Six Short Packing Tips For Long-term Storage

Long-term storage is a simple term to describe placing and keeping belongings in a safe space for the future. At easyStorage Boxes we understand it can be a stressful process as no one likes to part from their precious items. They are a reflection of our everyday lives and it can be more emotional than expected. In order to help, here are six short tips to make your long-term storage packing easy!

 

 

1. Decide what needs to be stored

If you are like me, you have collected a huge number of items from clothing to personal documents. You want to make sure that you can make to most of your storage and pack boxes in the most efficient way. This makes sure that the correct items actually go to storage, they are stored safely and when you get them back, it won't be chaos.

 

The simplest way to do this is going through everything you own and sorting them into sections: to store, to dispose and to keep. Once you have done this, you can dispose of what you do not what by donating to a charity shop. This will allow you to see what exactly needs to be packed up. You can donate items to most charity shops such as The British Heart Foundation, Oxfam and Cancer Research. Local shops with larger premises may even consider taking your largest items.

 

2. Read through storage restrictions

Every storage facility, including easyStorage, has restrictions on what you should and should not store. This is for the safety of your items, other customers items and not to mention the staff that work there. We recommend reading through all the rules and guidelines so that you can make sure you are storing the correct things. Here you can read the things not to store.

 

3. Make an itinerary 

This seems like an arduous task but it really is worth your time. A long detailed list of your items with photos makes sure you know what you are storing. Three months is a long time and with a large number of items, you are likely to lose track. If there is anything particularly valuable then you can even put estimated values, this could be really helpful for insurance purposes if needed.

 

4. Sort through

From that point, items need to be sorted into categories. This helps you get organised. It also helps to make sense of your packing process. Items that are similar shapes and sizes can be packed together to maximise all the space available in your boxes. It also makes sense to label these boxes. That way unpacking after your items are returned could be a breeze!

It also makes loading a lot easier, for example if you can see there are a large number of books in one box you will know that it's likely to be a heavy one. (If you need tips on packaging books, you are in luck and you can find them here.)

You can also ensure that fragile items are packed carefully and marking the box as fragile will help ensure that they are treated as such throughout the process. We also have top tips for fragile items and you can also get specific advice regarding protecting glassware.

 

 

5. Clean 

Any item to be kept in storage should be cleaned before packing up! This seems like an obvious one but sometimes cleaning your belongings can be the last thing on your mind. If something goes in dirty or dusty then it likely to come out in a worse condition and is at risk of getting damaged.

You also want to ensure you use antibacterial products to clean all hard surfaces, especially if you have children as this will help reduce the chance of mould. All soft furnishings should be thoroughly washed and vacuumed if possible. This cleanliness will make sure items are not contaminated whilst in storage and will be lovely and fresh when they are returned to you.

 

6. Choose the right packing materials

It can be tempting to use boxes that have been used before as a way to save money, however it is not something we would not recommend. Used boxes can be weaker, contain moisture or mould and not provide adequate protection for your items. Your belongings are important so to protect them, you should invest in sturdy cardboard boxes. This way you can stack them high with your items still kept well protected. Luckily easyStorage Boxes provide all the packing materials you could ever need including boxes of all sizes, bubble wrap/blankets/paper, tape and all other accessories.