–There are few things more irritating than pulling up to the storage unit to get a few things and not being able to find them. Rick Runnells, owner of River Road Mini Storage in Paso Robles said, “It’s important to come up with a packing and storage plan before hauling boxes to the storage unit.”
The defining question for a packing and storage plan is, “How frequently will you be retrieving items?” The more frequently you need to retrieve items, the more organized packing and storing needs to be. For example, if storing possessions during a move, the primary reason for visiting storage is to deliver more boxes or to empty the unit. When storing business inventory or tools of your trade visits to storage can be daily or at least several times a week.
Here are the tips to help create a packing and storage plan.
Rent a storage unit large enough to accommodate your needs
When storing inventory, tools, or anything that is used frequently, rent a storage unit large enough to accommodate easily accessed shelves. It’s more efficient to enter the unit and go directly to what you need than it is to rummage through boxes looking for things.
When temporarily storing items, store them in order by the date they will be retrieved. Make a schedule for pick-up dates. Items that are being picked up last go in storage first so they are out of the way in the back of the unit. It’s more efficient and easier to store from back to front then empty from front to back because fewer boxes and items need to be moved out of the way.
When storing inventory or frequently used tools, use shelves and have a place for everything. Number the shelves, the sections of shelves and any storage bins. Use a spreadsheet to create an inventory list of what items are stored where. Keep a copy of the inventory list in the storage unit.
Packing tips
When packing for storage, place needed items, such as clothing, personal care, some cooking utensils, and other needed household items in designated spaces so they remain available during packing. Pack everything that is going to remain in storage first. Pack items that you might need last.
Place items you are not going to need in the back of the storage unit and those you might need in the very front. Everything else goes between those two groups.
Follow good packing guidelines such as using the proper packing materials and appropriately sized boxes. Don’t over or under pack a box and use packing materials to cushion fragile items or to fill a box that isn’t quite full. Dedicate a section of the unit for protecting fragile items. Don’t store hazardous materials, fresh or unpackaged food or open containers of certain fluids.
Make an inventory list. Instead of labeling boxes by room and trying to list the contents on the box, number the boxes. Create an inventory list by number and include the room and itemized contents. Mark boxes heavy, light or fragile so you’ll know the stacking order. Put a list of contents inside a box before closing it. Keep a copy of the inventory list in the storage unit.
Loading and unloading
Load the car, truck or van according to the locations of the item in the storage unit. Items that are stored in the front of the unit go on the truck first. Items to be stored in the back of the unit go on last. Everything else goes in between these two groups. This way, there is no sorting, stacking and organizing upon arriving at the storage facility. Just take things off the truck and place them exactly where they are to be stored.
Relax, planning is a good thing
Packing, moving, storing and managing and keeping track of what is in storage can be stressful and adding the layer of making a plan might seem like one more thing to do. But, in the end, the entire process from renting the storage unit to filling it, to managing what is inside will be much easier and less stressful with a plan. It’s worth taking an extra day or two early in the process to focus on organizing.
The staff at River Road Mini Storage has been assisting individuals and businesses with storage needs since 2004. The company specializes in helping their clients get the most value out of their storage units and provide a number of reports, tips, and helpful articles along with personal attention. River Road Mini Storage has been a Paso Robles storage fixture since 1984, providing highly secure facilities, fair pricing, and a special discount for first-time customers.
River Road Mini Storage
1631 North River Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 239-4333
