Many people have different items – clothing, seasonal items such as Christmas decorations, perhaps sports equipment and such – that take-up valuable space in the home. There is a growing trend for renting a storage unit to keep these seasonal items in a safe place away from the home to create more space for daily living – logically and practically organising these storage unit spaces is a task worth undertaking to maximise your storage unit space and obtain the best return on your storage investment. Here are some tips on how to best organise your space:
Declutter
People often associate ‘decluttering’ with simply identifying items you no longer want or use and throwing them away – this is not the way to effectively declutter! A proper decluttering exercise should result in items sorted, and space created in which to most effectively store the items you have identified as valuable to you in some manner and that it is important for you to retain. There are four separate elements to effective decluttering:
- Keep – The most important aspect in decluttering any storage unit or space is to properly identify all the items contained within – evaluate all the individual items and decide what you want to retain, and which items are no longer useful or required. Once an item is identified to be kept then separate it from the rest.
- Throw Away – There will inevitably be items that you identify as no longer of value or use and which can be disposed. Consider though that, just because you no longer require or want the item, that maybe it could be of use or value to others! If you evaluate an item that you think has no further use for anyone, then throw it away – responsibly of course! Don’t feel guilty about parting with items – just because you have had them a long time does not necessarily mean that they retain any value, sentimentally or practically!
- Sell – You may identify items that are no longer of any practical or otherwise use to yourself, but they may be appropriate for somebody else – if these items are in good condition, and you think have a financial value, then consider selling them on – as well as perhaps holding a ‘garage sale’ or going to a second-hand store, there are many digital online platforms that allow you to advertise ‘pre-loved’ items and you may get some financial return in selling them.
- Donate – The fourth option for your items is to donate them to one of the many charities that will be very grateful for them and be used to enhance other people’s lives. If these items are still in good condition – and unwanted by yourself – then donating to a charity of your choice is a great way to extend the life of the item and to help others along the way!
Retained Items
Once you have successfully identified, evaluated, and sorted all the items in your storage unit, you need to settle on the most efficient way to use your space to keep the items you have retained. There are three main storage organisation methods to consider:
- Pack and Label – Packing your items and clearly labelling the storage containers/boxes is essential for effective storage. Clearly identified items – or groups of items – will help access to your possessions when needing to make use of them again and make any seasonal ‘changeover’ of the items much quicker and easier. Once packed and labelled, store the containers in logical groups – for example, if you are using your storage unit to keep household items, then grouping the containers by room will make them easier to find when you next require them. It is always a good idea to tape a concise inventory of the contents in each box or container to the outside for easy identification.
- Rotation – The whole point of keeping a storage unit to retain seasonal items is to be able to swap them over for the relevant periods – after you have completed your decluttering exercise, store the items you will next need at the front of the unit – if, for example, the items you will next require are spring/summer things, then place any storage containers for your winter or Christmas items at the back of your storage unit and place your summer boxes/containers at the front for quick and easy access – then vice versa when swapping seasons! Always be aware to store your boxes and containers with practical gaps between and around them so they are easily – and safely – accessed when you need them.
- Inventory – It is an invaluable tool to create an accurate and comprehensive inventory of your items. This serves to not only make identifying and accessing the containers you need much easier, but also keeps you aware of the items you retain and serves as a guide to future packing and unpacking, and possible reordering or replacement of items when necessary. Remember to update the inventory if any items are permanently removed or if additions to the containers are made. This way, you will always have an accurate record of every item you are keeping in your storage unit.
