How to use storage to make your move easier
Moving your home or office is one of life’s most stressful experiences. Whether it’s wrangling the movers, finding a rental because the new house is not quite ready yet or ensuring business continuity while the move happens, you’ve got a lot to take care of.
That’s why a growing number of savvy movers are putting their belongings into storage while they move. With the contents of your home or business safely stowed, you’ll be able to take back control, move in your own time and, above all, maintain your sanity.
Here are six tips for using storage to make you move easier
1. Declutter before you begin
Start your moving process early with a big decluttering day. Get rid of everything in your home or business that you no longer use or need.
This will save you time when it comes to packing as well as saving you space during storage and transit. And, it will save you money when it comes to paying the removalists.
2. Separate items that you need daily from those that can go into storage
If you’re moving home and have to stay in a rental until your new place is ready, you may want to put a few personal items (e.g, kettles, toiletries, favourite mugs, a few items of clothing, tablets, laptops, the kids’ favourite books and/or toys) aside before putting the whole lot into storage. Business owners should likewise set aside items that are crucial to business continuity.
3. Make an inventory of everything that you’re going to store
Label every box and container and make an inventory of everything that goes into your storage unit. Keep a copy in your storage unit and another on the cloud. That way you’ll easily be able to locate things whenever you need them.
4. Choose your self storage facility carefully
You want your items to be safe and secure, and still be easily accessible to you while in storage. Afterall, you may not know how long you have to wait until the new premises are finally ready, and you don’t want to be stuck without access to your unit.
So, be sure to choose a state-of-the-art facility, in a convenient location, which offers top-level security, 24/7 accessibility, powered drive-up units, and wide driveways that are easily accessible to moving trucks and trailers.
5. Protect your stored items with professional packing and moving supplies
If you want your items to arrive at your new home or office in the best possible condition, you need to use professional packing and moving supplies that are purpose-built to withstand the rigours of storage and transport.
Shopping bags and ordinary cardboard boxes are likely to disintegrate and collapse, causing damage to your stored items. Inferior tape and labels will lose their adhesive properties and peel off. Don’t take any chances, make sure your goods are properly protected.
6. Take care when packing and stacking boxes
Pack heavier items at the bottom of boxes and lighter ones on top to prevent breakages.
Use the right size boxes for the items you’re packing – books and heavier items go into smaller boxes so they’re easier to manage, while lighter items, such as doonas and pillows, go into larger boxes.
Fill all boxes completely, closing any gaps with bubble wrap, moving paper or lighter items such as clothing, towels or pillows.
In your storage unit, use wooden pallets to keep boxes off the floor and protect them from damp and humidity. Then stack heavier boxes on the bottom and lighter boxes on top.
Don’t mix contents from different rooms into a single box. Use a permanent marker to label boxes with the room it’s destined for and a brief description of its contents as well as it’s inventory number. This will make unpacking much easier.
