The saying goes, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” The same applies when packing and organizing your household belongings into a storage unit. It will make it easier to find what you need when you need it and keep things organized so that they do not get damaged or lost. Keep reading to learn tips on packing and organising a storage unit.
What You Need to Know Before You Start Packing
Many factors go into packing and organising a storage container unit, such as
- what type of items you’re storing,
- how long you’ll be keeping them, and
- how much time do you have available?
When packing and organising a storage unit for the first time, it is essential to know what types of things need special care. For example, suppose you’re storing items that can be damaged by water or humidity, you will need to use unique materials to pack them, so they don’t get ruined. You also want to remember how much space your items take up when determining which ones should go into the container first.
7 Tips for Packing a Storage Container
1. Set Up a Packing Station
If you have a lot of stuff to pack, it can be helpful to set up a packing station. This way, all your supplies are easily accessible, and you won’t have to run around looking for tape or scissors while trying to pack. The packing station should include a trash can, a tape dispenser and scissors, a marker or pen to label boxes, and any supplies you need to pack fragile items. You might also want to set up an area where you can sort out the things that need to be loaded into boxes immediately.
Create a packing station checklist to help you remember everything you need to pack. You can also use this list as a packing checklist when filling your storage container.
2. Get The Right Boxes and Label them
Once you have the packing station set up, it’s time to start packing. There are various types of boxes that you can use for storage containers, including plastic bins and cardboard boxes. Both are great options for packing because they offer plenty of cushioning and protection for your belongings. Make sure any boxes or bins aren’t damaged or too old before using them as part of your moving supplies.
Label the boxes clearly so that you can quickly identify them when unpacking. You should also label the outside of each box with a significant, permanent marker so that it’s easy to read from a distance.
3. Use packing peanuts around the edges of containers
Packing peanuts are a great way to keep heavy items from knocking into each other while in storage. You can fill up the gaps between boxes, containers, and bins with packing peanuts before putting them in storage. This will help your items get to their destination without getting damaged by another item hitting them during transit.
Packing peanut material is also a good idea if fragile items need extra protection. These items can be placed in the center of a box, surrounded by packing peanuts, so they don’t get damaged while moving around.
4. Sort Items By Frequency Of Usage
It’s a good idea to sort the items in your storage unit by frequency of use, so you can easily access them when needed. For example, place belongings used only once or twice a year in the back of the unit while storing items used more frequently at eye level. This will help you keep track of the items and make them easier to grab when needed.
It’s also essential to separate belongings that need different conditions or levels of protection. For example, if you have some items that need to be stored in a dry environment and others that shouldn’t be exposed to moisture, make sure they are placed separately.
5. Stack Heavy Items On The Bottom, Lighter Items On Top
When packing a storage unit, it’s crucial to consider where the heaviest items will go. If you don’t, they could damage other items in your unit and make them susceptible to damage or theft. You should also be aware of the weight limit for each size of storage unit so that you don’t exceed it by packing too much or putting things in the wrong place. The same goes for lighter items, which you can place on top of heavy ones. Doing this will allow you to distribute the weight more evenly and prevent damage.
6. Create a Universal Walkway
You want to ensure enough room between boxes to walk through and access the items inside. If your boxes are too close together, then there will be no way for you to move around them without stepping on some of your belongings. This is especially important if you need to get a specific item out quickly in an emergency.
To do this, make sure that there is at least 6 inches of space between each box. You can easily fit a dolly through and maneuver it around the boxes. If you don’t have enough room, consider removing some of the items inside your storage unit so that all your belongings fit comfortably.
7. Don’t stuff your unit
The more you stuff into your storage unit, the less air there is for each item to breathe. Only pack as much as you need at any time or use space-saving items like boxes and crates.
8. Use NFC Tags
NFC stickers are revolutionising the way we organize our homes. These tags offer a digital solution to catalog the contents of storage containers. With this system, the hassle of sifting through multiple boxes to locate specific items is greatly diminished. This not only saves valuable time but also contributes to a more organized and less cluttered living space. OneTap Review, an Irish-based NFC tag supplier, have a range of proximity marketing and universal NFC tags to help you easily see item contents without opening packaging.
See our organisation NFC hack guide here.
Final Thought: Always Start with a storage plan
The most important thing to remember when packing a storage unit is to plan ahead. You should always start with a storage plan and ensure your items are correctly stored. It’s also important to remember that not all items can be stored together — especially if they’re of different sizes or materials.
Remember that the more organised your storage unit is when you pack it up, the easier it will be to find things later.
