Storage maintenance checklist – Miami edition
There are many different reasons why people decide to rent a storage unit. For some, it’s just an additional storage space, and for others a place to temporarily store their belongings during a home renovation. Whatever is the reason behind your decision to rent a storage unit, one thing is certain: If you wish for it to be useful to you, you must take good care of it. Unless, of course, you use for hoarding junk. But, that’s a whole different story then. A storage unit is hardly useful if you can’t open the doors without a pile of stuff falling on your head. Therefore, we are going to inform you about the ways of choosing the best Miami storage facilities, as well as to present you with our storage maintenance checklist.
Why is it important to have an organized storage unit?
In most cases, people rent storage to declutter their homes. This is especially true for all of us living in big cities like Miami. Space is an expensive commodity in big cities, and it comes with a hefty price tag. Smaller apartments are cheaper to rent, but their major downside is the lack of space. Hence the need for storage units. Listed below are the reasons why you should keep it neatly arranged:
- A messy storage unit is downright useless. Imagine you need something real quick, but to get it you have to dig through a pile of various objects.
- Your belongings might get damaged. If you just toss stuff into a storage unit, your belongings might get scratched, broken, or crushed. This means that you could have thrown away all those items in the first place, thus saving money you spent on renting a storage unit.
- The appearance of mold and mildew. These nasty small organisms thrive in dark and damp places like basements and storage units. But if you put some effort into maintaining your storage unit, they don’t stand a chance.
Storage maintenance checklist for mold and mildew:
Like we already said climate-controlled storage present an excellent defense against these pests, but there are several other effective products that you could use:
- Get desiccant agents like silica at your local DIY store
- Charcoal briskets do a great job in absorbing moisture
- You can also get a moisture absorber
- Install an electrical dehumidifier
- Install vapor barriers
Storage packing tips
If you wish for your storage unit to be clean and tidy, you have to properly pack and arrange your belongings. If you are not sure how to do that, you can always call professional movers and packers Miami. Meanwhile here are a few tricks that could be useful:
- Label the boxes. Are you having trouble finding the belongings you put into a storage unit? Well, the best way to prevent this from happening is to label the boxes.
- Use plastic transparent boxes instead of regular cardboard ones. Now you can actually see what’s inside, and that drastically reduces the amount of time needed to find something. Furthermore, plastic boxes are also more durable.
- Create an inventory list. Know what’s inside of the storage unit at any given moment.
- Do not overstuff boxes. You will find your possessions more easily when everything is neatly arranged.
- Don’t forget to label the boxes with fragile items
Storage maintenance tips – organizing a storage unit:
Now when you have properly packed your belongings for storing, let’s see how you can make the unit more organized:
- Place heavier and bigger boxes at the bottom. You will be able to make a bigger tower like this, and what’s even more important you will reduce the chances of something getting damaged.
- Stack boxes vertically and try to create a wall. If you wish to have a fully operational storage unit, you must leave most of the floor surface free.
- Use boxes that are similar in size.
- Disassemble furniture and stack parts vertically.
- Install shelves to use all that wall space and free floor space even more.
- Place items with a high frequency of use at the front.
Okay now that we went through storage maintenance checklist, let’s see how to pick a good storage unit
If you want to save a bit of time on storage maintenance, you should rent a decent unit. Anyway, your goal should that your belongings are somewhere where is safe and clean. So, what are the standards of a good storage unit?
- Climate control. Whether you are storing old furniture or pricey artwork you should get a storage unit that is climate controlled. This type of storage unit protects your stuff from extreme weather conditions as well as from pests like humidity, mold, and insects. You will pay a higher fee, but you will get much more in return.
- Accessibility. Where is the storage unit located? Do you live nearby? Can you park a van or truck in front of the storage facility? Is it accessible 24 hours a day? Could you visit your storage unit in the evening? All of this is important if you wish to have full control of your belongings at any given moment.
- Security. The most important factor of all. Every good storage unit must be equipped with quality locks, surveillance systems, and security guards. You don’t want your belongings to disappear.
Wrapping things up
Last but not least, you should keep your storage unit clean and dust-free because of your health. You don’t want to sneeze every time you open the doors of that unit, right? So, grab some basic cleaning products, a vacuum cleaner, and a mop and deep clean your storage unit once a year. Follow the advice we gave you in this storage maintenance checklist and enjoy your additional storing space.