We have all made a mistake or two in our lifetime and mistakes happen. It is not something you should beat yourself up over, but you should take the time to learn more about how the mistake was made and what you can do to avoid making another mistake. When it comes to storing your personal belongings, you may make a mistake along the way, especially if this is your first time storing your items. Below, we will go over the most commonly made mistakes and how you can avoid them.
Mistake 1: Not Looking Over the Facility or Estimating a Unit’s Size
One of the biggest mistakes that new storage unit renters make is that they do not take a tour of the facility they plan to rent a unit from. If you do not take a tour, you will not know what types of security measures are in place and you will not be able to see the cleanliness of the facility.
Next, you need to make sure you estimate the size of the unit. If you do not, this could end up being an even bigger mistake. A unit that is too small will do you no good, especially since you will either need to throw items out, rent a second storage unit, or move everything you have already stored. You should spend time estimating a unit’s size and comparing the size of the unit to how many items you have.
Mistake 2: Throwing Clothes into the Unit
You should never simply throw your clothes into your storage unit without taking the proper steps first. Many people think that the storage unit acts as a garage and they simply pile clothes into the corner. This is a bad idea because pests seek out dirty clothes and can hide in the heaps you have on the floor.
The best recommendation for this is to wash your clothes, fold them, and then place them in a plastic tote to store.
Mistake 3: Placing Cardboard Boxes on the Floor
What happens if water gets into your unit? If you place cardboard boxes on the floor, your boxes will become soaked and the items inside will be ruined. This is a mistake that is often made and can be avoided by placing all cardboard boxes at least six inches off of the ground.
Mistake 4: Placing Mattresses Flat on the Floor
It is common for people to think that the best way to maximize space is to lay their mattress on the floor while in storage. This is one of the worst things you can do because it will actually take up more space and when you place items on top of the mattress, it will leave impressions due to the weight.
If you will be storing items in a storage unit this year, make sure you keep the above mistakes in mind and do your best to avoid them and protect your items.