Loading, unloading, moving, and sorting is a process most people dread when it comes to storage. In your mind, it might seem easier just to throw everything in one spot. However, if you have a plan and an efficient approach, loading and unloading can be a routine activity that helps you efficiently store your belongings.
Thinking ahead and planning out your approach is important. Planning can help to ensure that your belongings are adequately organized and protected from damage. Organizing saves you time and energy, so you won’t have to spend as much time searching for items you want. Finally, proper planning will help you get the most out of your storage unit. Keep reading for storage tips from the storage experts at StoreEase including approaches to loading, unloading, and more.
Plan Out Your Approach
If you think before you do, it’ll be much easier than throwing everything into a truck and stuffing it where it will fit in the unit. As you plan your approach to packing and unpacking, ask yourself some questions to guide the planning process.
What Will You Store?
An essential first step to loading up your storage unit is planning out which items you’ll be storing in your unit. When it comes to planning what you’ll store, follow these steps:
- Create an inventory of items stored
- Purchase bubble cushions and packing paper for fragile items
- Gather moving supplies such as plastic containers or boxes
- Wrap or cover items to prepare them for packing and moving
What Size Storage Unit Do You Need?
Once you have an idea of what you’ll store, you need to determine just how much storage space you’ll need for them. Try these methods for finding the right storage unit fit:
- Use StoreEase’s size guide, which can help you determine the unit you need
- Measure your furniture items
- Choose a storage unit based on the sum of your measurements
How Will You Move Your Items?
One of the last but most important steps to take is figuring out how you’ll move your items. Think about if you’ll need helpers or professional movers, and take some steps to ensure you’ll be able to get your belongings from your home to your storage unit:
- Obtain an adequate vehicle or rent a moving truck
- Recruit help from friends and family or professional movers if necessary
- Create a loading path to make the process smooth for loading and unloading
Packing Tips
Once you’ve got the inventory list for what you’ll be storing, an idea of the size of the storage unit, and a plan for how you’ll get it there, next comes the packing process. Proper packing is essential for loading and unloading because it keeps your belongings safe throughout the process and while in storage.
Carefully packing your items will also allow you to use fewer boxes and take less trips while you move your items into and out of your storage unit. You’ll want to find a balance between packing boxes as full as possible and keeping them light enough for you to carry.
Some of our top packing tips include:
- Sort your belongings and store like items together
- Disassemble bulky furniture items if necessary, then wrap them in a blanket to protect everything.
- Roll up rugs and store them upright.
- Store clothing in plastic containers to keep them dry
- Wrap fragile items in bubble wrap and utilize packing pillows
- Label all containers
For even more smart packing advice, check out StoreEase’s storage tips.
Should You Rent Climate-Controlled Storage?
Planning to store delicate items susceptible to humidity or extreme temperatures? StoreEase provides climate-controlled storage units to shield items from climate changes. Since these storage units are consistently kept within a range of temperatures, they’re a great option for storing items during the summer and winter, when temperatures are most harsh.
While changes in climate may not seem like a big threat, when items are exposed to extreme heat, freezing temperatures, or sudden changes in the weather, they can be damaged in many ways. Extreme temperatures can cause warping, cracking, melting, fading, discoloration, and more. That’s why a climate-controlled storage unit is often a better choice than a garage or outdoor shed.
If you plan to store any of the following items, we highly recommend climate-controlled storage:
- Wine
- Electronic appliances
- Vintage items
- Musical instruments
- Paint or artistic products/chemicals
- Wedding dresses
- Fabrics like leather or lace
- And more
Storage Unit Organization Tips
Storage unit organization can help you avoid damaging your items, provide easier access, and save you time. With a considerate organization, retrieving stored items will be a cinch.
Once you have your inventory list and everything is packed, use these organizational tips:
- Store vertically! Stacking boxes, rugs, furniture, etc. It makes it easier to maneuver.
- Invest in shelving for more efficient storage
- Place large, heavy items in the back or the bottom of the unit.
- Stow disassembled furniture upright
- Put frequently used items near the front of your storage unit
- Keep fragile items near the front and top
Rent Self Storage From StoreEase
Ready to put these loading and unloading tips into practice? Rent the storage unit you need from StoreEase online today. Our high-tech, top-of-the-line storage features and many storage unit size options make it easy to find storage that fits your needs.
Select one of our many storage facility locations to get started. Then, select the storage solution you need, and follow the instructions to reserve or rent storage online. Not sure which size is right for you? Our size guide can help you visualize each of our storage unit options.