Prepping Your Belongings for Storage

When you are moving your belongings into storage near Sydney, whether it’s to keep them safely out of the way until your new home is ready or whilst some major renovations are underway, then it’s easiest to treat the process the same way that you would deal with moving house. Make a start by listing all of the items you are intending to move, begin with the smaller items that can be packed into boxes and work your way up to the larger ones that include furniture or appliances if applicable.

Start with the things that aren’t needed on a daily basis and make sure they are packed neatly into the boxes as tight as possible to avoid them moving around and possible damage. Put the heavier stuff in the bottom of the box and lighter stuff on top to avoid them getting squashed. Try to use boxes that are all the same size as this will make loading the portable storage unit so much easier than trying to fit irregular shaped boxes together.

Label each box with which room it belongs in and even a short list of the items inside if you feel that is necessary. Try to avoid the 'miscellaneous' tag as this is sure to confuse you later on. Make sure any linen and clothing is sealed inside the box to avoid them becoming damp or mouldy, or from taking on the smell of the storage unit. You can also buy special wardrobe closets that make packing clothes so much simpler; you just transfer your clothes, still on their hangers, to the wardrobe boxes and seal them up.

Larger items need to be stacked at the bottom of the unit, preferably on pallets to avoid contact with the floor as this can also cause mould due to no air flow. Do not pack any large or heavy objects up high as they could fall over at some point during the storage and cause injury or may damage lighter and smaller items stacked underneath.

Make sure you do not store any perishable items as these can attract rodents and other unwelcome creatures that you really don’t want sniffing around your possessions. Also it’s a good idea to take a storage insurance when putting belongings that are highly valuable, such as jewellery, into self storage as, although they are very safe, it would be devastating if for some reason they did get lost. While as long you have a good insurance, at least the value is covered.

Anything fragile that can get broken easily, such as mirrors and china ornaments should be carefully wrapped in lots of newspaper or bubble wrap before being stored. There is nothing worse than paying for all that storage time only to find lots of broken items when it comes to unpacking, simply because you didn’t take the care and time to pack everything properly in the first place.

Be aware that storage facilities have certain rules and regulations in place as to what items can’t be stored. For instance you won’t be allowed to store chemicals or flammable items in your portable storage units as they could cause a fire, and it goes without saying that anything illegal won’t be allowed either.