Whether you’re moving house, need additional space, or want a clutter-free lifestyle, Blue Bear Self Storage is the perfect place to keep all your belongings.
From bulky items like inherited furniture and keepsakes from the children’s early years, to stuff that can’t seem to find its own place; our secure, weatherproof units can handle it all.
After you’ve booked your storage unit, it makes sense to be methodical when filling it. With that in mind, here are our tips on how to organise your storage unit like a pro.
Make a list
Before you start filling the car boot or hired van, it’s wise to plan exactly which items will be going into the storage unit.
Drawing up an inventory not only prevents you from leaving something out, it also makes sure you don’t have to go back and find any stored items that shouldn’t be there.
Make sure anyone helping you has a copy, so they all know what the stored items should be.
Select your self storage unit
Now you know how much of your stuff is going to be stored, you can choose an appropriate unit. At Blue Bear Self Storage, we have four sizes:
- Our 40 sq ft storage unit is about the size of a garden shed or a compact van and will take between 50 to 75 of our storage boxes.
- The 60 sq ft storage unit is comparable to a single garage or a standard transit van.
- An 80 sq ft storage unit can store the contents of a typical one to two-bedroom flat.
- Our 160 sq ft storage unit will accommodate the contents of a 3 to 4 bedroom house, and you would need a Luton-sized van to transfer this amount of items for storage in one drop.
Plastic or cardboard boxes?
All our storage units are repurposed shipping containers, so they’re built to hold a wide range of stored items.
They are clean, dry and weatherproof, and every storage unit is coated with Grafotherm for extra protection against damp and condensation.
Because of this, you can keep almost anything in our storage facilities. Be sure to use sturdy boxes sealed with packing tape and unbroken plastic containers.
Whatever your packing materials, make sure to clearly label everything with details of what’s inside the box, and add the date if necessary.
Organising your self storage unit
Now comes the exciting part – organising your self storage unit! At every Blue Bear storage facility, you can drive straight up to your chosen storage unit when you book ground-floor access.
No faffing around with cranky trolleys or wandering with heavy items in dimly lit corridors – isn’t that better?
#1 Put heavy or large items at the back of the self storage unit
When organising your self storage, it’s sensible to put any heavy, bulky items at the back of the storage unit.
If you’re storing furniture that can be disassembled, make sure that’s done ahead of time as it could save you time and space.
When all your larger items are in place, cover them with a mattress protector or dust sheet and you can stack smaller furniture or items on top.
#2 Optimise vertical space inside the self storage unit
A well-organised storage unit takes advantage not just of the floor space but the vertical space too. You can install shelving units for fragile items, or use your own possessions to save money.
Use heavier items to create a solid base, then stack boxes as high as they will safely go inside the storage unit. When you organise smaller items, cover them in bubble wrap if they need a bit of extra protection.
Proper organisation means being methodical: when stacking items, ensure all labels are facing outward and visible, so it’s a lot easier to identify what has been put where.
#3 Ensure access to frequently used items in your self storage unit
There’s nothing worse than discovering something you need regularly is buried at the back of your self storage unit, so use your planning to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Organising your storage space so that frequently accessed items are immediately to hand will make life easier every time you visit your unit.
#4 Organise ‘like items’ together in the self storage unit
A good way to keep your storage unit organised is to put certain items together.
Whether that’s small items that have sentimental value, fragile items like holiday decorations, or smaller boxes of papers, having these belongings organised in the same section of your storage unit – especially if you have a larger one – will make it easier to find them.
#5 Create an aisle in your self storage unit
One of the best tips for self storage organisation is to leave an aisle that runs down the middle of your belongings, preferably all the way to the back, for easy access.
As well as letting air circulate around specific items, it also means you have the room to get to various stored items or heavy boxes that you only need occasionally.
If you can’t do this and don’t want to face unpacking the entire self storage unit with each visit, there’s an easy solution: book extra space.
You can either scale up to our next available sized unit, or lease a smaller one or one with the same square footage to give you the self storage space you need.
Why choose Blue Bear Self Storage?
Whether you’re undertaking home renovations, want the office to stay organised, or keep your personal space uncluttered, our self storage service makes it better.
We operate seven sites, with unbeatable value on our storage rental rates. Our three-step leasing process is quick and simple:
- Choose your location
- Fill in your storage details
- Choose a unit size
In all of our storage locations we are the number one-rated self storage company on Trustpilot, and our team will do everything they can to make your storage experience better.
Got questions? Get in touch
If you have queries that aren’t covered by our FAQs, drop us a line and we’d be delighted to help. You can call us on 0203 981 2900.
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