Top Packing Tips to Maximize Your Storage Space
From home renovations to making more space in an apartment, you have the power to create more space in your home with storage organization. Taking a few practical steps ahead of time helps save time and effort that would be spent sifting through large piles inside your storage unit. Our team at Overflow Garage will share effective storage and organization tips to use as you pack.
Why Storage Unit Organization Is Important?
The process of packing and moving your belongings is often a stressful one. What can make the effects of stress worse is opening a box on move-in day to shards of broken glass.
By establishing organization methods as you pack and move your household items into self storage, you save yourself stress and open opportunities to clear out space and carve out time better spent preparing for whatever life event you need storage for, whether it’s a new home or a new family member.
Self Storage Packing Tips
To avoid stress and hassle in the future, stay organized before and after moving into your storage unit. To do so, you’ll need a good plan. Gathering advice helps you make a checklist to streamline the packing process.
To help you get started, here are ten packing tips to help you stay organized as you pack for self storage.
1. Declutter First
The best first step in packing for a storage unit is to do multiple rounds of decluttering. Sort through all your belongings into groups. We recommend categorizing items based on whether you want to keep, store, discard, or sell them. Regular decluttering helps determine what can and can’t go in a storage unit. You’ll be shocked at how many items will leave your home.
2. Gather the Necessary Tools
If you’re asking, “What will make packing my stuff easier?” One answer to this question is to gather the proper tools ahead of time. Make a list of all the packing materials you need, including:
- Packing tape and dispenser
- Bubble Wrap
- Moving bins and boxes
- Furniture blankets
- Mattress covers
- Packing paper and peanuts
- Bold permanent market and labels
Some items will require different supplies from others. Fragile items, such as dishes and glasses, benefit from paper or towels to pad out the box. For bulky coats and sweaters, use vacuum-sealed bags to compress them down.
3. Pack With a Plan
Once you have all the materials you need, it’s time to develop a packing plan! Create a system that helps you maximize every inch of space in your storage unit to its full potential. One technique is to pack one room at a time. This method helps make unpacking easier and keeps similar items together.
Another great packing system is from a master inventory. Use online spreadsheets to make a list of what’s in each room. From there, create a spreadsheet for each room, leaving every corner, closet, and drawer accounted for.
4. Use Smart Packing Strategies
As you make your way through your home and make a storage inventory, you’ll want to use smart packing strategies. When choosing what to keep your items in, use durable and stackable plastic bins with lids. Transparent bins are recommended to avoid opening up many lids for a few items.
Do you plan to store any furniture? Disassemble it if possible and keep the parts together to prevent damage like scratches, nicks, dust, and debris collection.
5. Label Everything
When we tell you to label everything, we mean it. Use packing tape and a permanent marker to create detailed labels of each container’s contents. If you have a box of kitchen supplies, list out all the supplies in it. A label differentiates a bin of DVDs and video games, making label systems a major timesaver in the long run.
6. Plan Your Storage Unit Layout
There’s more to a storage unit than placing your items and leaving. Maximize space by planning out how you want to lay out your storage unit. Create aisles to better access the bins in the back.
If you plan to buy electronic devices or holiday decorations frequently, consider placing them in the front. Use the drawer and cabinet space in your stored furniture as additional built-in storage.
7. Leverage Vertical Space
While mapping your storage unit, don’t just think horizontally. Vertical space is your best friend for maximizing storage space. In addition to stacking bins, use freestanding shelves to house clothing and other lighter-weight accessories without crushing any boxes below.
8. Choose the Right Storage Unit Size
After you gather all your storage items and have a clear idea of what you need, it’s time to find the proper size. Several storage units are better suited for different scenarios. Large storage units are better suited for furniture, while a 5×5 storage unit is ideal for organizing a stack of boxes.
Use our online size guide to help you find your ideal storage unit!
9. Consider Climate-Controlled Storage
Do you have several items sensitive to heat, humidity, and rain? Renting climate-controlled storage is your best choice. Kept at steady temperatures year-round, these specialized storage units are great for storing large amounts of temperature-sensitive items, including:
- Books and documents
- Wooden, upholstered, and leather furniture
- Artwork
- Vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs
- Musical instruments
- Sensitive clothing made from lace or linen
- Photographs and scrapbooks
- Electronics
- Appliances
10. Find an Ideal Storage Facility
Finding a storage facility convenient to your home and work is essential to a seamless storage experience. For affordable, reliable self storage, a name you cannot overlook is Overflow Garage. Our dependable storage facilities give people the storage unit they need to stay organized, all at competitive monthly rates.
Make Organizing Storage Simple With Overflow Garage
Maintain an organized storage unit with ease at Overflow Garage. We offer a range of small, medium, and large storage units across our many convenient locations. Whether you need space during an office move or living room renovations, get the space you need fast with our help.
Contact us online or find the nearest Overflow Garage location to get started today!