You have found the storage unit for rent, but now you need to organize it. Decluttering your home is great, and finding the right storage unit for rent can make life a lot easier. Unfortunately, your personal storage space can quickly get out of hand if you’re not careful about how you organize it. When you first throw the boxes in there you might just be glad to have them put away. Three months later, however, when you’re looking for the winter clothes, it becomes a nightmare. By the time you’re done, no organizational system remains. There is a way to avoid this, and while it will be more time-consuming at the beginning, it’ll be well worth it later when you’re trying to find all the stuff you squirreled away in the self storage facility.
- Before you even start, map a layout for navigating that storage unit for rent. You’ll need a way to get through the junk in order to access everything. It’s not a good idea to assume that some stuff will never need to be touched and shove it all the way to the back where you have to move half of your things in order to reach it. Line furniture against the wall opposite your boxes, and be sure to leave a path down the middle of the unit that goes all the way to the back.
- Make a master list. Don’t assume you’ll just remember everything you put in there. This is the most time-consuming step and the one you’ll most likely to want to skip, but it will really pay off later if you have a list of exactly what’s in your unit. This will also come in handy for insurance purposes if you ever need to make a claim. If you have time, digitize your list or even use dictation to keep a list on your phone as you go.
- Use just two sizes of boxes. When you first look at the storage unit for rent, it’s empty and probably looks like it has all the room in the world. Once you start putting a lot of stuff in it, it’ll fill up very fast. Different size boxes will make it more difficult for you to organize your storage and also more difficult to stack. Having just two sizes, one larger and one smaller that you can stack on top, will save you a lot of angst as you pack the actual unit.
- Carefully label every box. Be sure to label each box on the top and at least one side. Write down where it comes from and what’s in it. You might even number your boxes if that’s the way your mind works best. When you stack the boxes, be sure to do so in a way that lets you see the number or the description clearly. As you’re packing, don’t forget to consider what you’ll need to access and when, and as you stack them put items you’re unlikely to need regularly in the back and items that you need access to in the front.
- Consider getting a bigger unit. A lot of people make the mistake of renting a unit that is just big enough to hold their existing stuff. The problem with this is that we tend to continually generate more stuff, and it might not be long before you start packing more things in there. If you didn’t plan in advance for this contingency, you might find yourself unable to keep up any kind of organization in a space that’s filling up quickly. There are also times in life when you might suddenly need more storage space temporarily; for example, if you’re storing items while moving. Plan in advance so you have flexibility for this.
America today has more than 50,000 facilities for storing personal items. There are five times more self storage facilities than there are Starbucks coffee shops the United States. It won’t be difficult to find a storage unit for rent: just be sure to take the time to organize it and save yourself frustration and time later.