How To Pack A Storage Unit: A Complete Guide

How to Pack a Storage Unit: The Complete Guide

Hello there, friend! So you've rented a storage unit, huh? Well, well, well! Hooray, you're a club member now! I've been there too—standing in front of an empty unit and thinking how on earth I was going to fit all my rubbish into it without making a humongous mess that I'd love later. Buying a new home, selling your old home and downsizing, or just reclaiming your garage from the mess, whatever your reason is, I've got you covered.

Having moved five times in three years (don't ask!), I've picked up a thing or two about how to pack storage containers properly—essentially by learning how to do it the wrong way first! This piece will spare you from doing what I did wrong, and enable you to create a storage system you can stand. Let's get on with it then!

1. Preparing Before You Pack

Trust me—spending a few minutes now will pay you HOURS of headaches later!

Estimating Your Storage Space

Ever played Tetris? That's basically what you're going to be doing with your life. Get a rough estimate of what you're storing. How many boxes of Christmas decorations do you actually have? (More than you think, most likely!) Is that sectional couch going to fit? Taking a quick inventory helps you figure out how big of a unit you will need and prevents you from having to play the game of "will it fit?" within the storage unit in the real world.

Selecting the Proper Unit Size

Don't be like me and rent a unit that is too small just because you want to save $20 per month. I wound up upgrading anyway and having to relocate everything TWICE. Most storage units have handy size charts on their websites—use them! A 10x10 unit will generally store the contents of a one-bedroom apartment, and a 10x15 will store a two-bedroom house. 

Checking for Climate Control Options

Do you reside somewhere that is hot as blazes in the summer or cold as ice in the winter? Do you possess family portraits, wooden pieces of furniture, or appliances that you would cry over if they were destroyed? Then spend the money on climate control. It's extra money, but it's cheaper than replacing your grandmother's antique dresser that warped because it was too warm. Trust me, learned the hard way—that stack of old vinyl ain't never goin' look the same come a Florida summer without A/C!

Pre-Cleaning Your Unit Before First Use

Sweep out your unit for five minutes before loading. I bypassed that one time and woke up to my white couch looking like a pretty dusting of gray upon the first month's storage. The five-minute sweep now = fewer cleanups later!

2. Essential Supplies for Effective Packing

Ready to roll store for a supply trip? Here's what you'll really need (not what the moving store attempts to sell you):

Storage Containers: Plastic or Cardboard

I'm a former cardboard box user. Sure, they're less expensive, but after finding my childhood books mildewed after a minor humidity issue, I'm plastic bin all the way. If you have something to keep for more than a few months or something of value, plastic bins are totally worth it. Your future self will thank you when you're not dealing with compromised, smelly cardboard!

Protective Supplies for Delicate Items 

Do remember when I said I've relocated three times within a span of five years? I've made mistakes along the way, yes. Bubble wrap is your best bet when working with something delicate. Can't afford those specialty wrapping supplies? Clean socks are nice to use around glass pieces, and worn T-shirts work excellently for padding. I even used clean paper plates in between plates—puff!

Organizational Devices: Markers, Labels, and Inventory Forms

Labels. LABEL EVERYTHING. Future you will not know what is in the box that reads "Misc." I wasted two hours rummaging through unlabeled boxes for my tax documents. Two hours! Now I simply have an amazing system: sharp labels on all sides (since boxes get rotated), and a master list in my phone. Game changer.

Space-Saving Gear: Compression Bags and Vacuum Pouches

Do you ever see those infomercials where they vacuum seal this gigantic mountain of bedding into this small little package? It's not TV magic, I swear, these actually work! I was able to fit all of my winter clothes, additional bedding, AND my hilariously large throw pillow collection into one plastic container with vacuum bags. Your heavier fabric items take up so much less space and are dust- and moisture-proof. Win-win!

3. Getting Your Stuff Ready

A bit of prep upfront saves huge headaches later on!

Cleaning Items Prior to Storage

Here's a gross anecdote: I used to put away a coffee maker without properly cleaning it. Six months pass? Mold City. Trust me—clean ALL THE THINGS when putting them away. That spaghetti sauce that's been sitting in your blender, that dust that's been building up on your bookshelf, that weird stain on your area rug? Clean them all when putting them away. Your future self will thank you when unpacking isn't a science experiment.

