{"id":7057,"date":"2013-01-24T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2013-01-24T16:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsider.com\/?p=7057"},"modified":"2019-12-13T12:13:21","modified_gmt":"2019-12-13T19:13:21","slug":"how-to-pack-a-self-storage-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/2013\/01\/24\/how-to-pack-a-self-storage-unit\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pack a Self Storage Unit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_7061\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sxc.hu\/photo\/22063\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7061\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7061 \" src=\"https:\/\/movinginsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Howtopackssunit-300x231.jpg\" alt=\"self storage\" width=\"300\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Howtopackssunit-300x231.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Howtopackssunit.jpg 673w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-7061\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Packing a self storage won&#8217;t feel like putting together a puzzle with these helpful tips. Photo: saflora via sxc.hu<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Much like packing a <a title=\"self storage\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/Truck-Rentals\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=trucks&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">moving truck<\/a>, packing a <a title=\"Find Self Storage\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/Storage\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=storage&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">self storage unit<\/a> takes a bit of planning and skill. The goal is to use all of the space in the most efficient way, while still maintaining some access to your items in case you need them while they\u2019re in storage. How do you do this? Simply use the tips below when you pack your storage unit.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Tip #1<\/strong>: Leave a walk way<\/span>: When you are packing your unit, be sure to leave a small path through the middle of the unit. This way, if you need to retrieve something later you won\u2019t have to unpack your entire unit to access it, even if it\u2019s packed away near the back of the unit. It may feel like the space for a path is not being used effectively at first, but the second you need to find something, you\u2019ll be very happy it\u2019s there.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Tip #2<\/strong>: Use <a title=\"Moving Boxes\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=movingsupplies&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">boxes<\/a> and <a title=\"Box Labels\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Covers-bags\/Mattress-Bags?mid=108&amp;utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=movingsupplies&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">labels<\/a>:<\/span> Because you want to maximize the space in your <a title=\"Find Storage\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/Storage\/?utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=storage&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">storage unit<\/a>, using boxes that are uniform and can be stacked high is important. This way, you are utilizing all of the available vertical space. Don\u2019t forget to label the boxes, and be specific. After months in storage, you won\u2019t remember which kitchen box the blender is in. Face the labels of your boxes toward the walkway for easy identification.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Tip #3<\/strong>: Take inventory<\/span>: Before you pack up your items, make a list of exactly what you are placing in the self storage unit. This is important because it will allow you to recall what\u2019s inside later in case you need to access something. It is also important because if a natural disaster occurs and you need to file an insurance claim, then you will have an accurate account of what was inside. It may seem like something you&nbsp;wouldn&#8217;t&nbsp;easily forget, but time may prove otherwise.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-7060 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/movinginsider.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Storage5-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"self storage\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Storage5-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/01\/Storage5.jpg 818w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Tip #4<\/strong>: Use covers<\/span>: Hopefully the storage facility you have chosen is safe and clean. But, they likely don\u2019t provide cleaning services inside the unit! Cover your furniture to protect it from dust and moisture. <a title=\"Mattress bag\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Covers-Bags\/Mattress-Bags\/?mid=108&amp;utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=movingsupplies&amp;utm_content=20190708-mattressbags\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mattress bags<\/a>, <a title=\"Sofa Cover\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Covers-bags\/Sofa-Cover?id=1565&amp;utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=movingsupplies&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sofa covers<\/a>, and <a title=\"Comforter bags\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/MovingSupplies\/Covers-bags\/Comforter-Bags-Pack-of-2?id=2324&amp;utm_campaign=uhaulsm&amp;utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=movingsupplies&amp;utm_content=20130124-howtopacka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">upholstery bags<\/a> should all be on your prep list.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><strong>Tip #5<\/strong>: Pack tallest to shortest<\/span>: The tallest and bulkiest items like furniture and mattresses should be closest to the walls. Starting with the tallest items in the back and the shorter items in front, closest to the aisle, will give you a clear view of what\u2019s inside your unit at first glance and help you use the space in the most efficient manner.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Do you have any tips of your own that have helped you pack your storage unit effectively? Let us know in the comment\u2019s section below.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Related Posts:<\/p>\n<p><strong><a title=\"self storage\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsider.com\/2013\/03\/28\/do-you-need-storage-protection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Do You Need Storage Protection?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><a title=\"self storage\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsider.com\/2013\/03\/15\/5-things-to-look-for-in-your-next-self-storage-unit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">5 Things to Look For in Your Next Self Storage Unit<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Much like packing a moving truck, packing a self storage unit takes a bit of planning and skill. The goal is to use all of the space in the most efficient way, while still maintaining some access to your items in case you need them while they\u2019re in storage. How do you do this? Simply [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":198,"featured_media":7061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,10,212],"tags":[27,134,2169,381,165,174],"class_list":["post-7057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-moving-2","category-packing-2","category-storage-2","tag-boxes","tag-packing","tag-planning","tag-self-storage","tag-storage","tag-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/198"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7057"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52500,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7057\/revisions\/52500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uhaul.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}