Tips on Maximising Storage Unit Space
Today is Pack Rat Day, a day that "...suggests that you shouldn’t throw your old belongings, clothes or even rubbish away as it may be useful or valuable in days or years to come" (daysoftheyear.com). Bearing this in mind we received a great article from Grace Bailey with tips and hints on how to effectively maximise the space in your self storage unit.
Although storage units offer a decent size of space for all who need it, they are also something that requires organising during unloads and loading. Without doing so you'll be wasting valuable space and money you could use for a great many items. Far too many people just throw their belongings inside without even considering a useful system by which to organise them and then they suffer from the consequences of their choice. Keep that in mind whenever you need to use a storage unit so you can avoid it. With this article we aim to help with the storing and organising of your unit for ease of access and efficiency. Follow these tips to do just that:
1. Pack up rarely used items
These should be the first to go in neatly organised cardboard or plastic boxes. Make sure you label each box with a full list of its exact contents to ensure you'll easily find what you need once you're inside the storage unit. Having a detailed and properly made inventory list will also greatly help in the long run. Make sure you stack your heavy boxes near the bottom of the storage unit with their label facing out so you can see it. Leave enough space to close the door and walk around if that is possible.
2. Arrange some modular bookshelves inside
This will allow you to organise better and make use of the available space if you are storing a number of small boxes. Stop thinking “storage closet” and think “industrial warehouse” or “archive” instead and you'll see how much easier the overall process will become. Make sure you use metal shelves which have the necessary hardness, who won't buckle or bend under the weight of the items you store on them. You can also use these shelves for a variety of unboxed items at your convenience.
3. Organise your boxes by size and weight
Make sure you put large boxes and small boxes in different locations for ease of access. If you mix them together you will only create more work for yourself as you will have to remove smaller boxes to reach the larger ones underneath because of their decreased surface and endurance. You should store them in different locations inside the unit if you have the space. If you can't do that then you'll need to do it the old-fashioned way, starting from large to small from the ground up, much like building a wall with large and strong foundations.
4. Keep often used items on hand
Once you have all your items packed in the storage unit, you should ensure these particular belongings are situated toward the front and within easy reach. You won't need to clear the entire unit to reach them and this is how you'll want it to be.
5. Organise small items in plastic carts
So you have a lot of small tidbits and you're not sure what to do with them? Having a plastic cart with some wheels and useful drawers for storage will solve that problem for you. Just attach pieces of tape to each drawer and write down what its contents are so you can access them with ease. The top of the cart can be used for small boxes or light objects.
Grace is an expert in the field of relocation, home organizing and decoration at home and submits articles for Manandvan a UK removal service.
Although storage units offer a decent size of space for all who need it, they are also something that requires organising during unloads and loading. Without doing so you'll be wasting valuable space and money you could use for a great many items. Far too many people just throw their belongings inside without even considering a useful system by which to organise them and then they suffer from the consequences of their choice. Keep that in mind whenever you need to use a storage unit so you can avoid it. With this article we aim to help with the storing and organising of your unit for ease of access and efficiency. Follow these tips to do just that:
1. Pack up rarely used items
These should be the first to go in neatly organised cardboard or plastic boxes. Make sure you label each box with a full list of its exact contents to ensure you'll easily find what you need once you're inside the storage unit. Having a detailed and properly made inventory list will also greatly help in the long run. Make sure you stack your heavy boxes near the bottom of the storage unit with their label facing out so you can see it. Leave enough space to close the door and walk around if that is possible.
2. Arrange some modular bookshelves inside
This will allow you to organise better and make use of the available space if you are storing a number of small boxes. Stop thinking “storage closet” and think “industrial warehouse” or “archive” instead and you'll see how much easier the overall process will become. Make sure you use metal shelves which have the necessary hardness, who won't buckle or bend under the weight of the items you store on them. You can also use these shelves for a variety of unboxed items at your convenience.
3. Organise your boxes by size and weight
Make sure you put large boxes and small boxes in different locations for ease of access. If you mix them together you will only create more work for yourself as you will have to remove smaller boxes to reach the larger ones underneath because of their decreased surface and endurance. You should store them in different locations inside the unit if you have the space. If you can't do that then you'll need to do it the old-fashioned way, starting from large to small from the ground up, much like building a wall with large and strong foundations.
4. Keep often used items on hand
Once you have all your items packed in the storage unit, you should ensure these particular belongings are situated toward the front and within easy reach. You won't need to clear the entire unit to reach them and this is how you'll want it to be.
5. Organise small items in plastic carts
So you have a lot of small tidbits and you're not sure what to do with them? Having a plastic cart with some wheels and useful drawers for storage will solve that problem for you. Just attach pieces of tape to each drawer and write down what its contents are so you can access them with ease. The top of the cart can be used for small boxes or light objects.
Grace is an expert in the field of relocation, home organizing and decoration at home and submits articles for Manandvan a UK removal service.
Posted by Stor-Age Self Storage - 14 May 2013 | Tips And Hints