Storage Tips

Packing and storing items of value can often be a better choice than keeping them with you under circumstances. If you spend a great deal of time away from home, if your apartment of home leaks and the land lord is slow to fix them, or if you find that the place you are now living is very high in humidity. Storing family heirlooms is often done when you don’t yet have a permanent residence or you feel that they are safer in a contained storage unit. However, when storing family heirlooms, you want the packing and storing process to be as meticulous as possible, tossing items into a box and leaving them in a storage unit is likely to result in worthless family heirlooms. While low cost storage seems like a really good option for storing something that you aren’t going to use, you family heirlooms are likely to last much longer and remain in their original condition if you are willing to spend based on the quality of unit, not the price.

Low cost storage units may or may not offer the protection that you need. In cases where storage units run multiple floors high, ask for a lower unit. Should the roof leak, the unit above you is likely to experience damage first, allowing time for the problem to be fixed while minimizing any damage to your property. When packing and storing, especially when storing family heirlooms, do no clearly mark on the box what is inside. While it might seem a little incredulous, theft does occur from time to time in poorly managed storage facilities. Theft is more likely to occur when you have clearly marked “Grandma’s Diamond Jewelry” on the box versus “Danglies and Banglies,” or something that will help you remember without advertising to the world what contents might be inside.

When packing and storing anything of value, pack the boxes densely enough with packing material to minimize the potential for damage from water, dropping, and pressure from stacking, which you shouldn’t do. If you are seeking out a low cost storage unit, make sure they offer chronic, year long climate control with humidity control. Five minutes on the phone should be enough to get your questions answered. If you haven’t checked out the storage unit ahead of time, be prepared to walk out without a unit if it doesn’t meet the expectations set forth during your phone conversation. Low cost storage units are being met with significant competition. Fortunately, this means better storage facilities with better value for the customer.