How To Organize A Storage Unit
Have you just rented a storage unit? It's time to get to work. Unless you're dealing with an emergency, you don't want to just dump everything into the unit and leave it there. You have to organize it properly to ensure that your stuff stays in as good a condition as possible and so that you can get to items in back. There are four things you need to consider as you put everything into the unit, and they're straightforward and easy to implement.
Visibility
Unless you need to access them frequently, larger units need to go in back. For example, if you have a tall shelving unit and a medium-height shelving unit that will hold boxes, the tall one should go in the back, and the medium one should be placed along the side of the unit. Smaller items should go in the center. This ensures that you can see most of your items and don't have any strangely isolated pockets of small things.
Safety
You do need shelves. If you're storing only a couple of boxes, of course, you might not need the shelves, but for more, you want something that will allow you to store the boxes without stacking them on top of each other. Heavy boxes in a stack will gradually sink down, starting to crush the bottom boxes. Plus, shelving eliminates rickety stacks of boxes that could topple at any minute. While tall shelving units require caution, too, they are more stable than a mere pile of boxes.
Speaking of tall shelves, try to keep everything to head height or lower. If you place items up very high, it's going to be difficult to reach those items later on. You might not have a stepladder or tall friend available to help you, and if you're short, that means it will be dangerous to try to retrieve the top items on your own.
Ventilation
Keep everything a few inches away from the walls. That allows air to flow behind the boxes, eliminating pockets of humidity. This is also another reason to have shelving units because the space between the boxes also allows for better airflow.
Sections
Keep like items together. For example, place all your book boxes in one spot; place kitchen goods in another. This will help you find things later on. Do the same with furniture because if your belongings end up staying in storage for a while, and you decide to get rid of your furniture, it will all be ready to be moved out. You won't have to clear out the unit to try to find every last piece.
The office staff at the storage facility will also have advice about how to store items safely. Talk to them about getting a bigger unit, too, in order to allow for better spacing and access. For more information, contact King Arthur Self Storage or a similar location.