There are a number of reasons you may want to make use of a self-storage unit facility near you. You may need to store items prior to, or following, a house move – you may be going away for a period and want to ensure certain belongings are left securely, or you may just be trying to create some extra space around your home or office. Whether you are seeking short or long term storage, choosing the right storage facility is important.
Here are some things to consider when searching for the storage you require:
- Choose a reliable company
- Give yourself enough time to research
- Make a detailed inventory of items
- Pack your items in an organised manner
Choose a reliable company
You wouldn’t just entrust your belongings with someone you didn’t know, so treat your storage unit company the same. Research the company you want to use and make sure they are established and have a good reputation.
There is easy access to business reviews online and don’t judge purely on storage unit prices – it may be a false economy to choose a company simply because they are the cheapest – you want a good service for a good price!
Give yourself enough time to research
There are a number of factors you need to take into account when choosing your self-storage unit company. Price, size and location are all important, so the earlier you start your search the better chance you have of finding a storage company that best suits your requirements.
If you leave it too late you may have to settle for an inferior service and facility.
Make a detailed inventory of items
As part of your planning for self-storage, make a detailed inventory of the items you’ll be storing. This will help you define exactly what sort of size unit you’ll require and will also allow you to plan your packing and storage in the most efficient and convenient way. This will also be a help in locating packed articles and with the general unpacking when the items are removed from storage.
Pack your items in an organised manner
Here are a few things to consider before packing your items for storage:
Labels
Labelling is essential in locating goods quickly when you need them. Pack things in relevant groups and label them clearly and concisely.
Valuables
Try to avoid storing particularly valuable items in your unit. Although these facilities are professionally run, and the storage is secure, it is best not to have valuable items that far away from your everyday location.
Strategy
Pack strategically – decide which items from storage you are most likely to need to access first, or most frequently, and pack these containers near the front of the storage unit. Ensure, also, that you make the most of the storage space – remember, it’s not just the floor space you’re renting – make the most of the height of the unit. When stacking boxes or containers, place the heavier, bulkier items on the bottom of the stacks.
Damage protection
Pack all your items carefully and properly. Use specialised packaging materials for the more fragile and vulnerable items and make use of blankets and coverings to protect surfaces of furniture items and the like.
Insurance
Ensure the storage unit you rent has insurance cover included in the service and, if not, purchase your own for peace of mind.
General advice
A couple of other things to consider – it may seem obvious, but treat your storage unit personal access code as you would your bank details – do not share them with anyone you wouldn’t entrust with your financial access.
Secondly, it may be worth investing in your own lock on certain storage boxes to use instead of, or alongside, the lock provided to you by the storage unit company. Although you’ll find a safe and secure environment, there’s never any harm in taking extra measures.
Chelsea Self Storage
Chelsea Self Storage we have 30 years experience in providing the ideal storage solutions for businesses. We understand the optimal storage methods for archived documents and records and can help you calculate the right size of unit you’ll need to maximise your budget. With some of the lowest competitive rates in the capital, we’re convinced that we can offer a file management solution that’s just right for your business.
We are conveniently located near Kensington, a short walk from the Kings Road in Fulham, and have satisfied clients right across London who can testify to our capability and customer service.
If you need to reclaim valuable office storage space then contact us today and we’ll be happy to help you archive your records safely and securely.
