Are you thinking about or have recently moved house and aren’t sure whether or not you want to keep every piece of furniture you own? Or you’ve sorted through your things and don’t know what to do next?
This article looks at why a self-storage unit may be the right answer for you and your furniture and how you can use this space like a pro.
Whether it’s our favorite armchair or that dining table you hosted your first Thanksgiving, parting from the things we’ve lived with can be emotional, taxing, or seem like an impossibility.
But perhaps instead of having to make mind-boggling decisions about what to keep and what to discard, we should look at the furniture storage units we have, or could have, and utilize them.
Let’s unpack this a little more…
Table of Contents
Are Self-Storage Units Right for You?
So is a storage unit right for you? There are several reasons why people choose them, be it that they are moving house and need temporary space for their furniture or they simply don’t have space currently for other stuff they want.
First, decide what you want to put into a storage unit. Once you’ve done this, do your research and consider finding a storage unit to house your items. When making a decision, it’s important to consider location, size, and the condition of the unit itself.
To make the right decision, it may be an idea to seek advice on the matter and find out more about the storage units in your local area.
How to Choose Your Furniture Storage Units
When selecting a storage unit, you may want to consider the following things:
Size
When it comes to storage units, size matters.
You need to make sure the unit you choose is adequate for the purpose you want to use them for and has enough space to hold all your furniture/items. You may own furniture that can’t be stored on top of other items. Consider this before choosing.
Is This a Long-Term or Short-Term Investment?
To choose the right unit, you need to decide whether this is going to be temporary or whether you want something that is going to be part of your foreseeable future.
If you’re living somewhere that just won’t hold that amazing couch you bought in the sales but it’s your plan to hang onto it until you find the home of your dreams, then think carefully!
Accessibility
It’s essential you can get to your storage unit. You may have found a great unit that has everything you desire, but if it’s in a different state, there’s simply no point going for it.
Group Your Items
Once you’ve gone ahead and decided that a self-storage unit is a right move for you, it’s time to group your items.
It may be tempting to recycle that chest of drawers you don’t have room for or that doesn’t fit with your current home’s style or bung everything in whatever box is at hand without much thought, but this will only lead to future headaches and possible damage to items.
Instead, to make things easier and to utilize your storage space, group items together and, if possible, store them in one unit.
For example, if you own some valuable pieces of furniture or they are heirlooms and you just have to hang onto grandma’s side table, group them together and look at what temperature your storage unit is kept at so items aren’t damaged.
Also, books, clothes, and kitchenware all have very different functions, so they should be separated and stored accordingly.
Once you have grouped your belongings, you’ll have a clearer idea on what you own and how much you have to store.
It’s also essential to save in terms of the frequency in which you want to access these products, and grouping will help with this.
Prepare Your Unit
Once you’ve found a suitable storage unit, it’s a good idea to check it out and make sure it is precisely what you’re looking for. It’s also the perfect way of understanding the space you have to work with.
Storage units should be cleared and cleaned after every use, but it’s always wise to check that this is the case and that you’re happy with the condition of the unit before you commit to putting your stuff in there.
Pack Efficiently
Efficient packing is key to storing like a pro. As mentioned above, grouping your items is a good idea, but here are some more packing tips:
- Store heavy items in sturdy containers
- Avoid using plastic bags as this could promote mildew, damp, or not providing a safe covering for your items
- Place smaller and lightweight items on top as this will make it easier to retrieve when needed
- Stack things unless they’ve valuable, in which case, pack in bubble-wrap then stack
Chairs are a perfect example of an item you can safely and efficiently stack together. It looks tidier, and it saves a lot of space! There may also be items of furniture you can dismantle, especially if it came as a flatpack.
Keep Calm and Get Packing
Packing and storing can rarely be described as a fun past-time. However, it doesn’t need to be full of stress or headaches. By following the above tips, you hopefully have a better idea on the steps that can make this process easier.
If you’re someone who feels they have too much stuff and too little space, furniture storage units are excellent options to consider.
They will allow you to keep the things you want but give you the space you need in your current circumstance. So stay calm, and get packing!
If you’ve found this article interesting, you may want to take a look at some of our other topics here.
