Self storage units are easy to fill, but they're not easy to fill efficiently. In order to make the best use of your self storage unit's space, you must start with a strategy. These tips will help you formulate a game plan for filling your storage unit from top to bottom.
Work From Back to Front
Start filling your storage unit from back to front, bottom to top. Fill in the spaces in systematic rows. Put the biggest, heaviest boxes on bottom and the lightest, smallest boxes on top. Do not form top-heavy piles, as these can start to lean over time, which can eventually disrupt your entire system.
Mix Furniture and Boxes
Start putting the furniture in the back of the storage unit. Add boxes around the furniture, making sure to fit small boxes in the spaces between furniture legs and bookcases. When the piles get high enough, put boxes on top of the furniture and pile it to the ceiling--or as close to the ceiling as you can.
Dismantle Large, Irregularly Shaped Items
The best method for filling empty space in a storage unit involves putting everything into boxes and filling very small, empty spaces with small items. Large, irregularly shaped items like bicycles, bed frames, artificial Christmas trees and exercise equipment can throw off the entire system. The best way to handle items of unusual shapes is to dismantle anything that won't fit into a box. When at all possible, fill small spaces between boxes and furniture with the smaller pieces from dismantled items.
Fill Hollow Spaces
Hollow appliances and furniture items waste a lot of space because they're empty. When storing bulky, hollow pieces like refrigerators, filing cabinets and dishwashers, use the interior spaces to hold small boxes.
Use Modular Storage Tubs
Modular storage tubs are made to stack easily on top of one another. They are both space efficient and also stable, which makes it easier to stack them all the way to the ceiling of your storage unit. Plastic, heavy duty storage tubs offer the additional advantage of strength, which helps ensure that the stack can withstand the pressure of many boxes piled up all at once. Boxes made from weak material can begin to lean, which can destabilize the pile and make a mess.
For more information, speak with a representative from your self storage facility. He or she will be able to offer advice about the best, most space efficient wa to store boxes in your storage unit.
