Organizing and Storage: How to Pack a Storage Unit

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Do you have organizing and storage needs? Are you wondering how to organize yourself to put your things into a self-storage unit?

There may come a time when you have found yourself selling one house and moving to another. Timing in life is everything, and sometimes it doesn’t work out as planned.

This can happen quite a bit in real estate sales. Ask any licensed Realtor, and they will tell you that transitioning from one home to the next is sometimes tricky.

The ideal situation is to sell your home and move immediately right into the next place you purchased. Some folks are not always lucky enough to have this happen.

Circumstances may dictate that you must accommodate the buyer who wants a quick close date for your home. You might be unable to pack up and move to your next place. This is when it becomes essential to have a fallback plan.

You may find yourself in the unenviable position of needing temporary storage. When this becomes your painful reality, having the best packing tips for moving can go a long way. Organizing and storage concerns are valid, as they can be a significant time suck when you have never done it before.

Living in your new place is pretty exciting if you are like most people, but planning to put most of your stuff into storage can temper that jubilation.

Unfortunately, moving your way from one house to another requires moving your stuff and a lot of work. Depending on how many things you have, you may need to store quite a few items to make a move successful.

From years of experience as a Realtor and having moved numerous times, storage can be extremely helpful. Many of my clients have utlized storage for various purposes.
Some have used it to drastically improve their homes appearance, while others needed it due to temporary moves. Having a plan in place for your move is always key to making things go smoothly.

Organizing stuff is labor that can take a good deal of planning. Below, you will see some of the best tips on organizing to prepare your things for storage.

General Organizing and Storage Tips

Choosing the Right Storage Unit

Assess Needs for Size: Estimate the storage space required to avoid paying for unused space.
Opt for Climate Control: Essential for temperature-sensitive items like electronics, wood furniture, or photographs.
Consider Location and Accessibility: Choose a unit based on how often you’ll need access and the convenience of the location.

Organizing Your Storage Space

Plan a Layout: Draft a floor plan to allocate space efficiently before moving items in.
Use Shelving Units: Use vertical space for smaller items and boxes.
Label Everything: Clearly label boxes and items for easy identification and retrieval. Using labels for contents in boxes will save tons of time.
Create Aisles: Leave space for aisles to access items at the back without hassle.

Protecting Your Belongings

Choose Proper Packing Materials: Invest in sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, and plastic covers to protect items from dust and damage.
Stack Smartly: Heavier boxes on the bottom, lighter ones on top to prevent crushing.
Prevent Moisture Damage: Use desiccants like silica gel packs to absorb excess moisture.
Secure Your Unit: Use a high-quality lock and consider insurance for added protection.

Maximizing Space

Disassemble Furniture: Break down furniture to save space and prevent damage.
Store Items Inside Others: Utilize the hollow spaces in furniture and appliances for additional storage.
Utilize Wall Space: Install hooks or hanging shelves for items that can be hung.

Maintaining Your Storage Unit

Conduct Regular Checks: Visit your unit regularly to check on the condition of your belongings.
Keep It Clean: Clean your storage unit periodically to prevent dust buildup and pest infestations.
Update Your Inventory: Maintain a list of stored items, adding or removing items as your inventory changes.

Efficiently organizing and protecting your belongings, alongside maximizing the available space, can significantly enhance your storage unit’s utility. Implementing these tips will ensure your items are safe, easily accessible, and stored orderly.

Statistics You Should Know

1. Utilizing proper packing techniques can maximize storage space by up to 30%.
2. Packing items in labeled boxes reduces search time by 60% when retrieving from a self-storage unit.
3. Approximately 9 of 10 professional organizers recommend using stacking bins to optimize storage unit space.
4. Placing heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones on top reduces the risk of damage by 75%.
5. Implementing a systematic approach, such as using an inventory checklist, can decrease retrieval time by 40%.

How to Organize Your Stuff for Storage

Decide on your storage space – The first thing you need to do is decide on the kind of storage space you want. You have several options for storage solution. They include standard self-storage, PODS, and storage offered by some of the best moving companies.
Which storage option you choose will depend on your needs and your budget. It would help if you started planning sooner rather than later to get the best space for your stuff. Generally speaking, renting a storage unit will be the most cost-effective option. One of the best methods of finding a local storage facility will be to search online for a storage unit near you. Head to Google and type “storage near me.” You should see quite a few options when doing your search.