Take Apart Furniture to Squeeze Out Your Room

Sorry, play Tetris with your storage room like it's a really, really costly game of Tetris. That table and bed frame will take SO MUCH LESS space if you disassemble them. I know it's whack, but it's worth it. Pro-tip by someone who got it wrong: place all of the screws and tiny pieces in Ziploc bags labeled accordingly and seal the bags to the matching furniture. Any other way you will be left with a mystery hardware cache and furniture which you won't be able to assemble!

Establishing an All-Encompassing Inventory System

"I'll keep track of what's inside each box," said every human who ever tried to remember what's inside each box. Trust me, you won't even be able to tell if it's been more than a week. I just label them with a straightforward numbering system—each box has a number, and I have a corresponding list on my phone that says what's in them. When I needed to unearth my winter boots back in October, I knew exactly which box to remove (#17!) without having to tear everything apart.

Photographing Items for Insurance

Ever had to file a claim on an insurance policy and not have a photograph record of what you possessed? Not nice. Just photograph your belongings before you stow them away. I do this, particularly for electronics and anything that's old or sentimental. Photograph serial numbers also. Five minutes of your time and it could be worth thousands in the future if anything does occur.

4. Strategic Packing Strategies

Regardless of what you are going to pack, HOW you pack it will be the difference-maker!

Loading Heavy Objects First: Building a Steady Base

In my first storage unit packing, I loaded my boxes in first and tried to cram furniture in afterward. BIG mistake. HUGE. Start with the heavy stuff—mattresses against the back wall, appliances, and heavy furniture second. Think of it as a foundation. Your small boxes and fragile items will thank you for not being squished under your dresser.

Maximizing Vertical Space

Storage units are leased by square area, but height is complimentary! My tip? Stack vertically, not horizontally. Units are at least 8 feet high normally, so there's loads of space to get creative up high. Just don't use physics against yourself here—durable items down, lightweight up top. Learned the hard way on this one when my box fortress came crashing down. Not one of my finer moments.

Adding Shelving Units for Additional Organization

Wondering what the best $40 I ever spent on storage was? Plastic shelving units. It completely revolutionized my storage life. Instead of digging through stacks of boxes like some kind of archaeological dig, I can see everything at a glance. And it keeps breakables from getting smashed. If you'll be looking at your unit on any kind of regular basis, shelving is a total necessity.

Leaving Access Pathways in Your Unit

Ever had to excavate something out of the rear of a packed storage unit? It's Twister with boxes! Spare yourself the hassle and leave an aisle running down the center of your unit. I leave a "aisle" of approximately 2 feet so I can really reach the things in the back without needing to unload the whole shebang. Your future self will appreciate it when you have to go back and fetch that one Christmas piece of stuff that's always getting in the way in the back.

Applying "Dead Space" to Furniture

Don't waste good storage! That empty dresser? Fill those drawers with things! Your washing machine or fridge? Great for storing little things in between. Just don't leave appliance doors shut to avoid mold (I learned that the hard way with a mini-fridge). Use every hollowed-out space as valuable storage space.

5. Packing Certain Item Categories

Various things require different TLC—here's what to do with the challenging stuff:

Furniture Storage Best Practices

Has anyone else ever kept an upholstered sofa, only to have it come out smelling mildewy afterward? Wrap that baby up! I cover anything upholstered with old sheets or actual furniture covers. For wood, a good polish before storing provides you with moisture protection. And for goodness' sake, don't store mattresses on their sides for an extended period of time—they're meant to lay flat or stand upright, not bend in weird positions.

Guarding Electronics Against Harm

Electronics and storage are a fatal combination. Take all batteries out before storing them (my remote control oozed and ruined one drawer once), and if you keep the box, use it! Those Styrofoam inserts with cut-out holes were created specifically for your item. I keep electronics closer to the middle of the cabinet, not along outside walls where it is most unstable.

The Proper Storage of Clothes

Such as so your clothes won't smell stinky when you wear them? Plastic storage bins or clothing boxes are the answer. I place cedar planks or dried lavender sachets inside to keep them bug-free and fresh. Vacuum bags have also proven useful as a space-saver and for bulk winter parkas and seasonal wear. Don't vacuum-pack anything silk-like, however—I learned that crumpled lesson the hard way!

Appliance Preparation and Storage

Apoilishes should be treated with care before putting away. Wash them thoroughly (defrost fridge and toaster crumb tray dump, at least). Dry thoroughly to prevent mold and doors a bit ajar so air can circulate. Put a new box of baking soda in my stored fridge—I found no mildew smell when I opened it after six months!

