Placing your furnishings and other personal items in temporary storage can be beneficial, especially when you're moving to a new home. Whether there's not enough space for all your belongings or the place is not yet ready to accommodate your things, you can get storage services to keep your things safe as you settle everything in your new residence.
1. Sort your belongings
Going through your belongings will be beneficial in saving money and space for storage. Before cleaning and preparing everything for storage, it is highly recommended that you sort things out. Purge items you won't be needing after the move and prepare a separate container for seasonal, fragile, and essential items. This way, it's easier to plan the placement of the boxes or containers in your storage unit.
2. Check storage restrictions
The best thing to do before packing your belongings is to check with removal & storage companies on what items you can and cannot store. Explosives, flammables, corrosives, and toxic materials are generally not allowed to be placed in storage as these can compromise the safety of the storage facilities. Visit the website of nearby facilities to get more details about their offers.
Plants, food, and other perishable items should not be placed in storage. Spoiled goods and dead plants may produce unpleasant smells and create moisture when stored for a long time. Not only will this leave your items with a rotten smell, but also increases the risk of mould growth inside your storage unit or container.
3. Clean the storage unit and all your belongings
Thoroughly clean all the items that you are putting in storage days before you are scheduled to pack. After cleaning, leave them out to dry properly before you start wrapping or packing everything. Everything must be completely dry to prevent mould growth.
Although storage units/containers are often cleaned before putting them out for rent, it won't hurt to give them a thorough clean before moving your belongings in. Make sure that the unit is completely dry before putting any of your belongings in. Keep in mind that even a small amount of moisture may lead to property due to mould growth.
4. Use quality packing materials
Whilst it's tempting to re-use old moving boxes, you need to make sure your boxes or containers are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the things you need to pack. It is highly recommended that you only use study and high-quality packing materials to ensure the safety of your belongings.
Alternatively, you may use plastic containers or trunks for storing belongings. This way, you won't have to worry about your items collapsing due to their own weight. It is also more cost-efficient to use these types of containers since you can keep re-using them long after your possessions are out of storage. These containers are also sturdier than boxes or cartons.
5. Wrap fragile and breakable items
Increase the protection of fragile and breakable items by wrapping them in packing paper, blankets, bubble wraps, and similar materials before packing them into labelled boxes or containers. No matter how careful you are in packing, lifting, and transporting your stuff, accidents may happen in any part of the process. For this reason, properly wrapping and packing all fragile items will minimise the risks of damage or breaking.
Do this for china, glasses, ceramics, silverware, and other items that are prone to scratches and breakage. It's best to use acid-free and print-free packing paper when wrapping fragile items. As much as possible, avoid using newspapers for valuable items because the print might transfer to the surface of your belongings if the items are stored for a long time. Using plastic for most items is also not recommended, as it creates moisture which may lead to mould growth. Best to use blankets and packing paper instead.
6. Create an inventory list and label boxes properly
You might be thinking that there is no need to create a list of every item you're planning to store since you will remember what they are anyway. However, it is best to create an inventory list and pack your items in labelled boxes/containers. Doing this will help you remember what's in your storage and make it easier for you to locate specific items when you need to get them out of storage or when you're unpacking boxes in your new home.
If you're storing lots of items, you can also create a floor plan to make it easier to locate your belongings, especially if you need someone to access your storage for you. Once you have determined what you'll be putting in your storage unit, you can plan where everything goes in order to maximise storage space. This will also be helpful when you're loading them onto the moving van or vehicle that you will be using for the move.
7. Purchase Storage Insurance
Purchasing insurance for your stored goods is not a requirement, but it is considered a good practice, especially if storing valuables and other expensive items such as artworks, antiques, and other furnishings.
Check with your agent or leaser if the insurance policy covers items that are put in storage. If not, you may need to add it to your policy to have peace of mind should any unfortunate occur whilst your items are in storage.
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