Going With a Self-Storage Unit

If you choose to go with self-storage, you will want to calculate the amount of space you need.

Naturally, the bigger the space you need, the more money you can expect to spend. This is especially true if you need climate control and tight security.

Most self-storage resemble small garages or even full-size garages, depending on the space you go for.

Take a look at some great tips on how to choose a storage company. These tips cover everything you need to know about picking the suitable storage container to meet your needs and budget.

Do You Need Climate Controlled Storage?

Climate-controlled storage is a type of storage unit that maintains a stable environment in terms of temperature and humidity levels.

Unlike standard storage units subject to external weather conditions, climate-controlled options are typically kept within a specific temperature range. They are often maintained between 55°F and 85°F (approximately 13°C to 29°C).

They have humidity control measures to prevent the air from becoming too moist or dry. This consistent environment helps protect sensitive items from the damaging effects of extreme temperatures and humidity fluctuations.

Items That Need Climate Control

Certain items are particularly susceptible to temperature changes and humidity damage y and benefit significantly from climate-controlled storage. These include:

Wooden Furniture: Wood can crack, warp, or rot due to moisture and temperature fluctuations.
Electronics: Humidity and extreme temperatures can damage internal components.
Artwork: Canvases, paintings, and sculptures may experience deterioration under fluctuating conditions.
Wine: Requires a stable temperature and humidity level to age correctly and maintain quality.
Musical Instruments: Wood, brass, and string instruments can warp or damage.
Photographs: Can stick together, fade, or become discolored in unsuitable conditions.
Essential Documents: Paper can warp, mold, or degrade if exposed to moisture and temperature swings.
Leather Goods: Can crack, mold, or deteriorate if not stored properly.
Clothing and Textiles: Susceptible to mold, mildew, and pests in damp conditions.

Benefits of Climate-Controlled Storage

The benefits of opting for a climate-controlled storage unit extend beyond simply maintaining the physical integrity of stored items:

Protection from Extreme Weather: Keeps items safe from the damage caused by extreme cold, heat, and humidity.
Dust and Pest Reduction: These units are often inside buildings with sealed and insulated roofs, walls, and floors. This helps keep out dust, pests, and rodents.
Improved Air Quality: Regular air circulation in climate-controlled units ensures clean air. It is particularly beneficial for sensitive items.
Peace of Mind: Knowing that your valuable or sentimental items are stored in an environment that will protect them from damage can offer significant peace of mind.
Long-Term Preservation: For those storing items over the long term, climate control can help ensure that your belongings will be in the same condition as when you stored them when you retrieved them.

Climate-controlled storage is an invaluable option for anyone looking to store items that changes in temperature and humidity could damage.

By maintaining a stable environment, these units help ensure that your valuable, delicate, or sentimental items remain in excellent condition for as long as they are stored.

Whether storing heirlooms, important documents, or sensitive electronics, climate-controlled storage can provide the protection and peace of mind you need.

PODS For Easy Access and Convenience

If you want to do less work – and avoid moving in and out of a storage unit – you can opt for moving pods. PODS is a great company that some of my clients have used and been very happy with.

The pods are dropped off at your home, where you fill them up with everything. Once you have filled them, the company that provides them will move them from your home to a storage area or your new home – depending on your needs.

If you don’t have a PODS moving and storage company nearby, you can try one of the other portable moving container companies.

Moving companies also provide storage. You may have to pack up your things – or have the moving company do it – into specialized containers to qualify for this option.

Once you have your stuff packed, the moving company will transfer them to a temporary storage area and, eventually, your new home.

Declutter and Get Rid of Junk First Before Organizing For Storage

Declutter – Storage costs money – something you are probably interested in saving as much as possible. This means you must minimize the number of things that need storage.

One of the best companies to call to get your junk removal taken care of is 1800 GOT JUNK. Most people choose to Declutter before they pack, both for their sense of order and to lessen their storage load.

Learning how to declutter a home can save you time and energy. Go room-by-room in your home and go through all of your stuff. Separate the items into relevant piles or boxes – categories like throwaway, storage, donation pick up, and move.

Once you have everything divided up, you can dispose of it appropriately and minimize the number of things you store. When you are donating items, an excellent place to start is Goodwill or The Salvation Army.

These are great companies dedicated to helping less fortunate people. Not only will you be helping yourself but others as well. Also, specific companies will do furniture donation pick-up, clothing, and other bulky household goods.