Shielding Delicate and Non-Replaceable Items

Is something delicate or valuable? Never, never place it on the floor (lost a set of China doing this when we had a small water issue). Keep mirrors and paintings in specialty boxes with lots of padding. I double-box them—a box inside another, with padding in the middle—for really valuable or really delicate things. Sounds nuts until you watch your neighbor pulling down the sidewalk boxes marked "FRAGILE".

Methods of Preserving Books and Documents

As one bookworm myself who once had a half-box full of paperbacks destroyed by dampness, listen up! Store books flat or upright as on a bookshelf—never on the spine edge or they will buckle. For precious documents and photographs, store them in acid-free boxes. And if you live in a humid climate, plastic boxes are always preferable to cardboard for papers.

Rotating Seasonal Item System

It is considerate of the seasonal items. Why would you keep your Christmas decorations at the back of the rest when December is knocking so soon? I keep the items seasonally by when I will use them again, and next year's items at the front. It's getting your future self ready!

6. Organizing Systems to Easily Retrieve

Good unit organization is what makes all the difference between a fast recovery and a half-day job!

Front-to-Back Organization: By Priority

So simple but SO effective: store what you use to access often upfront in your unit. Your monthly-use camping gear? Front and center. Your "someday" China you got from great-aunt Edna? That goes in the back. After having it out with one too many steamy afternoons of digging through my unit looking for something I needed, I finally dove in.

Creating an Efficient Labeling System

Labels, labels, labels! I don't know how many times I can stress this. Label boxes on more than one side so you can tell what they are no matter how they're stacked. I also colored-coded with blue labels for the kitchen, green for the bedroom, etc. It makes it so much faster to find things at a glance when everything isn't just all in the same brown boxes.

Creating a Storage Unit Map

This is an overreaction, I know, but humor me: sketch a rough map of your storage space with a pen of where you have different categories. Make another one for home and photograph it on your phone. I started doing that after spending THREE HOURS looking for camping gear that I needed to take a trip. If I had a map, I would have been able to go in, go straight to section B3, and be out of there in five minutes!

Digital Inventory Management Apps and Tools

We're in the future now, folks—use it! There are apps like Sortly where you can snap a picture of something, place it in a specific box, and see your inventory online. I'm using this right now for everything. While searching for my food processor at an unexpected dinner party, I searched "food processor" on my app, confirmed it was in Box 12, and had it in hand within minutes instead of destroying my unit.

7. Strategies to Maximize Space

Every square inch counts when you are paying for storage space!

Strategic Stacking Techniques

Stack boxes like playing Jenga—brighten up! Use boxes of the same size when you can (they're easier to stack), and put heavies at the bottom and lights at the top. When I stack pieces of furniture, I put towels or bubble wrap between them so they won't scratch each other. Nothing is nearly as bad as waking up to go get your coffee table and discovering that it is snuggly with your metal file cabinet—and has the battle scars to prove it.

Vertical Organization Strategies

Think UP, not OUT! Max out the overall height of your unit by stacking it considerably. Just make sure to include a step stool as part of your unit if you're a midget like me. There is nothing more infuriating than to see the very box you need placed on the top shelf and have no means of reaching it!

Furniture Nesting and Stacking

Get creative with nesting objects. I nest small boxes inside my dryer, stack down seating chairs on top of tables, and fill up any crevice I can find. I once stored an entire home office's worth of goodies in and around a large armoire—it's real-life adult Tetris!

Hanging Storage Solutions

Vertical space is not just reserved for piling! Install interim hanging rods for garments between heavy shelves, or install a pegboard system for equipment. I installed a shoe organizer on the wall of my closet for miscellaneous items that would otherwise get lost in containers. Gravity's against you anyway—why not have it work in your favor?

8. Long-Term Storage Considerations

If your possessions will be kept in storage for an extended period of time, perform the following additional steps:

Prevention of Moisture and Pests

Nothing will ruin stored items faster than water and insects. I learned this the hard way when I opened a holiday decoration box and discovered mouse droppings within (tastefully decorated for the holidays, I might add.). Now, I place moisture absorbers at the edge of my unit and cedar blocks and lavender sachets as insect repellent. And NEVER put anything on the floor—pallets or plastic sheeting are excellent barriers against small flooding.

