4 Must-Know Tips to Prepare Your Items for Storage
Whether you’re looking for a temporary storage solution while planning a move or long-term solution to create more space in your home, renting a self-storage unit or making use of professional vaulted storage are great options. While it can be tempting to simply toss all your items into the unit and forget about them, it is important to remember that someday you’ll be returning to your storage unit to retrieve those items. You will not appreciate the difficult task of sorting that you left for yourself. When packing and preparing your items for a storage unit, it helps to recognize your goals and motivation as well as to follow some organizational tips.
Camelot Moving and Storage, based in Santa Clarita, CA, offers both moving and short- and long-term storage solutions. Our professionals are happy to share our tips on how to prepare your items for storage.
Decide Which Items to Put into Storage
Moving is a great time to take inventory of what you really use and enjoy in your home and what items may be of more seasonal or sentimental value. Consider whether or not you have the space and/or a purpose for each item you plan to take to your new home. While you can’t put a price on memories or items you deeply value, the more you store, the more vaults you will need and the more it will cost you.
Take Inventory of All Your Items
Once you have decided which items you want to move into storage, create a detailed inventory of your boxes/appliances. The key to a detailed inventory is in labelling the boxes. A common issue our storage clients face is that after a month or two they simply cannot remember which items they put into their storage unit, let alone which boxes contain what. Set yourself up for success by going beyond just basic box labeling. Include specifics, such as: “wall décor from the downstairs guest bedroom,” “Jim’s hiking gear/golf clubs,” “Mom’s photo albums and cross stitching,” or “John’s college books, photos and memorabilia.” Then create a master list of the number of boxes you’re storing along with their contents. This will prove immensely helpful when you retrieve storage by helping you identify the exact boxes you need. It’s a lot of work in the beginning for A LOT of ease later. This is particularly useful if you are storing items for multiple family members or seasonal items like holiday décor, sports equipment, etc.
Clean and Vacuum Belongings
The last thing you want when retrieving your items from your storage vault is to find them smelly, musty, and dirty. To prevent this from happening, clean and vacuum all items before putting them in the storage unit. Wipe down all surfaces with an all-purpose cleaner, vacuum couch and chair cushions, and clean appliances with disinfectant wipes. Camelot Movers lends moving pads and furniture wrap to storage clients to keep items like couches and dressers well-padded while in storage since these items will be loaded into the vault with boxes and other household items.
How to Prepare Your Furniture
Appliances: Start by consulting your manuals for special instructions as well as your gas company regarding gas-powered appliances, and follow their instructions. Remove any perishables and clean the shelves. If you have an icemaker, disconnect and drain the water line. Unplug and defrost your fridge at least 24 hours before moving day.
Drawers: Antique and ready-to-assemble furniture should be emptied to avoid any additional stress to the item’s structure during transport into storage. Remove the following: heavy and/or fragile items, jewelry, money, important documents, and items small enough that they may fall out or get lost. Use sandwich bags to gather paperclips and pens in a desk, and leave the sandwich bag in the drawer.
Disassemble Large Items
Disassemble: If an item can reasonably be disassembled, do so. Wrap removable glass tops in bubble wrap. Remove table legs and shelving. As you disassemble, have small sandwich bags and tape handy. Keep the nuts, screws, and bolts to each piece separate in its own bag; label the bag; and tape the bag to the item where the tape will not cause any damage (underneath).
Moving and Storage Solutions That Fit Santa Clarita, CA
When looking for a moving and storage service, consider the professionals at Camelot Moving and Storage. Our service differs from that of a traditional storage space. We bring one of our custom-made moving trucks along with your own personal storage vault to your home or office, where we load your household items directly into your storage unit, which is brought directly to our state-of-the-art, climate-controlled storage facility.
To learn more about our storage solutions, contact us at (661) 255-3112.