10 Tips to Maximize Your Storage Space
Regardless of what size of locker or unit you rent, you’ll want to make the most of every square inch to maximize your storage investment. Rather than haphazardly shoving everything you don’t have room for into a storage space and getting frustrated with the organization of it, you can try simple hacks to stash away more items for less money. Feel free to visit our online size guide, which offers a series of videos showing some of the storage options for a variety of room sizes.
Here are 10 tips about how to maximize storage space and when you rent from New York’ self-storage leader.
1. Place Items Inside Each Other
One of the best ways to maximize storage is to put items inside other items, stacking doll-style. Pack spare suitcases with smaller items or extra clothing, and fill stored bookshelves with dishes, books, and glassware. If you move dressers into your storage unit, fill the drawers with clothing or fragile valuables. Ensure that no stored container is empty so that you can add more to your unit in the future.
2. Disassemble Large Furniture
Large furniture items take up a lot of space, but you can maximize your unit by taking apart tables, chairs, and other items. For example, when you remove the legs of a table, you free up a lot of space and can now store the table top on its side and the legs standing up next to it. Even taking the short legs off of a sofa can help items fit into your unit more efficiently. Bring a tool kit to your storage unit on move-in day so that you are ready to disassemble furniture as needed.
3. Put Big and Heavy Items on the Bottom
Place boxes with the largest and heaviest items on the ground to prevent damage to your stored items. This way, you can stack lighter boxes on top of them and distribute weight more evenly throughout your unit.
4. Clearly Label Boxes
Boxes are much better to use for storage unit packing than garbage bags, which are prone to tearing and accumulating moisture and mildew. After placing your items in boxes, make sure to clearly label them so that you know what’s inside without having to open them. Also, draw a map of the interior of your storage unit and keep it in your home so that you can find what you’re looking for without digging around.
5. Try Pallets for Heavy Items
Pallets are a great way to save space in a storage unit because they help stabilize your stacking and allow you to get more boxes into an area without risking them toppling over. To make pallets more effective, bundle and wrap boxes in plastic wrap. You may be able to find pallets to use from local businesses, such as hardware stores, garden shops, and grocery stores.
6. Use Freestanding Shelves
Adding shelving will require you to spend a bit more money to store your items, but it will also save you a great deal of space if you have a lot of small and medium-sized things. Shelves are a great solution to keeping items organized, off the floor, and safe from breaking. Even just one shelf can make a big difference, and that addition might come in handy later if you need shelving for a garage or shed.
7. Roll Clothing and Other Fabrics
Many travelers roll their clothing in suitcases to maximize space and bring more wardrobe options on vacation. Well, you can use this same approach while packing a storage unit! Not only will rolling your clothes and other fabric items save space, but it will also prevent harsh wrinkles and creases when you want to wear them later.
8. Prioritize Usage Needs
While organizing your belongings to place into storage, think about your usage needs and what you will need to access sooner or later. Place items that you will need quickly in the front and top of your unit to simplify matters down the road. Start placing items along the unit's walls with an "outside to inside" strategy. If you expect to need everything in your unit at some point soon, resist the urge to overpack the unit and leave a small aisle in the center so that you can reach everything you need.
9. Make Use of Vertical Space
Our storage lockers are reduced height at just four to six feet tall, but our small, medium, and large units are taller and have excellent stacking potential. Our full-height units are typically eight feet tall and offer many facility features, including our exclusive Drive-Thru buildings, loading docks, carts, dollies, hand trucks, and well-lit spaces. Utilize this vertical space to stack bulky items like dressers and sofas on their ends. It is possible to squeeze a lot of furniture into a small space when you think vertically and not just horizontally.
10. Remember Safety When Stacking
But when stacking anything inside a storage unit, it’s very important to always keep safety in mind and never put yourself or others at risk just to maximize space. Consider securing items with bungee cords or rope to reduce the fall risk. Safety is always first!
Stop & Stor has locations throughout the New York City area and is committed to getting you the best deal on storage space. We’ll provide you with peace of mind that there will be no rent increase for the first year, and we don't require a security deposit or charge you for space you don't need. Contact us online or by calling 718-698-8000 to learn more!
Of course, you can always stop in at the Stop & Stor nearest you and discuss your storage needs with any of our expert Customer Storage Representatives to find the very best and most efficient hints to maximize your specific storage needs.
Established in 1980, Stop & Stor is a family owned and operated business that has become New York’s Self Storage Leader by offering cutting-edge facilities in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.
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