There’s an old story that goes something like this. A teacher has a large jar and a collection of stones. He starts putting the largest stones in, one by one, and asks his pupils to tell him when they think the jar is full. When no more large stones will fit, they tell him it’s full. At this point he starts putting some smaller stones in, which of course do fit into the gaps, and once again he asks his pupils to tell him when it’s full. The cycle repeats itself, over and over again, the teacher using smaller and smaller stones each time. Eventually the pupils realise that the jar can never be completely full using the stones that the teacher has.
Leaving aside the somewhat obscure moral of this story, it does serve to introduce an important topic when we think of either self storage or business storage, namely, how best to pack your storage units.
As we’ve seen in previous articles the right supplier will look after your items for you, but it’s important for you to pack them properly into the storage units so that they won’t get damaged and are readily accessible when necessary.
Let’s take a look at how we might go about this, by following the 4 golden rules:
Wrap them up
It’s common sense, really, but do wrap up your breakables in either bubble wrap or industrial plastic wrap. A little bit of effort on this up front can save some unfortunate events later on!
Labelling
As your items go into the storage unit, much of which will be in boxes, you will of course know where everything is and what’s in each box. Now roll on six months – will you remember? Label and number every box, and keep your own list separately (i.e. on the outside) of what’s in every one of them. You’ll be pleased you did!
Think about the stones
This isn’t just about cramming everything in, of course. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s about planning where to put everything in the storage unit so that the breakables are safe, things you might need are more accessible (so pack last) than things you won’t (so pack first), and things are packed sensibly (for example, put the heaviest boxes underneath, and the lighter boxes on top of them). This planning might take a little bit of time, but it’s well worth it.
Don’t rush it!
Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast
(from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet)
You get the idea. Whatever the reason for using the storage facility, be careful and take your time. It will pay dividends later on …
The perfect supplier
Here at Chelsea Self Storage we’ve been providing flexible and cost-effective storage solutions for well over thirty years.
We are conveniently located a short walk from the Kings Road in Fulham, and have satisfied business clients right across London who can testify to our capability and customer service.
Although we cover a large area, the Fulham / Victoria / Battersea / Kensington / Chelsea area is our heartland.
If you’re interested in how we can help you, or need some advice, please call us anytime on 0808 168 1310 (Freephone) or 0207 351 6800
Alternatively, you can contact us via our contact page
As always, we’ll be delighted to help you
