Whether you’re in need of a long-term storage unit or for a place to keep things while you’re in the process of moving, a storage unit is a secure and convenient option for you. Most storage facilities have a wide range of unit sizes and options to meet your budget and needs.
There are two kinds of storage units – full-service or self-storage unit. Full-service storage companies will pick up your items and put them in the storage unit for you. A self storage rental is a more popular version because it’s cheaper, but you are required to do all the moving, stacking and documenting your items in the unit.
Here are four tips to help make your first-time renting a self-storage unit a breeze:
Climate-controlled or not
Climate control in your storage unit protects your belongings from humidity and extreme temperatures. This helps prevent mildew and mold from destroying your prized possessions and keepsakes. If you’re storing photo albums, clothes or furniture in your rental, you will most likely want to opt for a climate-controlled unit.
Packing for storage
Packing your items properly for storage is essential. This requires a little more planning than merely taping up some boxes, jamming your things inside and stacking them in the unit. Label each box with its contents, and put similar items in the same box so you won’t be opening every box looking for last year’s tax returns. If you want to be even more organized, color code your boxes to make it easier to find what you’re looking for.
Stacking
How you stack your labeled and organized boxes can ease your pain when finding things later on or moving out of the unit. Placing heavy boxes on the bottom so they don’t crush other boxes, as well as placing furniture on the edges of the unit, can help when trying to find things.
Pathways
Need to get that box way in the back of the unit? Good luck moving all those boxes and furniture that you pushed against every other box. Creating pathways through your belongings as you load it for the first time can help you navigate later as you search and retrieve needed items. For smaller units, one path down the middle should suffice. For bigger units, two paths are ideal.
Noah’s Ark Self Storage is here for all your self-storage rental needs. Long-term or short-term, we have the right unit to meet your needs.
