Self Storage Tips.

Always load the heaviest items first; this will help keep the truck stable on the road. It’s a good idea to store items you’ll use most at the front of the unit where you can get them easily. And make sure to rent the right sized truck for your journey. Check out our truck rental center for your rental needs.

  Load the truck a quarter at a time, packing it tightly from the floor to ceiling. Secure each quarter with rope tied to the tie-down rings.

  Place bureaus, large china cabinets, sofas, refrigerators, and other heavy appliances against the front wall of the truck. Use protective covers on sofas and mattresses. Then load chairs, tables, bookcases and light items towards the back.

  Stand large, flat items like mirrors, mattresses, box springs and tabletops upright against the truck walls and tie them securely.

  Wrap mirrors and pictures with protective pads or use a special mirror carton and store them on end. Make sure to have all of the right packing materials in advance.

  Stack lighter boxes on top of bigger, heavier ones.

  Carry valuable papers and items with you so they are not lost or damaged.

Organizing your self-storage unit
At this stage in your self-storage process, it's worthwhile taking some time to plan exactly how to pack your items into the unit. Unit sizes are determined by price so you can be save money here by assessing what you have to store and planning to pack it in efficiently - a smaller and well-packed unit will be cheaper than a larger one that is badly organized.

There are two key things to remember when organizing your self-storage unit. Firstly, you need to make sure that you can easily access the items you've stored in the facility when you want them. Secondly, you must take care when storing - these are your belongings and there are measures you can take, apart from careful packing, that will help protect them during their time in the facility.

If you're worried that the floor space in the facility is not clean enough and might cause damage in itself put down protective sheeting or boards.
If you're storing heavy items or boxes check with the facility to see if they have trolleys or other machinery you can use. Some self-storage companies will offer these free of charge.
In all but the smallest units, try to create an aisle and leave enough room to be able to get round the back.
Store your largest items first.
If you're stacking your unit high with boxes, always make sure to put the heaviest boxes at the bottom to avoid damage.
Stack boxes and similarly sized items together to save space.
Try not to lean furniture against outside walls.
If you're storing metal objects avoid resting them against items susceptible to damage.
Try to assess what you'll need to access frequently and keep it at the front of your unit.
Fill anything that's hollow - i.e. wardrobes, drawers, washing machines and fridges with small boxes and other items to maximize your available space.
Make sure to stack boxes and containers so that you can see the labels you put on them.
Wedge the doors of all kitchen appliances whilst in the facility open to avoid bad odors and mildew etc., building up.
Don't store anything in the facility that you're not sure is sturdy vertically - if it seems wobbly store it horizontally.
If you're worried about the atmosphere/environment in the unit put down moisture absorbers, deodorizers and vermin bait