LIST EVERYTHING.
It may seem an obvious thing to say and it may seem like an awful hassle, but it will save you time in the long run. Have a Master list for everything that you are putting in store and then a ‘room by room’ list. Every item that you wish to put in store should be listed in detail, you could place each item on a spreadsheet, with all the relevant details particularly commenting on the condition of the item so you can be sure that it hasn’t deteriorated during the time it was in storage. You could also draw a map of the whole storage unit, placing markers where you’ve positioned different boxes, so at a glance you can see which area you need to be looking in. You could even photograph every item as that will make it easy for you to find and recognise (remember you may be retrieving different things after several years and you may have forgotten what that antique dining-room chair looks like!)
DIVIDE UP THE STORAGE AREA
Depending on the size of your storage unit, you could have four different sections and you could divide up the boxes so that each one contains different items that you clearly label, so for instance you could have, office requirements in one section, sports equipment in another, winter clothes in a third section, and unneeded furniture in a fourth. That way, when your friends suddenly invite you to join them on a spontaneous ski-ing trip, you can easily access that pair of ski boots that you put away at the back of the box because you didn’t think you would be needing them for the next few years!
LABEL EVERYTHING
It is really not enough to put one label on each box. It may be that the label gets obscured by other boxes on top of it or close up at the sides, so stick a label on every side of the box and on the top as well. It’s the kind of thing that you don’t appreciate how important it is until you don’t do it, and then you realise what you should have done! Just picture yourself opening one box after another to find a gift that you want to give someone, but as you cannot see what is inside, you are needing to rummage through one box, then another one just to find that particular item that you now need and could not have anticipated!
POSITIONING OF BOXES
Before you start to position your boxes and containers in the storage unit, take a few minutes to consider what things are most important, what you might need to get access to frequently, and what items you are hardly likely to need for a long time. Are you likely to be storing bulky winter coats and thick clothing? Perhaps winter sports equipment like skis that take up so much space? But when the winter comes, make sure that you have easy access to those items. Similarly, you may be storing summer needs, like sailing items, kayaks, surfboards, or beach tents that you really don’t have room for, and you don’t need on a day- to-day basis for over two thirds of the year. So, the most important thing is to invest a little time in when you will need certain things, so that you can start planning the whole back to front lay-out, that is, everything you’re not going to need for a while goes at the back, and items you might need more often, store near the front of the unit so that you can get to them all easily.
UNIFORM SIZED BOXES
Try to put all of your smaller belongings in similar sized boxes. This will help both with stacking the boxes on top of another, and also make accessibility easier. Large boxes should obviously be placed on the floor at the bottom of the unit, and don’t overload them just because they are large in size. Look to fill large boxes with blankets and linen or other items of household goods that are not as heavy as large books.
WHAT KIND OF BOXES SHOULD YOU USE?
Cardboard boxes do a good job but for a small extra out-lay you might want to consider plastic transparent boxes. They give you the advantage of being able to immediately identify the contents, whether the label is visible or not. Check out with the storage centre you choose and get them to give you an estimate for cardboard boxes and also plastic. Then you can make the decision.
HOW TO DEAL WITH LARGE ITEMS OF FURNITURE
If you have any large bulky items, like beds or sofas, or very heavy boxes, perhaps packed with books, remember to start with these items and position them at the back of your unit. Obviously, they create a good solid base for lighter items, that you don’t want to get crushed and those naturally will be positioned on top of everything else.
To make the most of the space within your storage unit, you should dismantle any large items of furniture that you may have. You need to take bed frames apart, and headboards, and they should be stored vertically which will give you more floor space.
WHO TO CHOOSE?
Ribua Storage Centres with four units in central Israel, and nearly 20 years’ experience, are the best and most professional people to advise you on all matters related to storage. Just give them a call for hassle-free storage and peace of mind.