If you’re moving or minimizing clutter in your home, investing in a high-quality storage unit may be necessary. No matter your storage needs, you’ll want to organize your storage unit and create an inventory of everything in the room.
A storage unit inventory can be a life-saver when you need to access something long-buried in a box quickly. Below are some tips to help you create a list to help you stay organized and make the best use of your storage space.
One of the best ways to begin the organization process is to make sure you’re renting a high-quality self-storage unit. It’s much more challenging to organize your belongings in a space that is dirty or prone to insect or rodent infestations. Make sure you choose the right-sized unit when planning an inventory project to ensure everything will fit in the room!
When you take the time to organize your belongings, you’ll want to protect them! Finding a clean, safe location is the first step towards managing your excess items.
Depending on how much stuff you have to inventory, you may feel overwhelmed when you start the process. Going in with an orderly system is essential when things feel chaotic.
One of the best ways to tackle a storage unit inventory project is to take inventory box by box. While it might feel tempting to take on the whole room at once, you’ll be much more efficient if you commit to one piece of the puzzle at a time.
As you remove items from a box or crate, write down each item. Then, tape a list of the items to the lid once you have re-packed the things.
This system is beneficial when you are storing items you may not see again for a while, so next time you enter the storage unit space, you will know exactly what’s inside! Keep another copy of this list in your home for reference.
As you conduct a storage unit inventory box by box, make sure to add all the items to a master list. You can do this on a program like excel if you prefer a digital list.
Get fancy with this step if you feel inspired (e.g., “tagging” certain items that belong to specific categories with a particular color), but a simple long list will serve the same purpose. It’s helpful to have a master list if you ever decide to move your belongings or use any items in the storage unit space.
Update the master list if you move contents around–it might feel redundant now, but you’ll thank yourself later!
One of the classic pitfalls of storage units is mismanaging the space. Moving boxes can feel like a chore, so you may want to arrange the boxes without carefully considering how to organize them.
Giving some thought to this process ahead of time can save you valuable time and money! It also makes the process of inventorying much more straightforward and painless.
Managing space inside a storage unit is an art form. Take advantage of features like shelves or cubbies to further utilize the space and organize your belongings. Shelving can be especially helpful for items that don’t easily fit in cardboard boxes, such as kitchenware, frames, or seasonal items.
An easy way to organize (and inventory) these items is to dedicate various shelves to different categories (e.g., four shelves for four different holiday decorations). This kind of organization will make your life much easier when updating your storage unit inventory, too.
The best way to inventory your belongings is to start before moving the items into a storage unit. If you conduct the inventory process as you pack, you’ll end up with a storage unit that is much easier to access and manage. Investing time in this kind of organization and management system can minimize stress in the long run and save you a big headache on moving days!
Storage Locker has top-grade storage facilities that let you store the contents that matter with peace of mind. Business owners, homeowners, students, and beyond use our facilities for extra space. Use our size estimator and storage unit size guide to find the best storage space for your needs!