Moving: Your Guide to Storage

Once you’ve started packing, you’ll have a better gauge of what you can put in storage. Try to get large items out of the way as soon as possible so you have more room to organize what you’ll be taking to your new home. Smaller items in boxes can be brought to storage after the move.

Be aware of your storage company’s guidelines about what you can and can’t store. Be sure to properly package furniture and loose items before storing them.

Do store:

• Furniture
• Appliances
• Dishes and silverware

Do not store:

• Important documents and photos – Things that are not replaceable should never be stored.
• Medical equipment – Any equipment that is radioactive isn’t allowed in storage.
• Flammable or corrosive items – Storage facilities do not allow these.
• Weapons – Storage facilities do not allow these.
• Perishable items – This should go without saying, but do not store anything that will rot.

Tips for safe storage:

• Wrap – Wrap all furniture (and boxes if you want to be extra safe) in plastic before storing. You can purchase large furniture bags, mattress bags, and stretch wrap specifically for this purpose at any hardware or home retail store.
• Elevate – Most storage facilities are designed to direct water away from storage units, but storms and floods still happen. Make sure your belongings are protected by keeping them off the ground. Pallets are a cheap way to elevate your belongings and protect them for water damage. Check the internet for people giving away pallets or selling them for cheap, visit your local hardware store or nearby construction sites to see if they have pallets for recycling. Most stores get bulk shipments on pallets, so go ahead and ask pet stores, supermarkets, and other local businesses if they have pallets.
• List and label – Like you did with your other belongings when you took inventory, be sure to make lists of everything you store and label everything.
  • Be sure to note:
    • Item name
    • Condition
    • Estimated value