How To Pack A Storage Unit

Packing a storage unit isn’t supposed to be a fine art, but when you’ve accumulated a lot of experience, you will end up being fairly meticulous on the best way of doing things. If the storage company near you can advise further that’s even better, as they may also have their own way of doing things. But here are a few pointers.

The first thing to do is invest in a few sheets to hold off dust. Even in the most spotless environment, this mystical stuff can start to appear after a few months, so it is recommended to put at least one sheet on the ground and the remainder on top of and around the other items later. Also, some labels and pens are very helpful, as once everything is in faceless cardboard boxes, you are going forget very quickly what items are in what identically packaged box. For big units you might even want to draw up a quick plan.

The most obvious way to tackle getting everything in is to put the largest items in first, which goes without saying. Once they are established then you can fit everything else around them. You have probably already decided what items should go on top of the biggest items and those naturally will go in next. With the larger items you may need to be creative about how to get them in, and this may require putting items on their side to make use of the height of the unit whilst freeing up floor space.

Often the success to packing a storage unit is how you start. If you are fairly relaxed about where things are positioned at first, then end up having to stuff the last few items in so that the door shuts, you may not have gone the right way about it. Ensure that even the first boxes and small items you pack in are put as far back as possible and pushed together reasonably tightly. This might give you the extra inch that makes the difference between successful packing and egg on your face. The items at the front incidentally ought to be the ones you need to access first or most frequently, but hopefully you will have already worked that one out.

Also safety and common sense are very important here. Use a footstool if you need to pack things high, it is far more comfortable than doing all the packing at a stretch. Don’t put items into the unit that are going to degrade and cause a nasty experience for you and others alike. If you are putting in items that could spill liquids over time, these need to be drained according to standard practice, I am thinking here of oil leaking from lawnmowers and motorcycles, but also water from fridges and freezers. Your storage company won’t be happy if there is a spill coming into the corridor from under your unit rollers. And if you have any sharp or dangerous items, these must be packaged securely so that you don’t scrape against them when packing, lifting and moving things around.

Then get a good door lock. Your storage company may be able to provide one, but there are quite a range and some debate about which is most effective – this might deserve an article of its own.

Posted in: Storage Info