Thinking Ahead: How To Pack Your Storage Unit For Easy Access To Your Items

One of the most common mistakes that people make when using self-storage units is that they fail to think about their need to access the items inside when initially packing these units. As a result, people will often find themselves having to unpack a large portion of their unit in order to access the things they need and then reload all of the unpacked items back into the unit. This can be both time-consuming and labor-intensive. Thankfully, you can easily avoid this problem by using the simple tips outlined below.

1. Always Maintain Walkways

While it is only natural to want to maximize your potential storage space by packing items into the smallest possible space, packing items too closely will make it virtually impossible to retrieve them easily. Instead, you will want to make sure that you leave enough room for you to walk from the front of your storage unit to the back on each side of the unit. This will allow you to easily access everything you need regardless of where they are stored in the unit. 

2. Store Frequently Used Items In Front

Items that you are going to need to access more frequently should always be stored in the front of the unit while items that are intended for longer periods of storage can be placed in harder-to-reach areas. For instance, if you are storing items such as your lawnmower and other outdoor equipment that is needed every few weeks, you will want to make sure that these things are placed in front while other items such as holiday decorations that are only needed once a year can be placed in the rear of the unit. 

3. Use Color Coding For Easy Identification

It can be hard to tell what is stored inside each box in your unit simply by writing their contents on the side or top of the box since these labels are often viewed at a distance and can be blocked by other items. Using colored storage bins can help to solve this issue by allowing you to color-code all of your belongings. For instance, all red bins may have holiday decorations while all blue bins house off-season clothing. 

4. Don't Rely On Your Memory

While you may think you know exactly where you put everything when packing your self-storage unit, your memory is not going to be quite so fresh by the time you come back to retrieve these items. Taking just a moment to sketch out a basic map or directory of your unit and taping it to the sidewall of the unit can help you to easily find what you are looking for in the event that your memory does fail you.

Contact a self-storage unit company for more information. 

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