How to Choose and Organize your Storage Unit

By Teine Kenney, Organize This!

If your closets are full, your rooms are exploding or your car has never seen the inside of your garage, it’s probably time to investigate renting an off-site storage unit.

DECIDING ON STORAGE

It will be most cost-effective if you take the time to de-clutter and donate the items that you really won’t miss once they are out of your sight. You want to store "True Treasure” and try to let go of the silly stuff that can be easily replaced.

If you feel anxious about sorting through your items, hire a professional organizer to guide your through the process.  Professional Organizers are skilled and experienced in de-cluttering, organizing and coordinating the entire move to your new storage unit.

After you’ve found your True Treasure, you are better able to select the size of the storage unit you will need.  Remember there are other factors involved in choosing a unit:       

1. Do you need to drive up to the unit or is an internal, upstairs unit just fine.
2. How often will you be visiting your unit to add or retrieve items?
3. Do you need climate control?
4. Will the wind and weather cause dirt to blow into your unit?
5. Do you need lighting and/or any extra security measures?
6. Check the access hours to make sure they work with your schedule.

GETTING READY FOR STORAGE

1. Do your homework first – at home.  This means pack up sturdy boxes or plastic bins with categories of your items.  Don’t jumble your things together and label it "Miscellaneous”. You will dread going to hunt for things in your unit later if they are not properly labeled.         
2. Use bins.  Place as many of your items as possible in sturdy, plastic, see-through bins. This will keep your belongings clean, protected and easy to identify. 
3. Label everything! You will not remember what you packed into each box or bin.  Write yourself as detailed a note as time allows. For example,  Instead of "Books”, write "WWII books from Grand-dad’s library.” You will be so proud of yourself later when that note saves you time and energy. (Tip: You can write on a piece of paper with a Sharpie Marker and then slip that paper inside the plastic bin so the writing show through.
4. Inventory what you’ve stored.  This doesn’t have to be a detailed Excel spreadsheet of each item, but it could be. The whole inventory can be as simple as taking photos of what you’re putting into storage, and a few nice "After” photos of the finished unit. The purpose is for you to know what you’ve got in there so you can use it later. E-mail yourself the list and save the digital photos on your computer.  Re-label the photos so you can search for them by a keyword.
5. Wrap your sofa and any other furniture using the cellophane wrapping products sold at the storage facility. Having your furniture wrapped is a tip taken from professional movers. Not only will the wrapping protect your furniture during the move, it will protect the furniture while it is being stored.  For instance, sofas are better stored on end, and you wouldn’t want your nice sofa arm sitting on the bare floor.  It is a good idea to use old towels or furniture blankets to protect wooden and fragile furniture.

MOVING INTO STORAGE

Now you are ready to load up a truck and move your Treasure to your new storage unit. You’ve sorted, binned and labeled everything. You’ve wrapped your furniture and protected fragile items as necessary (and labeled them FRAGILE!)   Don’t just unload haphazardly once you get to your unit. Plan out where you’ll put things. The top two things to consider are size and frequency of use.

1. Frequently used items need to be stored in the front.
2. Larger items are best put in the rear if they are going to be simply stored and not accessed regularly. This usually means putting furniture in the back and your bins (with items like Camping) in the front.

1. Pack smart by using the vertical space you have! The best upgrade EVER is to have the storage unit put some steel shelves in your unit. You will never regret having these shelves.  Ask them to place your shelves towards the front of the unit.  Make sure you can fit your furniture in or have the shelves added after the bigger items are placed in the rear.  Pack like a puzzle with the big stuff.  It’s okay to stack furniture upon other furniture if the wood is protected.  Snuggle a lamp into the nook of the sofa that is on its side.  Use every inch of space in the back where your furniture is. It will save you much-needed space in the front of your unit.
2. Leave a walkway so you can reach the back of the unit without having to stumble over your things. Make it easy on yourself when you visit the unit. If you know you left it a mess, you will find yourself not returning to retrieve what you’ve stored and then you’ll end up feeling guilty for this.
3. Place all bins on shelves.  If you stack boxes, they generally end up crunching into themselves. The shelving allows you to access all of your items easily. 
4. Use the nooks and crannies. Fill the drawers of dressers with items that are okay to deeply archive. Then wrap the dressers and wrap a note in the final layer of cellophane that clearly states what was stored in the drawers. Remember to write detailed notes!  You may know NOW that you are packing your children's' old baby clothes or grandma's quilt into the drawers, but count on not remembering later on. It takes a couple seconds to write that note. You will thank yourself later.

When it’s all done, remember to reward yourself. You’ve completed a large project that undoubtedly made your home or office much more livable. Clutter carries negative energy. You will wonder how you ever got along without a storage unit when you feel the burden lifted and the amazing results you’ve produced by making use of off-site storage.