Now, imagine instead that you see a weather report for an oncoming blizzard. You realize all your heavy winter clothing is in storage. With the temperature plummeting and the wind all whipping around, you make the trip to your storage locations and start the digging process through boxes, looking for your sweaters, coats, and boots.
You have a lot of boxes to store, and you’re running out of room. Before you know it, your stack has toppled over, half of your stuff is outside the public storage locations in Houston, and you still haven’t found your boots.
Imagine how frustrating it would be if, one week later, you discovered that all of your holiday decorations and bakeware were as well.
All you’ve left is sitting down and getting ready for a long drive. The last thing you want to do is rummage through boxes, looking for anything after driving hundreds of miles with everything in your storage container. Planning might help you avoid a slew of problems later on.
Follow these nine organization tips to make finding what you need in your storage locations a breeze.
Choose one box size for most of your belongings, if not all.
Stacking and access are easier with identical-size boxes. For the most part, storage small or medium boxes will be ideal for your possessions.
It’s important to remember that large parcels are suitable for items that can’t be squished but aren’t as reliable as smaller ones. Also, if you need something from the bottom of a big pile of boxes, it will be more challenging to get.
Identify the goods you’ll need to get your things from storage locations.
Don’t forget to pack the items you don’t use regularly but may need while your other belongings are at the right storage locations. Seasonal items should be given extra consideration.
The following are some of the items you could find in your storage unit:
- Seasonal clothing
- Trip supplies (tents, sleeping bags, snorkeling gear, sleds, cookout utensils)
- Holiday items (decorations, costumes, bakeware)
- Kids’ toys (kids may enjoy a “new” box of toys when they get bored of the toys they held onto when packing)
- Tools and hobby supplies
- Office documents
Clearly label each box you pack at the storage locations.
Place a unique box number, the room it came from, and the box contents on each box, especially on the top and at least one side. Note any boxes you may need to access later in storage and store them last. Keep track of everything as precisely as possible.
Create a master contents list.
Make a master list of all the contents inside each box, including the box number, on paper. This may appear to be time-consuming, but having a master list will come in handy when you need to locate a specific item, especially if some of your boxes are hidden from view.
If you want to stay digital, there are even tools that will allow you to dictate the text so that you don’t have to type it out.
If you want to get more organized (or don’t trust your handwriting), print each line from your inventory list and create custom labels for your boxes!
Organize the layout of your storage locations.
If you want to access your storage space frequently, you’ll need to consider how you will pack it. The furniture should be placed against the wall on the other side of the unit for a clear path through the center.
This way, boxes and furnishings can be accessible without any problem. If you need more room in the middle of your container, put your most readily moveable goods there so you can remove them quickly if necessary.
You may want to consider upgrading to a larger storage locations.
If you want extra space, pile everything on top of each other in an attempt to fit it all in; but doing so makes retrieving items quite tricky. A little more room might allow you to arrange shelving units and a middle passage through your unit to quickly access most of your goods.
It’s a great idea to use some extra space to place something like wooden or plastic pallets on the ground.
This will ensure that your furniture, appliances, and boxes aren’t vulnerable. You can rest them directly on the ground where they could get spoiled quickly. Of course, you don’t want to waste money paying for extra space you won’t use. Storage has a great size estimator tool that gives you an excellent indication of how much space you need.
Put the boxes either on the shelves or in stacks at storage locations.
If you’re keeping your items for an extended period, line the back wall of the unit with sturdy shelves. Stack them if you must:
Stacking from back to front in the order of usefulness. The boxes you use the most should have placement near the door or on shelves with labels facing outward at the end of the storage locations.
Subdue the load on your shoulders and get in a position where you can lift heavier boxes first. You may stack lighter boxes on top of the ones below are larger, heavier ones. Take precautions while stacking boxes high.
If you put items in a storage container above your head, the entire stack is at risk of tumbling down, posing a danger to you and any breakable goods within it.
If you’re stacking identical-size boxes, consider using a brick wall pattern. Because there will be gaps at the ends of your stack, it may appear somewhat inefficient, but the brick wall design allows you to remove and replace boxes without disturbing those above them.
Keep a map of your belongings in a visible spot inside your storage locations.
There’s no need to map out boxes or obvious things. You should note anything that gets the coverage on the Map. You only need to get within a few miles of where you want to be for a hand-drawn sketch to suffice. There’s no need for a technical drawing.
Use your storage locations map to divide the space into four sections. Write down which items and box numbers are in each area of the Map.
If you ever need a specific item or box, you can easily find it by looking at your master contents list. Instead of rummaging through all the boxes aimlessly, it refers to your Map.
Don’t worry about taking everything out of your boxes at storage locations.
You would already pack and have a lot of unmarked boxes full of whatever fits conveniently. Just consider repacking now to save time later. Repack similar things like seasonal clothing or bakeware into their boxes.
It’s outstanding to pack things like shoes and jackets with snorkeling gear; you don’t want to stuff your bags with boots and coats. Spend extra time repackaging, labeling, and organizing everything now rather than risking never finding anything again by not repacking everything. It’ll be a lot easier for you to forgive yourself.
These five steps may take a little time to do upfront, but it’s worth it in the end. You’ll be able to save yourself from having to go through countless unmarked and disorganized boxes. Especially when you need something specific down the road.
In Conclusion:
Are you looking for a better way to store your frequently accessed items? Check out the above tips and see how you can quickly and easily organize your storage locations. This will help in finding everything quickly. Have any other organizational tips? Please share them in the comments below!