Tips & Tricks- Packing

Self-Storage Helpful Packing Tips:

1) Good Boxes and Packing Materials are Important
  • Avoid using damaged or broken boxes.
    If you do not already have relatively new boxes you can purchase boxes at the local hardware store, Home Depot, or Lowe’s.
  • Plastic storage containers provide greater protection to your belongings, although more expensive.
2) Pack ‘em Tight
  • Utilize as much space as possible with newspaper or packaging chips to fill boxes to prevents contents from moving or shifting during transportation.
  • That said, make sure boxes aren’t so full they become difficult to lift. The US Occupational Safety & Health Administration recommends that a person risks injury if they lift items heavier than 50lbs unaided, so bear this in mind.  Also, try and ensure weight is distributed evenly within the box, to avoid awkward lifting.
  • Securely tape along all the edges for extra strength.
3) Use Labels and Markers to write the contents on the side of each box.
  • Properly labeling contents will allow for greater organization and more efficient retrieval trips.
4) Use Old Blankets, Sheets and Towels for Padding and Protection
  • Don’t waste more money if you have some unused blankets, sheets, or towels.
  • The three items are great wrappings for valuables, collectables, and keep-safes.
5) Keep Everything Clean
  • For unboxed items such as furniture, you can use these old sheets or blankets to keep the dust off them. If you don’t want to sacrifice your best linen to the self-storage gods, then you should be able to find some for a few dollars at a thrift store or charity shop. Painting tarps are also great if cost isn’t an issue.
  • Non-climate units will be more prone to collecting dirt, dust, and possibly some pollen.
6) Get the Right Truck
  • It’s also important to get the right sized moving van (or to make sure your moving company knows just how much stuff you have). Eliminating multiple trips to your new home and storage facility will save you time and money. Most moving companies will assess the job in person and decide what they will need for the move. If you are doing it yourself, call or visit a U-Haul licensed dealer beforehand. Our Lakeland location has U-Haul on-site.
  • Just remember, it’s usually cheaper the rent a larger truck and make one trip than it is to make multiple trips which expenses gas, time, and have limited space.
7) Organize Everything Once You Get There
  • Before you get to your unit, try to figure out what items you might need easy access to. Place furniture and other rarely used items and boxes in the back of your unit, leaving the space by the door for things you might want to need sooner rather than later.
8) Don’t Pack Heavy Items on Top
  • Place heavy area rugs, TVs or file boxes on the floor. Their weight will slowly crush what’s beneath them and risk falling if not properly stacked.
9) Take the Legs Off
  • Removing table legs and storing the table top flat against the wall will save space in your storage unit. 
10) Create a Unit inventory
  • It’s also very helpful to make a list or map of your storage unit as you move items in. Boxes and loose items can easily get buried behind other stuff. And let’s face it, you are probably going to forget everything you did in the mad scramble that moving day becomes.
  • Group similar items together like clothes, kitchen supplies, and bedding. You might also want to group items together for each family member.
  • Make a list of all items as you place them in the unit.
11) Don’t Forget to Use Your Camera!
Here are some great ways to use your smartphone camera when moving:
  • Take pictures of complicated wiring setups – like the back of your stereo or TV.
  • Take pictures of decorative arrangements before you break them down so you can recreate furniture, artwork and picture layouts that you like.
  • Take pictures as you place items into a storage unit. This way you will have a record to refer back to later when you come to retrieve a needed item.
12) Keep Extra Boxes, Packing Tape and a Markers in Your Unit
  • It’s going to happen – you get to your storage unit and can’t find what you are looking for. You begin to open boxes in a futile effort to locate your favorite sweatshirt and things quickly become a mess.
  • Make sure to have a few extra boxes and storage tape in case you need to repack your items on the fly. And make sure to mark down the items inside each box using a marker.
 
NOW YOU ARE READY TO STORE!!