When you live in Tacoma WA, or the surrounding area, it’s easy to accumulate more stuff than you have room for in your home. Many people keep their extra belongings in a storage unit near Tacoma WA, rather than finding new places to put them throughout their homes.
If you end up using a storage unit, here are some tips on how to organize and maintain it so that it stays in good condition and protects your belongings during any time you’re renting it out.
Why do I need to rent a Storage Unit near Tacoma WA?
You might be wondering why renting a storage unit near Tacoma WA is necessary. There are many reasons to use one, but they all come down to convenience.
Whether you are looking for space in the off-season, need extra room, or have an item that just won’t fit in your house, renting a storage unit can help you out.
Check out this list of reasons why You need A storage unit near Tacoma WA, below:
1. Decluttering
You can avoid shifting to a bigger home by decluttering and storing your items in an appropriate space. The best way to declutter is by sorting things into piles: those that you want to keep, those that you’re undecided about, those that are getting thrown away, and finally, those that are going into storage.
Decluttering has many benefits; it helps release stress from having too much stuff and saves money on more storage units near Tacoma WA.
It also frees up room for new memories with less furniture blocking the view of what’s important. And when the time comes to downsize, decluttering makes this process much easier!
2. Life Transitions
New Life Transitions are tough on anyone, and moving from one state to another is just as challenging. Make the process easier by preparing in advance with the things that will make life feel like home in your new place.
With some preparation, you’ll be able to find all the necessities for living, like your favorite coffee mug or kitchen appliances, at great prices when you’re ready to start settling into your new lifestyle!
3. Apartment Living
Apartment living can be made much easier with access to plenty of storage. Assuming you’re living in a one-bedroom apartment, renting a storage unit is the perfect way to declutter your place while keeping your most valuable items safe.
You’ll be able to store all the extra furniture, kitchenware, clothes, and any other item that takes up space in your tiny living space.
4. Renovating your home
Another reason to secure a storage unit near Tacoma WA is to store your extra furniture while renovating your home. The process can take months, so you will need somewhere to put your furniture.
If you do not have a room at home, it is time to rent a storage unit. With this, you can buy all the new furniture for your living room or bedroom without worrying about what to do with the old one.
5. Business Storage
Businesses that are small or medium in size often use storage units to help manage their inventory. Although office containers are useful when keeping a small number of items, businesses with a larger number of supplies would be wise to rent storage units instead. It is very important to keep track of what items you have stored to avoid double-ups and reduce the chance of theft.
You may want to include photographs of your items for an easy reference guide and any identifying information about the item.
The last thing you want is for your expensive inventory to go missing!
6. Military Living
Military living can also contribute to the challenge of maintaining an organized storage unit. Military life is always moving from one place to another. Due to that, many families are undecided whether they want to keep their storage unit in their previous residence.
Some military families must keep their storage unit in a different state, country, or even hemisphere for job purposes.
Families may also have difficulty keeping up with monthly payments on their storage units because of the uncertainty that comes with being in the military.
It is important for any family who wants to maintain an organized storage unit while serving in the military community to carefully evaluate their needs before making any long-term commitments on rental units.
7. Storing a Vehicle
This is where vehicle storage units can come in handy. You can store the vehicle for as long as you need it without taking up valuable space at your residence.
Storage units for vehicles are often more affordable than renting a garage or parking space from an outside company.
They are also safe, secure, and out of the way, making them a great place to keep your vehicle if you’re trying to save on transportation costs.
Step-by-Step Approach for How to Organize a Storage Unit
Below are the orderly steps on how to organize your storage unit:
Step 1 – Create a list of all your inventory
First, it’s important to create a list of all your inventory. Various methods can be used to organize the items in your storage unit so start by writing down everything you want to store.
Assign each item to an area inside the storage unit and figure out how much space it will take up. Remember that you’ll need to think about what would happen if one area is full, but another isn’t.
An inventory list will help you stay organized and remember what belongings are stored in your storage unit.
Step 2 – Consider storing items in clear bins rather than cardboard boxes
Avoid using cardboard boxes while storing items in your storage unit at all costs. They are difficult to stack, easy to damage, and don’t last long before they start to fall apart.
Plastic bins are much more durable. You can use them for long-term or temporary storage if you’re on vacation and want to store things in your unit until you return.
Step 3 – Disassemble furniture and store them upright
It’s essential to protect your items by keeping them properly. You want to avoid crushing, scratching, or otherwise damaging your possessions, so it pays to take the time to organize them logically.
Look for furniture with drawers which can help you easily find the items you need. Remove cushions from chairs and sofas, too, if possible. Putting up curtains or plastic over furniture pieces will help shield them from dust and provide added protection against bumps and scrapes.
Remember to stack furniture upright rather than laying them on its side. This way, the weight of all the other items stacked on top of that piece won’t add stress on joints like backs and legs – plus, it will make for easier moving when you’re ready to pick up again!
Step 4 – Store larger, heavy items at the bottom and towards the back
Try to store larger, heavier items at the bottom and towards the back of your unit. You will want to use the walls to add stability if possible. This can mean box storage on top of tall items, heavy items on the ground in the corner of your unit, or space-saving shelving installed in your team.
There are so many types of large-item storage solutions available that we cannot cover them all here; however, some basic tips for each type are below: – Boxes: Use plastic storage boxes that you can stack onto taller objects like shelves and cabinets.
Keep clothing boxes flat instead of stacking them up high because they might crush delicate items inside.
Step 5 – Store items that you frequently need towards the front
Your next step will be to organize your items by storing the things you often need in front so you can easily access them. This will help you save time when it comes time to retrieve what you need without having to search through your unit.
That’s why we recommend only putting one storage bin on each shelf instead of grouping all of the storage bins together, then moving up through the shelves.
When it comes to cleanup, your tasks will be much more streamlined because everything will be within arm’s reach!
Step 6 – Go vertical
Going vertical means stacking things on top of each other. You can put the taller items in the front so they are closer to the door when you go to grab them.
The shorter items should be in the back. You will want to use boxes or buckets to organize your things better and make it easier for you to grab what you need.
Label all your boxes with words like kitchen, clothes, books, etc., so it is easy to find what you need.
Maintaining your storage unit is an important part of making sure that everything stays organized!
Make sure that nothing starts coming out of its box, stack, or pile; this could quickly lead to everything becoming disorganized again!
Step 7 – Label every box and bin inside the storage unit
Label every box and bin inside the storage unit to easily identify each item. Labeling will also ensure you are keeping track of what is stored in the storage unit.
By labeling, it will also become easier to keep your items organized. Place labels on both sides of the container or box. Remove or update any expired labels before leaving the premises if you are away from the storage unit for more than 90 days.
Label the date items were stored (month/day/year) so you can easily identify when an item needs to be removed or returned to its original location.
In Conclusion
There you have it! Your ultimate guide to organizing your storage unit near Tacoma WA. Make sure to read all the steps to keep it safe, secure, clean, dry, and easy to access.
In the end, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!
