Storage tips from people who see it done wrong
Twenty years of watching move-ins teaches you exactly which mistakes cost people money. Here are the ones worth avoiding.
Packing
Before anything goes in a box
Use same-size boxes
Uniform boxes stack into stable walls and waste no space. The free mismatched ones from the grocery store collapse under their own weight by month three.
Heavy things in small boxes
Books go in small boxes, linens in large ones. A large box of books is a back injury with handles.
Label the side, not the top
Once boxes are stacked, tops are invisible. Write the contents on the side that will face the walkway.
Photograph what matters
A quick phone photo of anything valuable before it goes in settles every question later — for you, and for any coverage claim.
Loading the unit
Pack it like you'll come back
Leave a center aisle
One walkway down the middle means you can reach anything without unloading everything. It costs you a foot of width and saves you every future visit.
Frequently-used things by the door
Seasonal decorations, tools, the things you actually retrieve — front of the unit. The furniture you won't touch until you move goes in back.
Stack up, on pallets if you can
Get boxes off the concrete. Air circulating under your goods keeps moisture from wicking up, especially in a non-climate unit.
Mattresses on edge, sofas on end
Both take half the floor space standing up. Cover them — a fitted sheet works — so they come out the way they went in.
Drain and dry anything with an engine or a hose
Washers, fridges, mowers, and anything gas-powered should go in dry and empty. Trapped water and fuel are where smells and pests start.
Ready for a unit?
Reserve online or call — either way, a person here confirms it with you before move-in.