HOW TO PACK AND ORGANISE A STORAGE UNIT

The post was prepared by Alex Kuleshov, the Marketing and Sales Coordinator at Metro Storage.

If you are planning to store your belongings in a storage unit, these tips and tricks below will save you time and make your storage experience much easier.

Start Preparing While Packing

General Tips

• Store similar items together.
• Label your boxes so that you know what items are inside.
• Place heavier items on the bottom, lighter on the top.
• Pack small, soft items like towels around larger items to act as a buffer.
• Mark boxes with delicate items as ‘fragile’.

Furniture

• Disassemble parts of furniture and pack them separately from the main piece to avoid damage and save space.
• Clean all furniture thoroughly before storing.
• Place a cover over all furniture, especially sofa’s, recliners and anything of value.
• Stack chairs seat to seat with cloth or paper separating them.

White Goods

• Make sure all white goods (fridges, freezers, washing machines etc) are empty, clean and dry before storing.
• Leave doors slightly ajar to prevent mould build up.
• Best to leave all white goods empty to avoid scratches inside or any other damage.

Metal Items

• To minimise rust in metal items, wipe the item with a few drops of oil.
• Pack these items away from goods that may be stained such as furniture.
• Wrapping silver in NON-ACID tissue paper or plastic bags can help reduce tarnishing.

Glass and Breakables

• Wrap all fragile items separately in packing paper, box and ensure they are marked accordingly.
• Place packing paper or towels in the top and bottom of cartons for better protection.
• Place plates and bowls vertically on their sides to prevent breakage.
• Pictures and mirrors should be wrapped in cardboard or proper picture/mirror cartons.

Electronic Items

• The original boxes are ideal to repack in.
• Wrapping items individually in bubble-wrap, packing them in cartons, and sealing the top will offer protection for your electrical items.
• Ensure all electronic equipment is clean and dry before storing.
• Ensure that items above or on top of electronic equipment will not fall down or damage the surfaces.

Moving into a Storage Unit

• Lay a tarp or plastic sheeting down before you pack your unit will help avoid condensation damage.
• Longer items such as mattresses should be placed on their edges along the storage unit walls.
• Leave a small gap between the walls of your unit to allow for air flow. This helps to prevent moisture and heat damage.
• If you are planning to access all your items frequently – create a central aisle down the centre of your storage unit with small interval walk.
• If you are not planning to access your storage unit often, utilise as much floor space as possible by starting right at the back of your storage unit. Pack all the way to the roof and use plywood over several boxes to create stable layers.
• Stock heavy items at the bottom and lighter items at the top.

These simple, yet effective storage tips will ensure you have a stress-free storage experience. You will save yourself a lot of time and energy and make your storage unit organised.