With the aim of making your move to an Atrium Storage unit go as smoothly as possible, here is some packing advice. Putting some time and thought into the packing of your storage unit is key and will ensure that you are taking advantage of the storage space available to you. This is a relatively straight forward but it’s worth doing the ground work as it will save you time and potentially money. You probably don’t need as much space as you think and an efficient packing plan will illustrate this. With these hints and tips we’ll have you boxing up your belongings like a seasoned master.
To enquire about purchasing our packing supplies and moving boxes, just contact our friendly team on 01709 718143 or email info@atriumstorage.co.uk.
Boxing clever
Use strong uniformed sized boxes to pack as many of your things as possible. This will make stacking the storage boxes less problematic and allow for efficient use of space both horizontally and vertically.
Small boxes are great for heavy items such as crockery and books; larger boxes should contain items like blankets, bedding and linens, these take up more room but weigh less, putting less strain on the box. For every large box you will probably need about four small- to medium-size boxes.
Strong garbage bags can be used for clothing and cuddly toys for short term storage but liable to tear and they lack ventilation, which can result in mildew.
Don’t put too much in your boxes
Overloading boxes not only risks the integrity of the box but also your safety. Trying to lift an overloaded storage box is a sure-fire to do yourself a mischief. Put heavier items at the bottom of boxes to create a stable base.
You shouldn’t cram you boxes, this will make the sides and top bulge. You should do you best to ensure that the boxes remain “square”. Following this rule will ensure that your boxes will maintain stability when you pack them into your storage unit.
Do your best to completely fill boxes. The contents of a box are liable to move around during transportation, reducing their stablity once stack. It can also lad to boxes getting crushed by heavier boxes and items. Balled up bubble wrap or foam peanuts can be used to fill empty spaces without increasing the weight of your boxes.
Wardrobe boxes are great
Preventing damage or creasing to delicate or valuable times of clothing such as trousers, dresses, suits and evening wear can be achieved by hanging them in a wardrobe box.
Packing and unpacking time can be significantly reduced as you can simply move hung items from your wardrobe straight to the boxes.
Curtains, bedding or or garden tools can also be housed in a wardrobe boxes. They’re a very versatile solution.
Taping your boxes
Invest in some good quality packing tape. Doing this will ensure your boxes remain closed and help them maintain their structure, giving you peace of mind that your items are protected. Both the top and the bottom flaps should be sealed with quality, wide tape. Use multiple strips to firm up storage boxes that need will hold more weight.
Labelling your boxes
You don’t want to have to open every box in your storage unit to find what you’re looking for. Make sure you clearly label your boxes with their contents, particularly if you know you’ll be needing an item in the not too distant future. Use a thick marker pen to clearly to label your boxes. This will save you a significant headache when it comes time to lay your hands on a particular possesion.
Use the height of your unit
You don’t want to be stacking boxes on top of a sofa or a mattress. This isn’t a good use of vertical space and provides an unstable foundation that will likely cause your stacked boxes to topple over. We suggest storing large pieces of furniture on end to maximise the use of vertical space.
It’s best to start filling your unit with large items like furniture. Now you can start moving the boxes into your unit. Try and organise your boxes by weight before you start as the heaviest boxes need to be at the bottom of your stack. You should fill you unit from the back Stack your boxes, putting lighter boxes on top of heavy ones. Work from the the back of your storage unit filling the space in an organised fashion towards the front. Try and fill in any gaps with suitably sized items as you go.
Any items that you will need regular access to should be place near the front of the unit so you can get to them easily. If you have lots of items that will need regular access you could consider making an aisle.
Don’t forget to clearly label storage boxes that contain fragile items that could be easily damaged, such as glassware or crockery. This way you can ensure they are not stored under something that might crush your delicate possessions. It’s also worth putting a “this way up” arrow on boxes so that they are not carried or stored upside-down .
Consider using shelving
Shelving is a great way to organise your storage unit and make efficient use of the space available. Stacking boxes on top of each other works to an extent, but with enough weight, the boxes at the bottom of your stack will collapse. A metal shelving unit allows you to take advantage of vertical space and means that you can easily access all you boxes.
Fill in the gaps
Clothing, bedding and pillows can all be stashed, squeezed and wedged into awkward spaces. Once that wardrobe or chest of draws is in situ, make sure you fill it up. Making use of this space is vital if you want to efficiently fill your storage unit.
Take steps to protect your furniture
Accidents happen but you can mitigate these by using protective materials and padding to cover your furniture and keep them in good condition as you are moving and while in storage. You can take cushions off sofas and put them in plastic bags to keep them dust and grime free.
Break it down
Dismantling large items is a great way to maximise the use of space. Bed frames can often be taken apart and as can some other types of furniture. Squeezing the air out of sacks can save valuable space too.
You should keep furniture components like bed frames together with tape using the non-sticky side to avoid tape residue. Place screws and bolts in plastic bags and tape them to your dismantled furniture.
Duvets and blankets can be take up lots of space, particularly if you have a lot of them. Put them in strong bags a sit on them to force out as much air as you can before sealing the bags up. If you can, vacuum pack towels, seasonal duvets and blankets if you know they are going into storage for a while.
At Atrium Self Storage you can choose from a wide range of storage units. The smallest units are 25 square feet whilst the largest are 170 square feet. We also have lots of sizes in between. Our storage unit size guide will help you visualise the space you might need. We’re sure that we have something that will meet your needs. You can also visit the storage facility at Hellaby near Rotherham and one of our friendly team will show you the sizes we have available and advise you on the space you might require to house your belongings.