How to successfully store items in your storage unit and common mistakes to avoid
Thinking about how to successfully store items in your storage unit can seem a bit of a waste of time, especially when it comes to dealing with things that do nothing else but take up space. Some people essentially treat their self storage unit like a rubbish bin where they can put everything in, especially when they don’t intend to come back any time soon. Now, it may be a bit more tempting to chuck everything into a storage area, but the truth is that it can lead to problems along the way.
Take some time and thought about how to successfully store items in your storage unit and become more organised to prevent belongings getting damaged. Here are a few mistakes that you should avoid.
1. Have adequate insurance for your goods
Generally, most storage facilities stipulate that self storage insurance must be provided to cover the value of the goods stored. Storage companies will offer their own goods insurance when you sign up and take out storage space. Alternatively, you can take out your own goods insurance policy with another provider, The storage company will require any proof of insurance. A key thing to think about when insuring your goods is to have an adequate level of cover, ensuring that the value you place on the items stored is going to be covered.
2. Protect and wrap your belongings
It goes without saying that to avoid damaging your belongings when moving and storing, it is essential to protect and wrap your fragile items with materials such as bubblewrap and packing paper. Also think about using strong cardboard boxes to put your items in. Be careful not to overload boxes and use packing tape to secure boxes ready to be moved and stored. Take time to protect and pack your items correctly as it will save hassle and money in the long term. Nobody wants to have to deal with replacing broken posessions.
3. Don’t store food items with the rest of your belongings
Avoid storing any kind of food items in your storage unit (even if they’re dry goods). Anything edible can attract pests, which leads to other problems including damage to your non-edible items. Furthermore, storing food and leaving it untouched or undisposed of in a storage unit can lead to terrible odours. When you take up a storage unit, companies will stipulate what prohibited goods are not to be stored.
4. Dedicate some time in getting more organised
One of the best ways to avoid things getting damaged and to save time in the long run is to be organised and keep a tidy storage unit. Don’t be tempted to simply cram all your items into a unit. It makes sense to spend time to organise things, label things and stack boxes neatly in the right places. This will prevent damages and save you time in looking for lost items when you next visit the storage unit.
Take note of the mistakes to avoid and you will benefit more from self storage, saving yourself time and money. If you’re looking for a secure self storage solution in Stoke on Trent or Newcastle under Lyme, get in touch with us today to see how we can help!
