If you find yourself in the market for a self-storage unit for the first time, you might not know where to start looking. Maybe you and your family are moving and need a place to store things for a bit while you get settled. Perhaps you have an overflow of items from a loved one that passed away and you need someplace other than your home to store it. Whatever the case might be, there are certain dos and don’ts of self-storage units. Here are several self-storage tips on what you should and shouldn’t do when loading up your items inside of a unit.
Do: Purchase Storage Insurance
Prior to reading this article, you may not have known that storage insurance even existed. It sure does, and if you’re using a self-storage unit, then you need to invest in insurance for it.
Consider it along the same lines of something such as rental insurance for your apartment.
You agree to pay rent for your storage unit just as you would for an apartment, and so, as the renter, your insurance will protect your items in the event of damage or loss.
This means things such as fire, water damage, theft, or vandalism of your property is completely covered.
Be sure to reach out to a trusted storage insurance provider to secure your belongings today!
Don’t: Place Perishables Inside the Unit
To some, this might seem like an obvious no-no, but it’s worth repeating in case you were considering it.
The main idea of a storage unit is to place items inside of it you don’t see yourself needing for a certain amount of time. It’s not necessarily a place you’ll want to visit on a weekly basis.
Because of that, you should refrain from placing any perishable items inside. That means things such as food or plants should not be placed inside.
Remember, you’re only renting the storage space, not buying it to own it. Leaving perishable items inside can make the entire unit start to have a bad smell that your storage provider may tack you for down the line.
Do: Label All of Your Boxes
As previously mentioned, you’re probably going to store items inside of the unit and not revisit them for a while.
While you may think that you’ve organized them properly as you store them, you will come back several weeks/months later and not remember what you put where.
That will lead to the infamous task of going through all your boxes just to find one item you desperately need or want. Staying organized can prevent that!
To avoid such a hassle in the future, be sure to label all of your boxes in an organized manner. From there, place all your items in a similar category close together so that you know where to look next time you need to retrieve an item or two.
Don’t: Store Invaluable Items Inside
Everyone has items that they can’t part ways with. The item(s) have too much meaning and backstory to them for you to ever throw them away.
However, depending on what that item is, you may or may not feel that you have a place for it in your house.
One thing you should never do is place those invaluable belongings inside a self-storage unit. If you can’t bear to lose it, don’t place it inside.
While you have storage insurance that will help you during loss, there’s no way to recover the meaning behind the keepsake items that you lost in the process. To avoid such a detrimental blow, be sure to refrain from placing them inside a storage unit
Do: Compile a Team of Movers
While it’s not as big of an excursion as moving all of your items into another house, it’s still a move nonetheless. Depending on how many items you plan on storing, the event might be quite exhaustive.
Try to gather as many people to help you with the move as possible. There are several ways that you can go about doing this.
First, you can hire a team of professional movers who will help you with transporting and organizing your items.
Secondly, you can save a bit of money by rounding up your friends and family members to take time out of their day to help you out. Try incentivizing them with pizza and beer/soda for anyone that helps you move. That should do the trick!
Don’t: Share Your Keys to the Unit
Depending on the unit that you rent from, your key might be a physical key for a lock or just a code to open the door.
Whatever “key” you’re given, be careful about who all you give it out to. Ideally, no one outside of you or your spouse should know the code.
If the occasion arises where you need your dad, mom, brother, or sister to swing by and pick something up, then you can give them the key for that purpose. However, if it’s a physical key, be sure to have them return it right away.
Also, be sure to purchase a strong and efficient key lock box for your unit to double-down on the security of your items.
Heed the Advice In These Self-Storage Tips!
Now that you’ve seen all the essential self-storage tips, it’s time to start with the first step and invest in storage insurance.
Be sure to read this article on why storage insurance is so crucial for all of your self-storage belongings.
For more inquiries, please begin by receiving your free online quote and we’ll be happy to assist you further!
I didn’t know that you could buy insurance for your storage. I need to store some items while I’m building a new house. I will look into my insurance options.
I’m glad you mentioned labeling all of the boxes in case you need to retrieve something. My brother needs to store some of his junk in a storage unit to make room in his house. He should find one that has good rates and security.
I liked how you mentioned compiling a team of movers. It would be less hassle if you need someone to do it for you. Thank you for sharing this information.
