If you are loading your storage unit yourself, there are certain things to keep in mind to ensure space efficiency, safety from damage to your items, and organization. Follow these tips to get the most from loading your storage unit.
- Take an inventory of your items – First, assess all your items. Create a mental checklist of everything that is to be loaded. Make sure that if it is to be loaded, it is not something that you will need immediately.
- Choose the right unit – Based on how much stuff you have and your needs, you will want to determine the size of unit you need. Have your storage company help guide you with the right size. Also determine if you want a climate-controlled unit or not.
- Label everything – Once you have a handle on all your items to be loaded and the keys to your storage unit, be sure that all of the boxes are labelled in detail. Try to label the boxes on the vertical tier facing you, so when unloading the unit, you can see the label.
- Start with heavy items on bottom – When beginning to load, you want to start with heavy items on the bottom with a flat top that can be stacked onto, also referred to as “base pack”. A great example of base pack is dressers.
- Pad your furniture – Before stacking on your furniture, you want to be sure that it is draped in a moving blanket to protect it from scratches and chips to the corners.
- Load couches vertically – Couches can take up a lot of space in a storage unit. Since other items cannot be easily stacked on couches, you save the most space by setting your couch certically on its left or right arm.
- Load in even tiers – You want to load your items in even tiers horizontal to the back wall of the storage unit. If you try loading horizontal to the side wall, then the last few tiers will be hard to load. Get the most out of your limited space by loading this way.
- Stack high – The higher you stack, the more space you have in the end. Stack your highest level with light or fragile items. If you are loading a tall unit or are not very tall, consider bringing a step ladder to allow you to load to the top
- Fill in every gap – Think like a game of Tetris. By filling in every gap, you will ensure that you are getting the most of your storage space and ensure that your items cannot shift or fall over if you are stacking high. The tighter you pack your items, the safer they will be.
- Take pictures – It is helpful to take pictures of each tier that you load. That way, when you unload you will have a good idea of what is where.
- Load important items last – If there are items that you know you will need right away at the time of unloading, be sure to load them in the last tier, so they are last in and first off your unit.
The bottom line
When loading a storage unit, it can be easy to lose track of your items, run out of space, or even damage your items. Follow the tips above to ensure a pain-free storage unit load.
About the author
Ryan is a writer for moving resource website movehoncho.com. As a former mover and passionate content creator he combines the two to reach a wide audience to help simplify their move.