Organizing your belongings into different categories helps you find items more efficiently in your storage unit. To improve the organization of your storage unit, use these six tips!
1. Pick one box size for most, if not all, of your items
Same-size boxes help with stacking and accessibility.Small or medium boxes will be perfect for most of your belongings. Keep in mind that large boxes are excellent for items that aren’t very heavy, but they may not hold up well at the bottom of large stacks. Large boxes are more difficult to remove if you need something out of them – especially if they are at the bottom of a stack. Need boxes? U-Lock has boxes of various sizes available for purchase at any of our six convenient locations.
2. Identify the items you may need to access while in storage
Things you do not use regularly when you are packing may be needed later on. Carefully consider the items you may need while they are in storage, giving extra thought to seasonal items.
Here are a few things you may need to retrieve from your storage unit:
- Winter or summer clothing
- Trip supplies (tents, sleeping bags, snorkeling gear, sleds, cookout utensils)
- Holiday items (decorations, costumes, bakeware)
- Kids’ toys (kids may enjoy a “new” box of toys when they get bored of the toys they held onto when packing)
- Tools and hobby supplies
- Office documents
3. Label each box you pack
Label each box on the top and on at least one side with a unique box number, the room it came from, and the contents of the box. Place a special mark on boxes you may need to access at some point while in storage and remember to put them in your storage unit last.
4. Create a master contents list
Make a list with all the box numbers and write down all of the contents of each box. This might seem like a cumbersome step, but a master list becomes very handy when you need to find a specific item – especially if some of your boxes will be completely out of view.
If you prefer to keep things digital, there are speech-to-text tools you can use to dictate text so you don’t have to type as you go. Additionally, if you want to take organization one step further (or don’t trust your handwriting), you can print each line from your inventory list to create custom labels for your boxes!
5. Plan an organized layout for your storage unit
If you are going to access your unit frequently, you will need to put some thought into how you arrange your storage unit. Ideally, you want to put furniture items against the wall opposite your boxes to leave a path in the middle of the unit. This way, you can access boxes and furniture without any hassle. If you need to use the space in the middle, place items that can be easily moved, to avoid difficulties.
6. Consider upgrading to a larger unit
Storing your items in a storage unit like a Tetris game makes retrieving them very difficult. A little extra space can give you room for shelving units and a path through the middle of your unit for easy access to most of your belongings.
Hence, it is good to rent a larger storage unit – just slightly bigger than your needs to give yourself some wiggle room. A slightly larger storage unit also gives a bit more leverage if you want to store more items in the near future.
If you have any questions about renting a storage unit, please contact us and we will be more than delighted to help!