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Downsizing and Self Storage
An article provided by Simply Self Storage

Many individuals are currently finding themselves in the position of needing to downsize and move into smaller living spaces or make room for family or others to move into their home. The result either way is that self storage has become a popular way to place possessions in safekeeping until the economy straightens out and people are able to move back into a space that will accommodate all of their possessions.

Choosing a Self Storage Unit

Self storage units can be used for everything from storing household goods to unused sports equipment to business equipment or records. Determining how you will use the space and what you will put in it is the first step to knowing what kind of unit you will need and what size you will need.

If, for example, you are planning on storing bedroom furniture from a room that you are clearing so that your daughter can move back in with you, you will probably only need a very small 100 square foot unit, which will easily hold a full or queen sized mattress set, some boxes and a dresser. On the other hand, if you are planning on storing an entire household, then you will need a much larger space.

Visit several self storage facilities to become familiar with the types of storage and the standard sizes of the units. This will help you determine what you need and what to expect it to cost.

Types of Self Storage

There are several different kinds of self storage available. Probably the most commonly known is the mini storage unit. This type of storage unit comes in various sizes and can be used for almost any kind of storage need.

There are also several types of vehicle storage. For example, there are storage facilities that are designed specifically to store RVs and boats. These facilities usually have large parking lots, either covered or uncovered, where renters are assigned a parking space for their vehicle. Renters are not allowed to reside on their boat or RV while it is at the storage facility and usually there are rules about maintaining your vehicle in good working condition and keep registration and insurance current.

Long term storage is another form of storage. This kind of storage can be arranged through moving companies, which will place your possessions in a container, or with a self storage facility, which will usually allow you regular access to your items.

Climate control storage is another type of self storage that is gaining in popularity as people and businesses commonly store computers and other temperature sensitive items like electronic equipment. Climate control storage is also popular in places that extreme changes in winter and summer temperatures. This type of storage will keep your items at temperatures between approximately 45 and 85 degrees.

Planning and Packing

Once you know what kind of self storage facility will meet your needs best, then it is time to start planning and packing. Before you even pack your first box, you should spend a bit of time thinking about what precisely you will be placing in your storage unit and whether or not you will want to have access to it while it is in storage. In some cases, you will need to be able to know what is in each box or how to locate it easily so that you can retrieve items like records or clothing that you want to exchange as the seasons become warmer or colder.

Group similar items together and carefully pack them in boxes that will be sturdy and not collapse if you stack other boxes on top of them. You can buy good packing boxes at your self storage company or from moving companies. You can also purchase packing paper and good strong packing tape to close boxes.

Place fragile items in boxes with lots of packing paper stuffed into vacant space to provide cushioning if something is placed on top of the box. Be sure to fill the box to the top, but do not over stuff, since this may result in breakage or damage when you close the box.

Create a written inventory of all of your possessions and number each box, marking it on all sides. Keep a copy of this written inventory for your own records in case of damage or theft. You can also place a copy of the inventory on each box to make it easier to know what is inside of each box.

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Simply Self Storage is the largest privately owned self storage company in the United States and Puerto Rico. We own and/or operate over 228 facilities with over 16.1 million square feet of storage space.

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