How to Prepare Your Belongings for Storage

Have you recently decided to rent a storage unit from a self-storage facility? If you did, the next step would be to collect your belongings and make that transition from your home to the storage facility. Depending on how many belongings you have, you could be feeling extremely overwhelmed. It can be overwhelming especially when you are unsure about the process and what renting a self-storage unit entails. We are here to help you better prepare your belongings for storage. Everything from taking an inventory of what you are planning to store to cleaning all your belongings beforehand.

1. Storage Restrictions

Before you can even think about what you want to put in your storage unit you should learn about what you are not allowed to put in a storage unit. A good rule of thumb is to not put anything away in storage that is flammable such as fertilizer, gasoline, and other dangerous substances. You should also not keep any food, plants, or pets in your storage unit.

2. Inventory of All Your Belongings

The thought has probably crossed your mind multiple times when you were deciding which size storage unit is right for you based on what you want to store. If you have yet to make a decision, you should consider which of your belongings you want to place into storage. It will help you better decide what size unit you should rent. You could ask the customer service employees for their input if you are unsure about the different sizes of storage units. Take a look at the variety of storage unit sizes we at XYZ Storage offer so that you can have a better idea and understanding of what unit is right for you.

You want to start off by making a list of everything you plan on placing into storage whether it is for a short or long time period. This will help you keep track of what you have in your home versus your storage unit. Imagine running into a situation where you are looking for your favourite pair of jeans, but not remembering if you put it in your storage unit, threw them away, or donated them. You want to avoid that scenario from the start by making a list, so you can always go back and refer to it whenever you have that “freak-out” for a moment.

3. Cleaning Your Belongings

Take some time to clean your belongings before placing them into storage. For example, any clothes you plan on putting in storage give them a good wash beforehand. The same goes for your pieces of furniture, appliances, or any other larger belongings that you want to store away. This could prevent them from developing any bad odours, mold, or any excessive rust. The idea with this is when you plan on taking your belongings out you want them to be as clean as they were when you put them in there.

4. Boxes and Containers for Your Belongings

When it comes to storage a good general packing tip is to avoid plastic bags especially if you plan on using your storage unit as more of a longer-term solution. You may want to consider purchasing brand new boxes and making sure they are sturdy to avoid any fragile items from being broken during the transition from your home to the storage unit. As a friendly reminder, we at XYZ Storage are your one-stop-shop for purchasing all the moving and packing supplies you need. We have packing boxes for everything from picture frames to larger electronics. We also have bubble wrap! You can never have too much bubble wrap.

5. Labelling

Labelling your boxes is not a “must-do”, however, it can be extremely helpful when you are trying to figure out which box contains which of your belongings. For example, you might want to differentiate which box has your photo albums and which has your winter clothing. This will help you avoid rummaging through each box and re-opening them up to see which box has your books or your model cars. All you have to do is take a permanent marker and write what the box contains. It can be as simple as “dishes” or “winter clothes”.

Storage is a wonderful solution for those that struggle to find space in their home for other things or just want to live a more minimalist lifestyle. That is exactly what we do at XYZ Storage, we help store all of your belongings for when you need that extra space for all of your belongings.  From all of us at XYZ Storage, we hope that you have a successful transition for all of your belongings from your home to your storage unit!