If you’re in the process of renovating your home or carrying out any home improvement projects, secure storage is a great way to clear the clutter from your home. Once the clutter is in storage, you can get on with the job of renovating. Whilst finding and booking storage might be easy, packing for storage is an art – particularly if you want your belongings to remain in pristine condition.
Thankfully, we’ve distilled this art into a series of easy-to-follow tips that will ensure your treasures come out of storage in exactly the same condition as when they went in.Â
The Basics
Successful packing for storage always involves an inventory, so make inventory your first priority. With an objective eye, survey the contents of your home. Decide which items you want to keep (and store), which items can be sold or donated to charity, and which should really be thrown away.
The best part about this step is that it allows you to declutter your home, keeping only essential and much-loved items. That way, once your home improvements are finished, you’ll be able to live in a brand new, clutter-free environment.
The Art of Packing for Storage
- Even professional storage spaces present difficulties for your treasures. For example, spaces can be subject to temperature fluctuations and harsh environmental factors like damp and humidity. That means you need to double-wrap delicate items, such as photos and important files, and treat wooden and leather objects and furniture.
- Never store dirty or wet whitegoods, or they’ll be completely ruined by mould by the time you come to pick them up. Before storing, make sure your whitegoods have been thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and dried. You also need to prop doors and lids open to protect the seals and prevent smells from building up.
- If you still have the original packaging, this will offer the best means for storing electronic goods. If you don’t have the original packaging, make sure you invest in quality, custom-made moving boxes.
- Ensure that all batteries from electronic goods have been removed, as these present a significant safety hazard and can leak, causing all sorts of damage in the process.
The Art to Packing Your Storage Unit
- Using every available inch is the key to a packing a storage unit well. The best way to do this is to pack all the way to the roof. You can do this safely by using plywood sheets to create stable levels in between your boxes.
- To protect your treasures from damp and moisture:
- Use wooden pallets to keep everything off the floor.
- Leave at least 10cm between your items and the walls of the storage unit. Condensation can build up inside storage units, and then drip down the walls. Stacking cardboard boxes flush against the walls could result in damage.
- Don’t forget to create a labelling system, so you can easily pull things in and out of the space. For example, you could affix coloured stickers to each box and have the colours correspond with your inventory.
- You need to secure your space by investing a good quality lock. All-weather, short arm locks are the best option because they aren’t susceptible to rust and corrosion, and they can’t be cut open with bolt cutters.
For even more tips, tricks and secrets on making the most of your investment in storage download the ultimate storage checklist. It’s full of expert advice on protecting your belongings, and ensuring that everything you put into storage stays in pristine condition.
Need help with your renovations? Our Hubbies are here to help with a wide range of home improvement and renovation projects. Speak to us today for more information on how we can help on 1800 803 339 or book a free quote online.
