6 Helpful Steps When Renting a Self Storage Unit

6 Helpful Steps When Renting a Self Storage Unit

There are so many great reasons for renting a storage unit. They include having a place to keep your business inventory, personal items when you have to move to a smaller home, your off-season clothes, or your beach supplies.

Whether you’re renting for the first time or the tenth, it can help to go over the right steps to take when preparing your belongings for storage, picking a unit, and getting your things safely inside.

Declutter

It can be disheartening to get to your storage unit after several months and realize you put a bunch of things in there that you don’t miss at all. Most of us have a habit of acquiring things over time, and you simply don’t realize how much you have, or what you don’t need, until you decide to focus on it.

Take some time to declutter. You probably have old belongings that you no longer use, which you can sell, donate, recycle, or simply throw out. Do it in that order, too. In other words, say you have an old bicycle you no longer ride or an old video game system you’ve upgraded. You can sell those things on eBay, Craigslist, or OfferUp. You may have old books, clothes, and toys that are still in good condition. Donate them to a local thrift store or shelter, and you can deduct their value off your taxes. Many metal, glass, clothes, and paper items, as well as old computer parts, can be recycled. Only send things to the landfill if nothing else will work.

The things that you still find of use, but that are taking up extra space in your home, are the ones you put in storage.

Determine Size

Deciding what size unit you need can be a real guessing game, so we made it easy. Check out our size guide for tips. For example, a ‘5x5’ can hold the contents of a walk-in closet. A 10’x15’ unit can hold the contents of a two-bedroom apartment. If you need storage for business inventory, our size guide will help you, too.

Pick a Type

For anyone storing their belongings, as opposed to a vehicle, there are two main unit types. These are drive-up and climate-controlled. We have both.

Drive-up units are on the outside of buildings and have metal, slide-up doors. They’re convenient because you can park your car, truck, or van right in front and easily unload or load boxes. While we still recommend you use a hand cart for heavy boxes, you won’t have to move them far.

Climate-controlled units keep your items in the best possible condition. They keep the temperature and humidity in a safe range, so it’s never too hot, too cold, too damp, or too dry for your things. This is great if you’re storing just about anything long-term, including clothing, art, electronics, musical instruments, and a lot more.

Be Smart About Your Boxes

While there are many sizes of cardboard boxes and plastic bins to choose from, we recommend mostly sticking to one. If you go with cardboard, we suggest document boxes. These are sturdy and hold many items safely. Plastic bins are great as long as they’re strong and stack well. In fact, proper stacking is why it’s best to mostly stick with one box size.

When you bring your things to your unit, put the heavier boxes at the bottom of stacks, and go lighter as you go up.

For some items, it is best to use boxes that are specifically designed to protect them. This includes various types of kitchenware as well as suits and other clothes that need to hang. Just stack those fragile items on top of other boxes so they don’t get crushed.

Packing Your Boxes

Pack those boxes carefully. While there are several types of packing materials, in general, packing paper is the most flexible. In addition, it’s affordable and can be recycled. Wrap it around delicate items and crunch it up to place it in empty spaces to keep things from rattling around.

Rent a Unit

When you rent from Jack Rabbit Self Storage, you can select the size and type you need online. You can reserve a unit on our site, or even better, you can rent immediately and move your belongings into your unit within a day.

If you have any questions, feel free to call one of our facilities and we’ll be happy to help. We look forward to being your storage solution.