It may sound silly to explain to you how to store your items, but here at Deeping Direct Deliveries' Self Facility we have some experience in storing and we have written this handy guide just to give you an idea on how to go about it.
Avoid flimsy boxes
Try and resist the temptation to use flimsy cardboard boxes, a lot of Self Storage sites sell these boxes as add-ons but unless you're storing these boxes on shelving or using top quality cardboard boxes and half filling them they don't seem to last long, especially if you are stacking them. And, if you do buy quality boxes you actually will be able to reuse them for your next move.
Don't forget useful packing materials such as bubble wrap, felt fabric or thick blankets, tape, clear plastic wrap, cardboard corners and “fragile” stickers. These can make all the difference in keeping your items safe.
How to Stack your goods
Generally speaking most people stack from the back of the Storage Container to the front but this isn't always the best solution. It depends on how often you need access to your unit and how much you have to put into it. If you have the room to spare the best technique we have found is to create a walkway through the centre to give yourself room to organise and find specific items in the future. With racking this can make things even easier creating natural walkways and keeping things really neat and tidy.
However, if you really do have a lot of things to put into your unit, plus you might not need access that often, say for example you simply need short term storage for moving home, you may want to think differently about how to stack your items.
Customers tend to forget about the height of Storage Containers. Try utilising this space by organising your goods vertically but safely.
Obviously some items are heavier than others, try your best to make sure these are at the bottom, with lighter items at the top.
Additional Tips
It is best to dismantle heavy furniture, particularly those that are already weakened. This will prevent unnecessary stress to the furniture during storage. Remove the headboard of a bed or a dresser’s built in mirror. When dismantling, be sure to mark the parts for future reference. Of course, you should use material that will not damage the varnish of the wood. Keep the bolts and screws in one labelled container. It may also be advisable to tape this container into a portion of the furniture such as the underside of the table or bed.
For paintings and framed items, cardboard triangle corners are great and even more so if then covered in a protective layer afterwards.
If you are storing lamp shades, separate the shade and the base and make sure to remove the light bulbs.
Kitchen Pots, Pans, Crockery & Cutlery - Make sure they are clean before storing! It has not been unheard of that mould has started to grow in a plastic bag full of these items.
The same can be said of clothing/material, make sure they can breath in the containers you put them in, and make sure they are clean for any unwanted damage.
Don't store items that aren't clean - they can tarnish themselves and other items. If they are still usable and valuable clean them up and store properly. Also, consider donatating your items! Visit our page "12 great charity shops to donate your clothing and items to" for local places to donate your unwanted things and help those in need!
Please visit our Storage Container Size Guide for more useful info and to see our range of sizes.