My husband and I were thinking about renting a self-storage unit soon so that we can have more room in our basement and our garage. I appreciate your tip to label all your boxes and keep similar boxes together so you’ll know where to look in the future. We will have to make sure to do that so that we can find things quicker and help make going there not stressful if we’re in a hurry.
That’s a good idea to use labels to help you remember where things are later on. I am moving in with my mom next month to help her recover from major surgery, so I need a place to store my furniture and extra belongings. I will be sure to bring labels with me when I find a storage unit in the area.
I really like your tip about labeling my boxes and placing similar items together so it’s easier to retrieve items. My boyfriend and I will be going out of the country for a few months to visit his parents so we needed somewhere to store all of our stuff in while we’re gone. I think it would be a good idea for us to rent a storage space for this soon.
I appreciate your tip about labeling all my storage boxes so I wouldn’t have a hard time looking for my items. My husband wants to buy a kayak for the summer but I’m a little apprehensive since we have nowhere to store it when we’re not using it. My sister suggested getting a storage unit for big items like these so I’ll look into this soon.
I really appreciate you highlighting how to never do is place those invaluable belongings inside a self-storage unit. A great point indeed, where I’m sure those interested in getting a storage unit will be glad to be mindful of. My interest in this came around after having a conversation with my sister on self storage units last Monday over dinner. She is moving out and relocating in a couple of weeks and wants a storage unit to store her belongings. I told her I’d help her look into it and was pleased to have came across your brilliant post here. Thank you! I’ll send this over to her later today!
After researching about storage units, this kind of article will be your next. We always have to be aware of the Do’s and Don’ts in a storage unit. When I rent a boat storage, I make sure of the things that I should know.
Thanks for the reminder to not put perishable items in your storage unit. We’re moving soon, so I need to find a storage unit to store some of my things until I find the space for them. I’ll be sure to double check the boxes for anything perishable.
I appreciate the reminder that you provided that you must be careful about sharing the keys to the storage unit that you will rent to ensure security. My plan is to rent personal storage where I can keep some of my valuables since my apartment can no longer accommodate all my artwork and vase collections. I will surely do your tips to have peace of mind that unauthorized people won’t be able to access them.
I am going to shift my house next month and I want to rent a self storage unit to put some of my items temporarily. Thanks for mentioning that we should never place invaluable belongings inside a self-storage unit. I will read these tips once again before I buy the self-storage unit. Thanks again for the tips!
In between moves, my best friend is going to rent a self-storage unit. It is good advice to suggest purchasing storage insurance. It can protect against fire, water damage, theft, and even vandalism of the property that is stored. I will mention this to her.
Thank you for explaining that you need to label all of your boxes well. My friend has been wondering how she can keep her unit organized. I’ll be sure to pass this advice on to her.
Thanks for pointing out that perishable items should be refrained from being stored in a storage unit since they can cause a bad smell inside the unit. My parents mentioned last Monday over breakfast that they are planning to rent a self-storage unit. They want their house renovated, and it is important for them to find a unit for their belongings.
Me and my wife love your reminder that we should place labels on the things we’ll put in the storage unit since we might not be able to remember it if we come back. We are currently in the process of moving to a different house and we can’t bring all of our things; we don’t want to sell them either. Furthermore, we think that finding a self storage unit for ourselves will solve this problem.
Its helpful when you said to refrain from placing any perishable items inside your self storage. My aunt wants to declutter her items and later donate them but she does not know where to store all her bulky items. I suggested her to get a self storage unit and I will definitely share your blog with her!
I liked that you said that you must consider labeling all your boxes in an organized way to ensure that you can easily retrieve your items. My plan is to rent a storage unit where I can keep my collection of paintings and some precious vases starting next week. Since I want to keep my paintbrushes and other painting materials safe and free from dust, your tips will surely be helpful.
The best part of your blog for me is when you said that you must have your boxes labeled in an organized matter in order to make sure that you won’t end up going all through the boxes to find one item. My husband and I could no longer find a way to keep all our belongings intact in our two-bedroom house due to a lack of space. For sure, we will do your tips in order to ensure that we won’t lose items while renting a self-storage unit starting next month.
It’s great that you mentioned not storing any perishable things in your self-storage unit. My aunt wants to downsize and give her belongings, but she doesn’t know where to put all of her large goods. I recommended that she obtain a self-storage facility, and I will surely tell her about your blog!