Tips

Proper materials, good planning and careful packing are important when moving and storing your possessions. Below are some tips and recommendations to help you in the process.

Boxes – fill boxes completely and compactly: avoid over-filling and under-filling. Use larger boxes for lighter items and smaller, sturdy boxes for heavier items.  Seal all boxes with packing tape. Use boxes of the same size if you are planning to stack them. Place heavy boxes at the bottom, and light ones on top.  Try to limit individual box weight to 30lbs.

Plastic – avoid packing items in sealed plastic bags, as humidity can cause mildew.

Inventory – clearly label all boxes and keep an inventory of what you have packed where.

Layout - leave walkways between stored items, to allow access to the back of the unit, and to allow the air to better circulate.  Place items you are more likely to need to access close to the front of the unit.

Appliances – clean appliances prior to storing and leave doors ajar to prevent growth of mildew.

Fragile items – wrap fragile items in bubble wrap, tissue or newspaper.  Heavy fragile items should be packed in separate boxes.

Books – pack books flat to avoid damage to their spines.

Metal objects – treat metal objects with a rust protector, or lightly oil, prior to storage.

Pictures, mirrors – store on ends (never flat) and wrap securely with bubble wrap.

Furniture – disassemble large items to maximize space (e.g. beds, tables).  Take advantage of space / drawers in dressers, cabinets etc.  Wrap mattresses and store on long edges.

Clothes – hang clothes loosely in wardrobe boxes.

Fuel – all fuel tanks (cars, PWC’s, motorbikes, lawnmowers etc.) must be drained of fuel prior to storage, as it is forbidden to store flammable items in our storage units.