Prepare Your items For Storage in 24 Hours – Here’s How To Do It

So, you’ve reached the point of securing the right storage solution for you. Now, what do you do to get ready for the big move in day? We’re here to give you a step by step guide to make storing your things as quick and easy as possible.

 

First things first…

Do your research

• Before piling all of your belongings into your chosen storage unit, make sure you know what can and can’t be stored in there.
• Most storage facilities have some restrictions on certain objects, particularly those that are flammable like gasoline. By doing this, you can walk right up to your unit knowing you’re not breaking any rules and that all of your items will be safe inside.

Once you know that…

Make a list

• Make note of what you are wanting to store – that way, you can get a sense of what kind of packing materials you will need.
• You can also check things off the list once you have stored them so that you know what you have left to move in.
• This will make you feel more prepared and in control of your move in day.

Now onto the nitty gritty…

 

Purchase the right packing items

If your items differ then so should your packaging. For example, whereas you might choose to protect your clothes with garment covers and hang them on a rail, you’ll want to bubble wrap breakable items like crockery and secure them in a closed box. Take a look at some of our packing suggestions below:

• Bubble wrap for valuable items – this ensures that they are well protected and should they be moved about a lot, or dropped on the floor, reduces the chance of them breaking.
• Cardboard boxes for kitchen ware and tools – these should be sealed with duct tape to ensure maximum protection.
• Plastic boxes for books, toys and electronic items – this will reduce the likelihood of dust or damp.
• Plastic covers for sensitive materials like duvets, bedding sheets and curtains – if you still have the packaging they came in then bonus! You can use this instead.
• Garment covers and clothing rails for clothes
• Cotton sheets for furniture.

 

Before packing it’s important that you…

Clean items before storing

If you put your items into storage covered in dust and dirt, then you’ll take them out of storage that way too. To keep your belongings in good condition, give them a good clean before storing them. This includes:

• Washing clothes
• Polishing kitchenware and furniture
• Using disinfectant for all appliances
• Dusting and vacuuming furniture

 

Then you can…

Pack your items correctly

What’s next is to make sure you pack your possessions into your chosen packing items correctly. Some examples follow:

• Hang clothes to reduce creases – if you want to pack them in a box, fold them properly. Not only will this reduce creases but it will also save space.
• Wrap breakable items in bubble wrap and secure with cellotape. Then place these in cardboard boxes and secure with duct tape. This will reduce the possibility of any damage. Make sure to label the box as fragile too so that you remember to be careful with is when it comes to unpacking it.
• Dissemble all large items such as furniture and keep all small parts like screws together in a plastic bag. This way you will be saving space.
• Wrap your homeware items in plastic sheets and tie them shut.
• Wrap books in paper before piling them into your boxes.
• Don’t overload your boxes – if you pack too much into your boxes then they will be too heavy to lift which will make the moving in process a lot harder. Plus, there’s only so much weight a box can carry and you certainly don’t want all your hard work going to waste by breaking a box.
• If you have any space left in your boxes, fill them with light material such as packing peanuts or tissue paper – this way, items won’t move around so much.

 

That’s not all…

Organise your items with a labelling system

• When packing your belongings into boxes it’s easy to forget where you put them. By packing all relevant items together and labelling them, you will make it easier for yourself when you come to find an item.

What’s more…

Hire a removal service

If you have a lot of items that won’t fit in your car then it’s worth looking into hiring a removal service. That way, all of your items will arrive on site at the same time without you having to make multiple journeys, which will save you time and money. Plus, you reduce the risk of anything getting missed along the way.

After all that you can…

Sort your storage unit

To make your unit even more organised, you can go beyond the labelling system by creating sections in your unit. This can be done by the following:

• Stacking similar items together
• Put shelves in your unit to separate items

To help yourself…

Create an inventory list for your return

• So that you can keep a check of what you are putting in and taking out of your container, it’s a great idea to create an inventory list. That way, you know what you have stored in your unit and from when.

We hope that each of these stages helps you to prepare your items for storage. If you need any more help please feel free to contact us.