We’ve all been there, haven’t we? It’s time to dig out the Christmas decorations … and we begin to rummage around in the semi-darkness of the loft for old dustbin bags and cardboard boxes wondering where everything is. We say things to ourselves like “Surely I put the Christmas Tree holder somewhere around here?” and “I thought we had more decorations than this?” and “So where are the lights?”. (If you’ve never asked these questions, you’re in a tiny minority of very organised people).
It’s around this time, whether we find them all or not, that we vow that “next year will be different”. That on the 12th night we’ll box everything up carefully and safely, in a highly ordered way, and label everything properly. Hmmm. And do we? You bet we don’t …
So this month’s article – timed to coincide with the forthcoming trip into the semi-darkness of the loft – is giving you some useful tips on more effective Christmas decoration storage and how to ensure that next year things will be a little easier to find (and, ideally, less lights and baubles will be broken).
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For starters, you don’t have to put it all in the loft! Think about it – you only have all your decorations out for around six weeks each year … leaving 46 weeks every year when they’re gathering dust and taking up valuable space! So why not pack them up safely and carefully and store them off-site in a dedicated facility like ours? You’ll be pleasantly surprised not only at how inexpensive it can be, but how convenient and flexible it can be too.
Some people think that self storage is only economic for larger scale projects such as house moves, but that’s not the case. With Chelsea Storage there is no minimum amount of space you need to take up, and no extended fixed storage term – flexibility is our watchword!
Effective packing starts with mapping
Wherever you store your items, make a little map of where everything is. This might simply be a list of what box you’ve put which things in, and (if it’s going in the loft) where you’ve put each box. This will mean that you’ll find things quickly.
First things first
By which we mean, think about the order in which you’ll want to get things out next time – and put the things you’ll want first on top.
Wrap carefully
Yes we know it’s obvious, but you probably won’t be surprised at how few of us do it properly, or say things like “I’ll just put them there for now, and wrap them up later” … and then never get around to it. And then wonder why things break (because we forgot where things were and put heavy things on top).
Safe stacking
If you’ve got several boxes, pile them carefully on top of one another to save space, but not too high so the ones at the top might topple over … and follow the “supermarket principle” off putting the eggs (in this case, the delicate breakables) on top.
Cover it all up
Why not cover everything, even if it’s already boxed, with protective materials or sheets that will ensure that they stay in perfect condition?
Recycle
Not just to save the planet, but to save money too. Put unused wrapping paper and cards in a labelled bag for life for next year – there’s no harm in that. And why not cut up old Christmas cards to make labels for presents? The children will love doing that, and we know several “grown ups” who would too!
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If you do take the plunge and “outsource” the problem, many of the same rules apply. Take care about where you put things, how you stack them, and ensure that you can easily get to everything when you need to. We’ll take care of the rest!
Some highly creative ideas!
There’s lots of imaginative advice out there, follow the link to one of our favourites: Creative ideas
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We are conveniently located a short walk from the Kings Road in west London, and have satisfied clients right across the city who can testify to our capability and customer service.
We can advise you on all aspects of storage, even down to how to pack effectively.
If you’re interested in how we can help you, please call us anytime on
0808 168 1310 (Freephone) or 020 7351 6800
Alternatively, click on the following link to go straight to our page on Storage Solutions in Victoria: Storage Units Victoria or here for our home page, or here if you want to contact us on-line. We’ll be absolutely delighted to help you, whatever your requirements are.
