Self-storage units come in various sizes for multiple purposes. You can use it to store the items you no longer need until the next year or season. People also use it to park their cars, RVs, or boats for a certain period if they are away. It is especially convenient for moving between houses.
If you are starting a new business with limited resources, you can use a rented storage space to work. It is cost-efficient, and you can use it over time. Also, storage units are safe enough to keep them secure if you have sensitive business and client information in hard copies.
According to US Census Bureau, the average spending on storage units increased from $50 million in 2013 to $458 million in 2018. It fell to $395 million in 2020 because of the global coronavirus pandemic, when people limited their global movement.
There are 49,233+ self-storage facilities across the US, with 53% of rentable space occupied by small operators like households and small business owners. It shows the demand for self-storage units, which will only increase over the years since industry experts see the potential and ease of self-storage units.
Convenience Brought by Storage Units
You can find airport storage units near residential and commercial areas. These are especially convenient for frequent movers and those who travel for work. Managing your daily stuff and furniture is easier to handle than renting a furnished apartment, for example, everywhere you go. You can locate storage units Salida near your place of lodging. It will make unpacking a lot easier for you.
It provides gated security along with surveillance cameras and coded entry. Therefore, you can be sure that your items are safe and only within your reach. No one else would be able to enter your secure storage location.
Moreover, booking a storage unit near your stay will make it easier to carry large volumes if you are going on an extended family holiday. For example, you can store your skiing, ice-skating, golf gear, or other sports equipment instead of purchasing from holiday spots. Such spots charge tourists a lot of money for items you only need for a short period. It includes umbrellas, hiking gear, or other specialized tools, depending on the place of visit.
It is even more convenient if you bring any children with you. Kids typically require more stuff than adults do while traveling. Small children demand bringing all their toys along, while teenagers like bringing their bikes, scooters, video games, etc., along with them. Now you can easily bring and manage items for everyone via storage facilities.
Helpful Tips while Packing
If you decide to store your items in the unit, do not just throw your things around. You must first prepare the unit and organize and sort your items before placing them in storage units. It includes cleaning up the unit, ensuring it is climate-controlled, and managing your inventory.
Let us look at some useful tips on packing your things and placing them securely.
Pack Your Belongings Strategically
First, organize and sort your things into categories.
Then, make a list of all the inventory items.
Next, start packing your stuff securely in cardboard boxes. Use new and clean boxes instead of old ones.
For Packing Furniture
Make sure to avoid plastic wrapping for furniture since it can suffocate the furniture unless it is a bubble wrap. Instead, use quilts or old cloth sheets to cover your furniture. If you need to tape the cloth securely, avoid its direct contact with the furniture surface. It could remove the paint or polish, damaging your furniture.
For Packing Appliances
Drain your appliances of any liquid before packing to avoid moisture accumulation.
Next, take off the lids and coverings and pack each part separately. Use newspapers or old magazine covers to do this.
Make sure not to plug in the appliance while in storage. To avoid any smell, pour a little baking soda inside the microwave, for example, and open its door inside the storage.
For Packing Electronics
Make sure to pack all your electronics in clothes and linens. Then place it inside its original packing. It will ensure electronic safety even if the box gets damaged or ruined—store all your electronics in climate-controlled units.
For packing Clothes
First, wash all your clothing items and neatly fold them, so you do not have to launder them after unpacking.
Next, use plastic containers with lids to pack all your clothing items. This way, dust, moisture, or mildew will not damage your clothes.
Lastly, to make sure your clothes do not catch moths, pack cedar balls along with them.
Map Out Your Storage Area
Before moving any boxes in, draw a rough map of the storage space and assign different items in different places within the area. Only then start placing your boxes inside accordingly.
While doing this, leave some walking space in between so that you can easily go to the back to fetch your items.
Maximize Storage Space
After organizing, categorizing, and sorting your stuff, place heavy boxes at the bottom first. Then stack up against your other boxes weight-wise. It will help save space and make things easily accessible whenever you need them.
Additionally, install shelves and stands to hold oddly shaped, heavy, or light stuff. You can place things for which you cannot find reasonable packing on shelves and racks. Just drill temporary shelves and racks to hold such items. You can easily remove them once you plan to vacate the unit.
Moreover, if you store dresser drawers and cupboards, take them apart and place delicate and fragile items inside them, so they do not break.
Organize Your Storage Unit Priority Wise
The inventory list that you made earlier will help you organize your stuff based on priority. If you are traveling to a cold region, keep warm clothes in the front of the unit.
Similarly, if you are going on a hiking trip, keep your gear in the front for easy access.
If you do not need to take out your dining table set until a year or two, keep it at the very back end.
Label Your Boxes
For ease of finding stuff, make sure to label every box. You can adopt two types of labeling techniques.
- Label the category of the item in bold letters. For example, ‘KITCHEN.’
- Under the main label, mention items inside the box under the category
It will make your life a lot easier by making stuff easily accessible.
Conclusion
Before packing your items in a self-storage unit for whatever purpose, you must keep certain things in mind for the safety of your stuff. It includes carefully mapping out the storage area, carefully packing each item, and placing them strategically to ensure ease of access.
Storage units serve multiple purposes. You can use it while traveling, when starting a new business, moving houses, a place to store extra items, etc. It ensures the safety and security of your things. It is a cost-saving method of storing your belongings. Therefore, please take full advantage of it whenever you can.
