There are several reasons as to why one would rent a storage unit: moving, divorce, death of a loved one, downsizing, or just plain wanting to have extra storage space for your items. With sizes of houses decreasing each year, it is quite understandable that everyone is feeling cramped inside their own homes. This feeling is further magnified by the fact that the number of possessions we now have is continually increasing.
In fact, in an article published by the LA Times, Regina Lark, a professional organiser, states that an average household has over 300 000 items. That’s right. 300, 000! Consider your living room, for instance. Just how many things can you see? What about those inside the drawers and cabinets? Do you think you have more or less than 300, 000?
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Regardless, living in a small and cluttered space can prove to be an unpleasant living experience. Many psychologists attribute a good mood and an overall positive way of living to the living space where one could unwind and relax. How exactly can you kick back and relax when there’s stuff even on your couch?
Aside from getting a new place, a more economical road for you to take is to rent a self-storage unit. There are several companies in London like Henfield Storage that offer affordable units to both residents and businesses.
It’s essential that you make the most out of your storage unit. You don’t want to pay for a unit whose contents are just air. Here are some tips and tricks that might help you get the most out of your storage unit.
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Stack Up
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Height is your friend when it comes to units. This tip also works with your garage and other storage spaces that you may have. This is one of the best ways to maximise the area that you have. When you stack your items, you also reduce the amount of space that you need, which means you can save up on your rental.
Stack your boxes on top of each other up to the ceiling, if possible. Please take note of all the contents of each box to determine whether it can withstand the weight or not. Another solution is by having shelves assembled into your wall.
Organise Your Boxes
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The bigger your storage unit, the higher its price would be. This is why you must organise your boxes, so it takes as little space as possible. Aside from this, it would help if you also decluttered before sending over everything to self-storage.
You want to remove the items that you don’t want in your life already. Any broken things should also go to the bin instead of storage. Just because you have a storage unit does not mean that you should send everything without evaluating whether they still have use or not.
Label Your Boxes
One storage nightmare you want to avoid is not knowing where all of your items are. When you’re packing your stuff inside boxes, create a master list. This way, you know where everything is. It would make collecting your items far more manageable as you do not have to go through all the boxes to find your baking supplies. Put a label on top of the box and the side so you can see it fast.
Disassemble All Furniture
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The best way to store your furniture is by disassembling them into their parts first. Furniture can take up a lot of space when stored without disassembly.
At the same time, there’s a higher chance of getting your furniture damaged when you don’t disassemble them. It’s quite easy to get your furniture dinged when they’re in the middle of your storage unit. To avoid losing parts and pieces, tie the parts together. Also, put all the screws and bolts inside a bag, so you do not miss anything.
Use Dryer Sheets
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Storing your items for a long time inside a storage unit can give it a musty smell. It can also attract pests, spiders, moths, and rats. The best way to solve this problem is to add dryer sheets and air fresheners. The scent will keep pests away and have your items smelling fresh all of the time. Make sure that you replace your air freshener a few times a year, so your unit keeps its freshness.
Use Bubble Wrap, Newspaper, and Rags to Protect Your Valuables
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Protect your fragile and valuable items further by wrapping them with bubble wrap. You may also use newspaper and rags if you want to save some money. Your valuables can get damaged during transit, so you want to take extra measures in keeping everything safe. After all, you do not want your vintage tea collection to get broken, do you?
Don’t Store Liquids and Flammable Items
Protect your items further by not storing any liquid or flammable material inside your storage unit. Your storage facility will have a list of things that are not allowed inside, such as perishable food, plants, gas, petroleum, etc. You should follow these rules for the safety and protection of your items.
Electronics Need To Be Stored In A Climate-Controlled Unit
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There are specific customisations that you can add to your storage unit to improve its convenience and functionality. One of those is climate control. By adding climate control into your unit, you can store wooden furniture and electronics for a much longer time.
As your items will not be subject to extreme temperatures, their lifespan will also lengthen. Climate control also prevents mould and rust as it regulates the moisture inside of your unit, making sure that all of your items are in tiptop shape.
Regularly Clean Your Storage Unit
It’s crucial that you clean your storage unit regularly. Accumulated dust can do a lot of damage. Additionally, this also allows you to get rid of the items that you do not want to keep already. In fact, throw out enough stuff, and you can downgrade your rental plan and move to a smaller and much cheaper unit.
