They say hindsight is 20/20. All through life, you look back on certain things and events and wish you would have known how they were going to turn out so you could avoid making mistakes. The same holds true for self storage units. If you knew that your future self would have a fit each time he or she had to deal with the storage unit, you'd probably want to do things differently when you pack it now. Here's what your future self wants you to know about your self storage unit.
You'll save a lot of time in the future if you take your time now
Future problems: You waste a lot of time trying to find things. You have no idea where anything is because there was no method to your madness of packing up and filling your self storage unit. Heck, you don't even know why you kept some of the stuff in there.
Present solutions: Take time to go through everything to make sure you are not storing things you won't want or need any more in the future. There's no point in storing those items, so get rid of them. Label each box as you fill them so you won't have to guess later. Also, take time to come up with a plan on how to fill the storage unit so you'll know where things are in the future. Draw up a floor plan when you are in the unit and tape it to the wall.
Do a better job at protecting your back…you only have one
Future problems: You strained your back so bad during the move to the storage unit that you were laid up in bed for several weeks. You have backaches that are horrible and cause you to miss work. You spend money on physical therapy and sessions with chiropractors.
Present solutions: Lift heavy objects properly. Get more people to help you move so you don't have to work so hard and risk straining your back. Use dollies and carts whenever possible. Hire a moving company if you cannot find enough help from friends and family. Also, do not use a back support belt. An Ohio State University study suggests they don't help.
Saving money on packing and moving supplies will cost you more money in the long run
Future problems: The boxes and their contents are in bad condition. You skimped on packaging materials and got boxes that were too cheap and flimsy for the job. Some of the boxes are damp on the bottom, and some of your stuff smells like mildew. In your frantic searches for certain things, you've knocked over a few boxes and damaged the contents.
Present solutions: Spend extra money to get the right packing materials and a few extras that will help keep your storage unit neat and tidy. Purchase a few wooden pallets to put the boxes on to help the air move around in the unit. This will help keep the air from getting stale and mildew from forming. Use sheets of industrial-strength plastic wrap around the boxes on each pallet. That will help keep the stacks secure and prevent boxes from toppling over. Finally, fill a few sand bags with sand and place them at the bottom of the roll-up door. This will help keep rainwater and snow melt from getting into the unit.
As you come up with your plan, think about the various scenarios and situations that may come up during the time you are using the storage unit. That way, you may think of ways to combat those particular issues. For example, if you are sure you will need to grab seasonal items, store them in the front of the storage unit where they can be easily reached. There's no point in rushing through the process of packing for, transporting to, and filling up your self storage unit.
Share9 April 2015
What do you do when you have belongings you don’t want to get rid of, but have no room for? Store them is what you do! My name is Marcy. I never thought having a storage unit would be something I’d be excited about, but I am. This may sound rather odd, but I actually enjoy puttering around in my storage unit. I like to go look at some of my old books, move things around, rearrange stuff, and even visit the people who work there. I was at a loss when I first made the decision to rent a storage unit for my “overflow” stuff. I didn't know anything about the unit sizes, how to pack things, or how to arrange them in the unit. The storage facility helped me with brochures and advice, they are wonderful. I’m going to share some of the tips I’ve learned with you.
