The Best Self-Storage Tips, Tricks, and Secrets Part II | Countryside Self Storage
Everybody loves tips, tricks, and life hacks that make things easier, whether that’s new ideas for organizing your fridge or the best way to get the most out of your self-storage experience. Our earlier blog article covering some of the best self-storage tips from our managers was a big hit, so we decided to bring you more of their best tips and secrets to help make the most of your self-storage in Missouri and Kansas.
Whether you’re downsizing, repurposing rooms now that the nest is empty, getting ready for a big move, looking for military self-storage, finding space for your side hustle or small business, or needing a self-storage unit for any other reason, these hot self-storage tips are bound to help!
1. Label everything. No matter how obvious it may seem, an unlabeled box is a box that you’re going to have to dig through sooner or later. When you’re putting stuff into self-storage, label every box with a list of everything that’s inside. It’s also a good idea to avoid combining unrelated items in boxes. If you want to get the most out of your self-storage unit, things need to be easy to find.
2. Clean your mattress before storing. Mattresses are popular items to store, and that makes sense. After all, they’re big, bulky, and relatively expensive. Before you put your mattress into self-storage, however, you should make sure it’s clean to help protect it against mold, mildew, and pests. It’s also a good idea to place it in a mattress bag. You can usually get one at most self-storage facilities.
3. Stack your boxes, but not to the ceiling. You want to get the most out of your space, but you also want to stack with care. Going more than three or four boxes high not only makes your unit unsafe, it also means that items in lower boxes are harder to get to. It’s even better to use shelving to elevate boxes while still leaving them accessible. Always put the heaviest stuff on the bottom.
4. Make it easy to navigate your storage unit. Many people pack a storage unit without thinking about how they’ll get items back out. One of the best self-storage tips you’ll hear is to keep your storage unit navigable, which means leaving spaces to walk around your belongings and prioritizing what’s in front and back so that the things you’re more likely to need sooner (or more often) are more easily accessed.
5. Know that you can't store everything. As much as Countryside Self Storage in Missouri and Kansas would love to be your chosen spot for everything you want to store, we simply can’t take certain items, including food, hazardous materials, illegal goods, firearms, living creatures (including yourself), priceless or irreplaceable items such as treasure chests full of gold and jewels, and, of course, explosives. Which leads us into our last self-storage tip…
6. Ask for help. If you have any questions about what kind of self-storage you need, what you'd like to store, or anything else related to packing, storing, protecting, and retrieving your items, please ask one of our on-site managers. We are always happy to help!
With five premier facilities offering self-storage in Missouri and Kansas, there’s bound to be a Countryside Self-Storage location near you! If you have questions or are ready to start your self-storage journey, contact us today at any of our Pittsburg, Joplin, or Frontenac locations.