Tips

Furniture

Empty the contents of drawers and cupboards to protect the structure of these items. Where possible, disassemble furniture to save space in your storage unit.

Appliances

All white goods should be cleaned and dry prior to storing. While in storage, the door of fridges and freezers should be left slightly open with a deodoriser left inside for freshness.

Using Boxes

Always use boxes of the appropriate size to still make them manageable by one person to lift. For example large boxes shouldn’t be filled with heavy items. When stacking boxes place heavier ones at the bottom and lighter ones on top. This will make it easier to get the top ones off on your own and there will be less chance of the bottom boxes collapsing under the weight.

Create an aisle to help find things easily and to save space, stack items of similar sizes together. Be sure to keep an inventory and label all boxes for easy identification.

Electrical Equipment

Wrapping items such as televisions, DVD players and stereo systems in bubble-wrap and packing them in cartons will offer good protection.

Glassware and Dinner Sets

Wrap items individually in paper and pack carefully in cartons. Fill any gaps in the cartons with paper to prevent items from moving. This will keep your ‘fragile’ items well protected while in transit. Make sure to label cartons “fragile”.

Battery Operated Equipment

We recommend that batteries be removed prior to storage to avoid possible damage from leakage.

Lawn Mowers & Machinery

Make sure that you drain fuel and oil from all items of machinery to reduce the risk of leakage. Petrol and oil left in machinery can also be a fire hazard.

Tips on Finding the right storage company

Ella Andrews – blogger and freelance writer…

If you are moving home it is a good idea to consider renting a storage unit throughout the duration of the move. With the extra space at your disposal, you will have an easier, less cluttered time dealing with all of the hustle and bustle of relocation.

It is important that you find a good company and deal on storage so that you can have peace of mind about your belongings and the price you pay. This is especially true if you also have to consider hiring a moving company as this can really put your budget under a lot of pressure. There are few things you need to research about storage before you rent:

• Price – Take into account any discounts the company is willing to offer, but also any added costs. You want to know everything in advance, which means that you should inquire whether they charge extra for additional security and cleaning so that you can make your choice. Do they offer a complimentary move in truck or trailer that may save you the cost of hiring one? Do they allow you to rent for a shorter period if you only plan on using the unit temporarily?
• Storage space – If you think that you may not have room for all your belongings in your new home or it may take some to unpack and organise things, it makes sense to hire a unit with that will suit your space needs. You do not want to pay for space that you are not going to utilise, but at the same time you want to make sure you have enough to keep everything you need. Carefully decide on what you are going to store during your move, and ask the self storage facility staff to recommend the amount of space you will need.
• Accessibility of the storage room – You will likely have to load a ton of things on the moving van, so you definitely want to make sure access to your storage unit is easy. Drive-up units are a good option as they allow you to park right next to your storage unit and unload easy and fast, without carrying things over great distances. Additionally, when it comes to accessibility you have to make sure that the storage company policy allows access when you need it. You might be busy with your removals during the week leaving the weekend as the only time you can visit.
• Security – You want to hire a company that provides secure storage units, with alarm systems and other security measures installed, as this will give you peace of mind and fewer worries about your stuff. Make sure you ask about the security measures at the facility. Make sure you take the aforementioned factors into account if you want to have an easy move and utilise self storage effectively.