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Investing in a storage unit is a fantastic option when it comes to keeping your belongings safe. Whether you are moving house and need somewhere to store your furniture or if you simply have a lot of seasonal items that you do not currently need, self-storage could be the perfect solution for you.
However, it is no secret that it can be difficult for even the most organized person to keep track of what items they have stored away. With this in mind, let us discover four brilliant hacks that can help you to arrange your storage unit in the most accessible way.
1. Write an Inventory List
Remembering how many items you have put into storage can be tricky, especially if you own a wide range of eclectic pieces. Although spare beds, couches, wardrobes, and dining room tables are hard to miss, small possessions like ornaments, electronics, and clothing can get forgotten.
Accordingly, as soon as you have browsed storage units prices in Tampa or self-storage rates in your area to determine the best course of action for your items, it is time to create a list of everything that you want to place in your unit. Whether you prefer pen and paper or a spreadsheet is totally up to you, but a list will ensure that you know exactly where your prized possessions are kept.
You might even want to take photos of each item in your unit and create a photo album on your smartphone of where in your unit your items reside so you can easily hunt them down. A basic layout map of your unit can also help you to locate your items in a hurry, so be sure to keep an up-to-date record of your storage unit inventory for ease of access.
2. Store Your Belongings in Clear Plastic Boxes
If you need to find your items as quickly as possible, then storing them in clear plastic boxes is a fantastic solution. Digging through several different boxes to find what you need can be time-consuming, and it can be so frustrating when you cannot seem to find what you need straight away.
Although cardboard boxes are totally acceptable if they are all you have to hand, why not treat yourself to some translucent boxes so that you can see instantly what has been stored in each corner of your unit?
Above all, using clear boxes is particularly helpful when storing clothes and other soft fabrics that can look similar at a glance.
3. Label Your Boxes
It might seem intuitive, but so many people forget to label their boxes and then panic when they cannot remember which box their item was stored in. Even with an inventory list and clear plastic boxes, finding a particular item can be a challenge, especially if your storage unit is full.
Nowadays, you can order printed labels online or make them yourself. Sticking a label on one of your boxes with ‘clothing’ written on it might be all it takes to help you to navigate your belongings. Your labels can be simple or more detailed according to what exactly you have stored.
Just remember to keep your labels facing the front of your storage unit. This way, you will not need to move any heavy boxes around and will be able to see which box you need as soon as you enter your unit.
4. Place Your Heaviest Items at the Back
Heavy items can create a great stackable base for your smaller boxes. It is unlikely that you will need to access your bulky furniture and large containers regularly, so keeping these items at the back of your unit makes retrieving what you need much simpler.
No one wants to have to lift heavy items unnecessarily, especially if you will be visiting your storage unit alone, so be strategic about arranging your space so that lighter items are at the front and can be moved around as and when needed.
Similarly, place frequently used items that you will need again in the near future, such as seasonal clothes, decorations, or paperwork close to the entrance of your unit so that you will not need to spend too long tracking down your essentials.
Ultimately, with the popularity of storage units showing no signs of slowing down, knowing how to keep yours in the best possible shape is a super way to ensure that you can keep your belongings safe and secure while still being able to access them quickly and efficiently when the time comes.
Do you have a storage unit? How do you keep yours neat and tidy?
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