Transferring your non-essential home possessions to the storage unit is the right thing to do if you’re aiming to downsize before the relocation or simply give yourself a room for more comfortable living. That’s why we recommend you pick out the appropriate self-storage unit that would meet your needs and be conveniently located. However, you better carefully contemplate and take into account the ways to organize, group, pack, and store your belongings. Stowing them away haphazardly is no good and may only lead to an additional headache when you’ll have to find something urgently.

Stay calm, judgemental, and forward-thinking. And, of course, use some of our suggestions that would be of advantage to you in case you’re about to arrange storage between house moves.

1. Inquiry storage managers on the list of non-allowed items

That’s the first thing to do before decluttering and separating the superfluous home possessions. Awareness of the restrictions determined by storage facility regulations will save you from wasting time on packing things that are quite likely to be rejected. Here’s the list of dangerous and hazardous materials that definitely won’t be stored:

Explosives and flammables (petroleum products, industrial greases, fertilizers, paint, compressed gas in cylinders, fireworks);

• Weaponry (guns, ammo, gunpowder);
• Cleaning products (chlorine bleach, ammonia-based chemicals);
• Damp or strong scented items (perfumes, spices, aroma oils, and candles);
• Living animals and plants;
• Perishables;
• Cash;
• Illegal items (narcotics, stolen goods).

2. Gather personal items you want to store

There are always plenty of doubts about whether to stow away some private belongings or take them to the new home. Just as we’ve suggested in our previous article on how to timetable packing, we advise you to revise your possessions room by room. Take a notice of their condition and decide which of them you’re likely to keep.

You should always keep in mind that leaving a lot of out-of-use stuff will raise the cost of storing household goods because you’ll need a larger storeroom. Keeping some gently worn clothes, pre-owned furniture, and kids toys of course might be reasonable. But ask yourself: would it be cost-effective to store that long-term?

3. Create an inventory list

Hasty moving preparations may easily distract you, so we advise you to settle down for a moment and give over a couple of hours to write down the inventory list. This list would be of great assistance to you in determining the number of packing supplies and specifying the order in which you can pack your household items. What’s more, the inventory list is a valuable source for a moving company to calculate the quote. The estimator will easily comprehend what total volume should be moved. As a consequence, he or she would select the proper truck, number of moving team members, and storage unit which is capacious enough.

4. Clean and vacuum belongings

In terms of providing your furnishings and appliances a neat and clean appearance after long-term storage, make sure you wipe them up thoroughly. It’s hard to imagine something as disappointing as retrieving the home belongings after long-term storage with the tangible mildew scent from them. So don’t forget to get them tidy and sustain in such a way.

First of all, wipe down the dust and wash away stains on all surfaces. Protect the lacquered parts of furniture with polish and vacuum the upholstered sofas and chairs. It is better to cover up the items of wood and textile with fabric dust сovers instead of plastic wrap that might cause excessive moisture and mold growth.

5. Seal your smaller items in plastic storage bins

As an option for storage, plastic bins work perfectly. They are suitable for storing various domestic knick-knacks: CDs, books and magazines, stationery items, etс. They are rather sturdy and durable and, unlike cardboard boxes, are reusable manyfold. We recommend keeping miscellaneous items in clear bins so you can immediately find them once you enter the unit.

In case you don’t have any plastic bins, but there are a plethora of moving boxes available at hand, try utilizing them first. However, those should be sturdy and completely whole to secure the contents properly. As long as you can’t see what’s in each box, make sure you’ve labeled or signed them properly. List all items contained inside on the sticker or write them on a box surface.

6. Shield stored items from adverse conditions

The enclosed space of the storeroom with moisture fluctuations is an auspicious surrounding for mildew and mold development, a steady accumulation of dust. On the occasion that your storage unit isn’t climate controlled, you’ll have to undertake a few steps to secure your belongings from unwanted harm. Before arranging your items in the storeroom make sure they are completely dry.

To safeguard the furniture and leather-covered goods from getting dusty, spray them with special dust repellent. After that, cover them with a dense cotton sheet. Electronics and appliances can be wrapped in plastic film for efficient moisture protection. To properly store clothing items we recommend leaving them in a wardrobe box or zip inside the hanging garment bags. As for mattresses, it would be correct to shove them into a mattress storage bag. Before that, you may spray them with an anti-mold spray.

7. Store massive and bulky items disassembled

Remember that every patch of free space counts when it comes to storage. So if you wish to get the most out of a storage unit, take apart all the bulky items like beds, sofas, cabinets and home computer desks. For your convenience, Best Miami Movers can expediently disassemble and pack sizable furniture to compactly store it.

8. Wrap and pack appliances properly

Be sure you’ve cleaned out small kitchen appliances like toasters and microwaves before they will be locked. To ensure their safety from humidity and prevent breaking, cover them with bubble wrap. If you’re about to store a fridge, dryer, or washing machine, leave their doors ajar so the mildew and moisture won’t grow.

9. Arrange the items in a way they would be easy to reach

At last, while arranging long term storage of household goods, have a clear vision of how you want to place them so any belongings could be extracted effortlessly. Mount racks along the walls and in the back of the premise to get the most of its height. When filling the shelves put the most sizeable and heavy items in the bottom. 

Do not top sensitive and soft materials with anything heavy that might squish them. In particular, we don’t recommend you to place any boxes of appliances on the couches or sleeping mattresses. Also consider what sort of things you might frequently need to retrieve and place them in easy-to-reach sport. For instance, seasonal clothes or accessories.

Find a full-service storage unit near you in Miami

Best Miami Movers company got fully secure and surveyed storage units within the city limits that are easy to reach. Our customers may take advantage of our full-fledged storage and moving labor service 24/7 and order operative drop-offs if they’re willing to retrieve their belongings on the exact day. We’re ready to proceed with your request and facilitate your move by taking care of the home possessions you don’t need for the time being. Order the affordable storage unit rent today to ease up your further relocation or renovation tomorrow!