Here’s a scenario: A winter storm is moving in, and you realize that a lot of your winter clothing (and other household gear needed for dealing with cold weather) is boxed up in your storage unit. You head out to the unit, and by the time you’ve dragged out all the stuff you went out there for, a dozen other boxes have been dragged outside, and perhaps a few have gotten knocked over in the process. On a really bad day, you might have even broken something.
You may be one of those people who pack their stuff away into a storage unit and then may not need to get back into it for months or even years. If so, this may not be the blog post for you. But if you’re the type that frequently visits your storage unit, whether it’s loading in new stuff or taking out old stuff, we’re here with tips and strategies that will make the access process smoother and more efficient.
This makes it easier to stack and access your boxes. Small and medium boxes are more conducive to stacking, and because of their size, it’s unlikely you’ll load any of them down so much that they’re cumbersome to carry or move around. Also consider that often, large boxes are used to hold lightweight items, so putting those boxes at the bottom of a stack may not be the best idea.
This is just common sense. When you’re repacking your storage unit, think in terms of what you may need on your next trip back, whether it’s a weekly, monthly or seasonal visit. Here are a few examples of what may need to go in this front rotation:
• Seasonal clothing
• Seasonal vacation gear like camping and sports equipment
• Holiday decorations
• Tools and hobby supplies
• Office documents
Another no-brainer. Being able to easily read the contents of each box will keep you from having to uncover and open each box to see what’s inside. You can use a numbering system or a color code, or you can simply write out the contents on the outside of the box with a Sharpie.
Having a list of everything that’s in your storage unit makes it a lot easier to find what you’re going after, especially if you’re using a coding system that links your list to the boxes. This can be a time-consuming and painstaking process on the front end, but it will save you lots of time and energy in the long run. If you don’t want to hand-write a list, search for an app that will do the job or just keep a simple spreadsheet on your laptop or desktop.
Check back next month to learn five more tips for helping you gain quicker and easier access to your storage unit.