In an ideal world, every self storage company would pack your goods for you into their moving van but in reality, most organizations charge extra for this service. Although most people are delighted to get rid of clutter, the process of packing your possessions into a moving truck and then a self storage unit is not high on people’s ‘things I enjoy doing’ list. Nonetheless, this is exactly what you must do in order to save money overall. Below are a few tips which will help you pack your goods securely and ensure that nothing gets broken during self storage.

Packing Goods into a Moving Truck
After sorting through everything and deciding what needs to go into self storage, the last thing you want is for items to get broken en route to the storage unit. First and foremost, you must prepare an inventory to keep track of all your possessions. An inventory will be necessary if you have any disputes with the self storage company.

Instead of throwing clothes in a random heap into a box, store them properly in a wardrobe box. These special boxes have metal bars where clothes can be hung (hence the name) with plenty of space at the bottom for bags, shoes and other small miscellaneous items. All mattresses and box springs should be placed at the sides of your container (which is usually provided by self storage companies). Use plastic sheeting to protect the mattresses which in turn will prevent other items from crashing against the sides of the container.

Instead of placing heavy items in large boxes, place them in small individual boxes whenever possible. This will make it far easier to move them in and out of the container. You should also stack items according to their weight with the heaviest goods placed on the bottom. This is just common sense but is often overlooked. Ensure that all boxes are filled up as much as possible. If contents are placed in half-filled boxes, they are more likely to hit off one another, causing damage. Finally, place bubble wrap around all fragile items and do not place mirrors flat on the ground.

Packing Goods into a Storage Unit
One of the biggest dangers of placing your possessions into a self storage unit is the threat of humidity and moisture which causes mold and mildew to grow on furniture and other fabrics. You need to prevent water from entering your storage unit. This can be achieved by wrapping the unit with plastic sheets or even plywood. Place fabrics in sealed containers which will not be penetrated by moisture. Calcium chloride and silica gel packets should also be placed in the container as they absorb moisture.

Clean all heavy appliances before placing them in self storage. It’s also necessary to ensure that they are completely dry before packing them away. All moving parts (such as doors) belonging to appliances should be sealed with duct tape. Secure the container with a padlock; don’t rely solely on a company’s security.

Hopefully, the above tips will help you when the time comes to place your possessions into a self storage unit.

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