Top 5 Items You Should Be Storing In A Storage Unit

Self Storage Tips – Self Storage Advice

How do you protect items in storage?

Many people believe that storage units are only for huge items like boats or to keep things while you are moving from one location to another and don’t have the time or space to deal with all of your belongings.

For many people with limited storage space at home, however, storage units are a great way to declutter and keep the things you don’t need on a daily basis somewhere safe without cluttering up your space.

When you’re ready to free up more space at your house with a storage unit, these are the top 5 items that we recommend moving out first!

#1 Documents, Files, And Other Papers

In a perfect world, we would be able to get rid of all of our old business papers and tax forms without any fear that we would need them again.

Most people, however, hold onto these items for a few years to be sure that they never need them. In a small house, these piles of papers can wind up causing you a lot of grief. Who wants to keep a set of unnecessary file cabinets at home for these excess papers? Photos are also a great thing to move into storage if you aren’t using them constantly.

Moving them into a humidity-controlled storage unit simply makes sense!

#2: Seasonal Sports + Decoration Items

Nobody needs their Christmas decorations in May. You also don’t need your Halloween decorations in January! Keeping all your decorations at home can quickly become a storage nightmare, and a storage unit can really help.

 

To make storing seasonal decorations more sensible, be sure to label everything clearly on the outside so you know what to take home with you when the season begins. Rotating the items you have in storage so that the seasonal decorations you will need next are easy to access can also save you a lot of time and frustration. Before you send them into storage, make sure that you pack everything up carefully!

#3: Items You Want To Declutter

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a few boxes of items that you want to sort through before you let them go, sell them, or donate them. These boxes can quickly add up and take a lot of space.

For that reason, some people actually set up decluttering storage units! Put your boxes there, and then start going through them. You can even use the space at the unit to sort your items without the pressure of finding space for it at home.

Once your sorting is complete, you can gradually bring the items that you want to keep back into your home. Then, it will be quick and easy to finish letting go of the remaining items in the unit.

#4: Out-of-Use Furniture

Most families have a few pieces of furniture that they aren’t using right now. Whether these items are being held for when children move to their own homes in the future, or they’re simply sentimental pieces that you haven’t yet figured out how to repurpose, keeping these items at home just eats up space.

Putting bulky furniture in a storage unit is a must. If you aren’t using it weekly (at a minimum) but you still want to hold onto the item, find a unit to keep it safe in without allowing it to eat up your space at home.

If you are planning on renting out your property or putting it on the market, putting furniture into storage for staging is often a necessity.

#5: Collectibles & Memories

Collectibles and memories from previous generations or friends can be a hard thing to let go of, and no one is saying that you have to!

 

While you can display some items, the chances are high that you aren’t interacting with these items daily, and that makes them a great thing to move to a storage unit.

When storing these types of items, remember that some antique items need to be handled very carefully and should not be stored in a unit without taking the proper precautions.

Store Smart

The items that make the most sense to go into a storage unit are going to differ for each person. Ultimately, it is up to you to decide what makes sense to keep in a unit and what you would prefer to access anytime you want to without needing to leave home.

 

Regardless of what you decide to put in a unit, remember to always store smart:

• Store things properly so they won’t become damaged.
• Take pictures of items before storing them.
• Keep a detailed inventory of what you put into storage as a reminder.
• Label all containers, boxes, and more clearly so you can quickly find any items when you visit the unit.

 

Storage units are a great way to declutter your home and organize your belongings, but remember that they will eventually become cluttered, too! Stay on top of what you are storing so you don’t let a storage habit get out of hand.