions. For example, if you're storing an appliance such as a deep freeze or a piece of furniture such as a shelf or dresser, find appropriately sized boxes to store within these items. This approach can help you save a significant amount of space; there's no point in these large items sitting empty. When you place a piece of furniture in the unit, ensure that its drawers have enough clearance to open.

Setting Aside Fragile Items

Keeping your possessions safe is one of your main priorities when you use a storage unit. A useful strategy is to pack fragile items together in clearly labeled boxes and then store them in a specific area of your unit that's out of harm's way. For example, instead of tossing a fragile family heirloom into a half-full box of books, set aside a specific box to store the heirloom so it won't get crushed by something heavier. Place all your fragile items in a part of the storage unit where they'll remain undisturbed, such as beneath a desk in the corner.