Following these tips for organizing and storage can put you in the best position to make the process much smoother.Click To Tweet

Decide on Your Organizing and Grouping Strategy

Decide on your grouping strategy – There are two main ways to group your items – by room and need. It can be easy to go through each room, box up what needs to be stored, and label the boxes appropriately. However, there are things you will do more quickly than others.

Not knowing where they are can get frustrating, so consider creating at least a few boxes based on need. Things like toilet paper and soap come in handy quickly in a new home – ensure you can get to them promptly.

Get Good Moving Boxes For Organizing

Get Good Boxes

When you only have a small amount of stuff and are hauling it to your new place in a pickup truck, the type of boxes you use may not matter too much.

But when you store your valuables in a place other than your home – possibly for a while – it is worthwhile to get some new boxes that are uniform and will stack nicely.

It makes them easy to get to and reliable to move repeatedly. Finding moving boxes can sometimes be a challenge, so look at our guide on where to rent them.

Box Things Up Early

Packing takes longer than you think, especially once you go beyond the small stuff. Many of your stuff will fit nicely into boxes, but many will not.

This is when you must get more creative in your packing and work harder to create uniformity. This is yet another one of those top-moving tips we always mention.

The more oddly shaped and unboxed items you store, the more space you need to pay for. You want things to fit like Tetris. This is hard if you have not packed as much into boxes as possible.

Start early to do all this before you even begin moving and storing your things.

Organizing and Storage of Closets Takes Precedence

Organizing and storing your closets take priority. While organizing your clothes takes a lot of work, it’s worth it. You don’t want to throw it all together.

You probably have clothing you wear pretty frequently and other things for special occasions or don’t wear much.

Organizing these things ahead of time can save you a lot of last-minute work.

Apartment Therapy has some excellent tips for organizing your closets. Following their advice will save you a lot of stress when moving it all.

Keep Your Clothes Dry

If you have clothing and fabrics to store, ensure they are clean and dry before you put them away.

You can use the little packets of moisture-absorbing material to provide moisture control. However, you must start with clean and dry clothes for good results.

Some people pack their clothing to save space, which can work well, but again, you need thoroughly dry clothes to do this without causing mold.

Be Careful With Frames and Mirrors

Getting the extra time required to protect your frames and mirrors in one piece is crucial. A distance will be traveled from your old house to the storage space and onward to your new home.

Use protective wrappings like bubble wrap or blankets to minimize breakage. Invest in cardboard corners for the edges of the frames and the mirrors.

Label these as fragile so no one mistakes them for something durable.

Prioritize Unit Access

When placing your boxes in storage, keep the things you may need closer to the front. This may seem obvious, but throwing everything into the unit on a long-moving day can be tempting as it comes off the truck.

Failing to take the time to prioritize the way you store things will come back to bite you if you are not careful.

Make an Organized Map of Your Belongings

This step takes time and effort but can save headaches when you try to figure out where you put different things.

Your stuff may stay in storage longer than you think. You may need something badly – something you have no idea where it is. You may unload the entire unit without a map to find what you want.

Whether you use a simple piece of paper or something more complicated, map out your space as you go along.

Final Thoughts

Without a doubt, moving is hard work. With proper planning, you will make your move go much more smoothly. Starting to get organized and packed early on can help.

Hopefully, you have found some of these organizing and storage tips helpful. Best of luck!

Additional Helpful Articles on Organizing, Storage & Moving

How to organize your entire home – get some outstanding advice on managing your whole home before moving via Buzzfeed Life.
What to know about storage insurance – see some sound advice from Bankrate on insuring your possessions when put into storage.

Use these additional tips to do your packing, organizing, storing, and moving to go smoothly! When all of your stuff is organized correctly for a move, you will undoubtedly experience far less stress.

About the Author: Bill Gassett, a nationally recognized leader in his field, provided information on how to pick a storage unit with proper organization. He is an expert in mortgages, financing, moving, home improvement, and general real estate.

Learn more about Bill Gassett and the publications he has been featured in. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of Metrowest towns for the last 38+ years.

Are you thinking of selling your home? I am passionate about real estate and love sharing my marketing expertise!

I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Natick, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.

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Organizing and Storage: How to Pack a Storage Unit

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See the best tips for organizing your stuff for storage. Learn how to prepare for your things to be moved with ease and less stress.

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Bill Gassett

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Maximum Real Estate Exposure

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