Regular Maintenance Visits

I know I know—storage's supposed to be leaving this trash in the crevices of your brain, okay? But trust me, occasional peeking in every few months is worth the trouble. I go into my unit every three months just to take a gander and ensure everything's fine. This has kept what would have otherwise been catastrophes for me at bay—I caught a minute water leak next to my unit before it reached my things close enough to destroy them and saw one of my containers begin to warp due to pressure. 

Seasonal Item Rotation Plan

When the seasons transition, let that be the excuse to re-do. Heading out to purchase those summer shirts? Bring back to the forefront the items in the rear that must reside in the front during fall. I've incorporated this practice into my daily routine—whenever there is a season change it's a mini-reorganizing new start. It is just slightly gratifying (am I the sole storage-organizing junkie whose therapy is organizing?).

When to Upgrade Your Storage Unit

Are you constantly playing box Tetris to make everything fit? Do you fear knocking something over because it will be ruining your elaborate stacking system? That's a good indication that you need a bigger unit. I struggled with the upgrade for months, trying to be frugal, but the time and aggravation that I saved not having the right size unit was well worth the extra $25 a month.

9. Faux Pas of Common Storage to Avoid

Make use of my blunders so that you won't have to go out and make your own!

Storing things directly on the floor

I don't wish to harp on it, but don't put anything flat on the concrete ground! My first storage unit experience was with wet boxes after a spring rain caused some seepage. Nowadays I place down pallets, plastic sheeting, or even crushed cardboard as thick as a moisture barrier. It's inexpensive insurance against a damp disaster.

Overpacking Boxes

We've all been there—piled a box so the seams are bulging and then tried to manhandle it up. Other than frustrating your back, packed boxes will likely fall apart sooner or later, particularly the bottom ones in a pile. My personal rule of thumb: if you must sit on it to get it to shut, or you grunt when you pick it up, it's too heavy!

Forgetting to Fill Gaps

Empty space between things is innocuous until it all moves around on a bumpy drive or when you remove one box from a stack. I now fill empty spaces with packing paper, bubble wrap, or even soft items like pillows or stuffed animals. It keeps everything in place and doesn't permit me to lose sleep over the storage unit landslide I once witnessed (we don't talk about that day).

Storage of Prohibited or Hazardous Substances

Almost every storage facility has rules about things you can't keep—and they exist for a purpose! No food (if you don't want rodent roommates), nothing burnable such as gasoline or some cleaning supplies, and no houseplants. Check your rental agreement so you won't inadvertently break the terms and maybe hurt yourself or someone else's property.

Oversight of Insurance on Stored Property

"It won't happen to me" was my creed until a little roof leak destroyed some of my possessions. A lot of people believe that the storage facility protects your items, but that's not necessarily the way it goes. Ensure that your homeowner or renter policy insures items in storage, or purchase a stand-alone storage insurance. For what it costs (ordinarily a few dollars a month), the peace of mind is worthwhile.

10. Best Practices for Storage Unit Security

Don't let out of sight equal out of mind when it comes to security!

Selecting the Right Lock

That dollar store padlock that's literally falling apart? Forget about it. Put in a decent disc or cylinder lock instead—it's harder to cut or break. When I heard that there'd been a string of storage unit break-ins at a building downtown, I just went out and purchased a new lock immediately. It's one of the cheapest things you can do to help secure potentially thousands of dollars worth of your stuff.

Beyond the Lock

Choose a storage facility that is secure with security cameras, gate entry, and staff on the premises. I actually switched storage facilities after learning the security cameras at my old facility were not working but just for show! Some even have their own wireless security camera installed in their unit—it's an overkill until your stuff gets stolen.

Insurance Options for Your Stored Belongings

This cannot be repeated enough: get your stuff insured! Either by adding to your current homeowner's/renter's policy or the policy the storage facility has, insurance covers against loss when things go terribly wrong. I learned the hard way—do not do as I did!

Whew! That's done. It might be overkill to think ahead well the packing of a storage area when you are running around in getting all of the items out of your house in a hurry, but your future self will be SO appreciative of all the seconds taken in thinking ahead now.

I can even remember the delight of entering my clean storage facility after using these strategies. The panic attacks when I had to find something were a thing of the past, the dreaded ventures into my unit were a thing of the past, and more importantly, the destroyed items were a thing of the past!

Do you use any of these strategies? Do you have some storage unit nightmare or success story to tell? I'd love to hear about it! And if this tutorial kept you from storage unit chaos, pay it forward and share it with a friend in need.

Happy packing, and here's hoping all your storage experiences are boring and uneventful—just like they should be!