How to Pack and Organize Your Self-Storage Unit for Frequent Access

If you want frequent access to your self-storage unit near Sioux City, a little organization goes a long way. Here are some tips from Elite Self Storage on how to pack a self-storage unit so you can find the things you need quickly, without having to dig through every box.

Shelving

Shelving adds an extra layer of accessibility to a self-storage unit while keeping fragile items off the floor and safe from foot traffic. Shelves are most often placed along one wall of the unit and filled from back to front in order of need. The boxes you want to access most frequently should be the last ones packed on the shelves and closest to the door, with labels facing out. Put larger, heavier boxes on the lower shelves and lighter boxes on the upper shelves. Be careful not to over-stack or stack too high – a good rule of thumb is to stop stacking your boxes once they’ve reached your eye level. Consider using a brick-wall pattern when stacking same-size boxes, since this allows you to remove and replace boxes without moving the boxes above.

Boxes

Our self-storage facility serving Sioux City recommends picking one box size and sticking with it. Same-size boxes facilitate easier stacking, and small-to-medium boxes work best. Large boxes may fit a lot of stuff but are often packed too full and thus too heavy to move. Group your items together and put them into boxes, labeling each box as it’s filled. Just like with the boxes on your shelves, stack your floor-based boxes with the heaviest boxes on the bottom and the lightest boxes on top, from back to front in order of need and with the most-needed items closest to the door. Don’t stack your boxes any higher than you can safely reach.

Furniture Protection

Here are a few suggestions for protecting any furniture you want to put in storage:

• Cover the floor of your storage unit with thick plastic sheets. This protects your furniture and the floor and makes it a lot easier to slide heavy furniture.
• Check to see which items of furniture can be disassembled and put back together. This is a great way to save space, and it shouldn’t take too much time to break down. Put all screws, nuts, and bolts in a Ziploc bag and tape it to the furniture.
• Wrap your most important pieces in padding and soft quilts to protect them from damage. Also, the sharp edges or corners of your furniture should be padded to avoid damaging other items.

How We Can Help

When you work with a top-rated self-storage facility like ours, a high level of support and help is a given. For customers needing a hand with packing and organization, we offer a variety of useful items, such as:

• Boxes of all sizes
• Packing tape and dispensers
• Bubble wrap
• Packing paper
• Shrinkwrap
• Furniture covers
• Foam peanuts
• Dish/glass packing kits

Whatever you need, one of our friendly onsite managers will provide. We’re at our Sioux City storage facility seven days a week and always available after hours via phone.

Rent a Self-Storage Unit Today

Before you start packing your self-storage unit, do some organizational pre-planning and ensure your unit is arranged safely and functionally. Smart box stacking and functional local furniture storage prevents damage, makes items easily accessible, and saves plenty of time and hassle.