Three Ways To Fit More Stuff In Your Self-Storage Unit

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Whether you just got married and are trying to fit two homes into one or want to clear out a spare bedroom to start a home business, getting a self-storage unit is an excellent way to store extra items you don't currently need. If you have a lot of things to store but don't want to pay for multiple units, here are three ways to fit more stuff in your storage unit.

Rethink What You're Storing

People accumulate tons of stuff, especially if they live in one place for a long period of time. According to one statistic, the average home in the U.S. has about 300,000 in the average home. That's a lot of clutter!

Maximizing the space in your storage unit means being prudent about the things you put in it. You should only store items you're likely to use at a later date or that have enough sentimental or monetary value to be worth paying rent for a separate storage space for it.

Sift through your things and give away or throw out items you don't want, don't have a need for, or haven't used in years. Better yet, make some money off your stuff by selling unwanted items at a yard sale or online through various sites.

Condense as Much as Possible

You can also save space in your unit by using frequently overlooked storage areas. For instance, place items like clothing, books, and bed sheets in dresser drawers. Cookie sheets and baking pans can be placed inside toaster ovens. Even small items such as measuring cups and jewelry can be nested inside crock pots. If you think outside the box, you can find numerous empty spaces that can be used to hold something.

However, you want to turn your attention to compacting also. Make furniture such as couches, chairs, and tables as small as possible by dismantling them. If an item can't be used to help store other things, then break it down into its component parts to minimize the amount of room it takes up in the storage unit.

Maximize Vertical Space

Packing items in boxes of the same size can make them easier to stack, letting you take advantage of the vertical space in your storage unit and minimizing the gaps that can occur when using boxes of differing heights and widths. You can also create artificial shelving using the boxes by placing wooden boards on top of them. This will help stabilize the stack and potentially provide storage space for other things.

Take advantage of the storage opportunities offered by the ceiling. Install hooks to hang large items such as bicycles and kayaks. Netting is a good option for storing bulky items such as balls and other sports equipment. Placing shelves around the ceiling's border can make a frequently wasted space more useful.

If you get a storage unit with a regular door that opens normally, as opposed to a rollup garage-type door, use an over-door organizer to store additional items. Doors to storage cabinets and the sides of bookcases can be used in a similar way.

When making the most of your space, don't forget to create a path for accessing items that may be stored at the back of the unit. It may be tempting to use every inch of available space, but it's almost guaranteed that you'll be back at the storage unit retrieving items you thought you didn't need. If you don't want to spend half a day unpacking and repacking your unit each time you want to get something, then make sure you have enough room to maneuver around.

For more ideas on organizing your storage unit or to purchase space to store you items, contact a self-storage facility (like National Self Storage - Denver)  in your area.

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6 October 2015