There are a number of occasions, or circumstances, that we may consider renting self-storage units – moving house, seasonal storage, general decluttering at home or something else. Whatever your reason for renting personal storage, the first task is packing your things away in readiness for transport.
In essence, you’d think that packing away your goods for storage would be quite easy and straightforward wouldn’t you? Just buy some boxes, load them up with your stuff and securely tape them shut – seems simple enough!
There is, however, value in planning your packing more carefully – this will help secure your goods safely through transit and storage and be worth the extra effort.
Here are a few things to consider and tips to follow:
Use quality packing materials
It is always best to consider quality packing materials. If your goods are going to be stored indefinitely, you will want to ensure that whatever is inside remains properly protected. Whilst facilities at most self-storage units are first class, with dry and secure environments, you will want your actual packaging materials to offer the same.
You can buy specialised packing cases and boxes in any high street – also consider items such as bubble-wrap for the more fragile items and invest in a good quality packing tape to seal your boxes where necessary.
Spread the load of your heavy items
Very often, when packing things away, there is a tendency to group ‘like with like’ – putting similar items in the same box. This, however, is not always the best idea – whilst it may be beneficial when unpacking to have, for example, all your books in one box, the likelihood is that the box will be particularly heavy, putting a strain on both the actual box itself and the person moving it from location to location!
It is perhaps better to ‘spread the load’ – place books, or other heavy items, in the bottom of a number of boxes, and then fill the boxes with your lighter items – this will ‘even out’ the weight across the entire consignment.
Use similar sized boxes
Try to limit the number of different-sized boxes you use in your packing. Sticking to one or two specific sizes will help with organisation and stacking, both for transport and actual storage. Once in the storage location, having just a couple of different-sized boxes will stack more easily and make the most of your rented space.
Use clear labelling
Make sure you label every box clearly and accurately – it will make life much easier when you come to unpack or are searching for individual items at different times.
The do not’s!
DO NOT use plastic bags for storage – whilst you may think it will keep the contents safe and dry, it is actually the perfect environment for mould and mildew to occur, thus damaging whatever is inside.
There are also restrictions on certain goods, or items that can be legally kept in self-storage units – obvious things like live animals or explosive materials – but there are other, less obvious examples, such as, potentially toxic materials or flammable goods.
It is always worth checking if you have any doubts at all about any of the items you wish to store.
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.
