ORGANIZING YOUR STORAGE LOCKER

Organizing Your Storage Locker for Frequent Access

Have a storage locker full of stuff that you know you need to organize? We live in Calgary and we all know how unpredictable the weather can be. You’ve got many of your belongings in storage and one of those surprise snow falls hits the city, and the forecast calls for below zero temperatures for the rest of the week. Even worse, many of your winter apparel is in storage! The last thing you’d want to do is have to move stacks of boxes and piles of furniture out of the way, retrieve the few boxes you need, and then move everything back as it was! You probably would not like to have to repeat this process every time you need to get items out of your storage locker.

With planning ahead of moving your belongings into storage can help ensure an organized storage locker which makes life easier for retrieving your needed items. We’d like to save you from future headaches so we’ve listed nine easy tips to help organize your unit, so you can find what you need, when you need it.

Identifying Items You Will Need

• • Before you even pack any boxes, you should first identify all the items you will likely need frequent access to, from each individual room. Make sure you give thought to seasonal items as well. For example, here is a short list of items that people frequently require from their storage lockers:
    1. Winter/summer tires
    2. Camping equipment
    3. Sporting goods (ex. skis)
    4. Winter/summer clothing
    5. Files and documents
    6. Holiday items and decorations (ex. Christmas, Halloween)

Same Size Boxes

• • Having most or all of your boxes the same or similar sizes will help you when you have to both stack and access these boxes. However, this should not discourage you from using different sized boxes when needed. For example, large boxes are great for storing items that aren’t very heavy but are large in size. However, stacking smaller sized boxes on top of these makes it more difficult to remove if you need to access it, and makes the box more likely to cave in and topple the entire stack! Therefore, stack boxes in piles of similarly sized boxes in your storage locker. Don’t know where to find boxes for your storage needs? Contact Sparta! We have a wide variety of boxes and other packing supplies available for purchase! 403-402-7992.

Labeling Everything

• • When labeling boxes make sure you have a label on top, and on at least one of the sides of the boxes. This label should be detailed! Have the following on each label:
    1. Room it came from
    2. Contents of the box
    3. Box number (ex. 1 of 12)
  • It would also be a good idea to place special markers on boxes that require access to differentiate from the boxes that will not need to be accessed. This way you can pack the boxes requiring access closest to the door.

Master Log

• • This step may seem tedious however, having a master log of the contents of each individual box alongside the box label will make finding specific items from your unit much easier! To save yourself from potential hand cramps from all the writing, you can even use some tools to speak the text as you go through making your master log!

Shelving and/or Stacking

• • If your storage locker is for long-term storage, you may want to consider using some sturdy shelving to support your boxes and help make organizing easier. However, if you are not storing for long periods of time (over a year), or prefer not to add shelving to your unit, stack your boxes with these tips in mind:
    1. Heavier boxes should always be on the bottom! Each box after the bottom box should get lighter and lighter as the stack grows taller and taller.
    2. Don’t stack boxes too high! It will make accessing a lot riskier and more dangerous as the stack is much more likely to fall.
    3. Stack from back to front in order of need. The boxes you don’t require should be stored at the back of your unit and the boxes that you will require should be stored closer to the front.

Planning a Layout for your Storage Locker

• • If you’re going to be visiting your unit often, you’re going to want to create a layout that allows you to access all parts of your unit as effectively as possible. This also depends on how much you’re looking to store. For example, a good idea would be to have all your furniture stacked on one side of the wall, and the boxes on the other with a small aisle left in the middle for you to be able to walk down and access whatever is needed.

Creating a Map of Your Storage Locker

• • This doesn’t have to be a full-blown drawing of every item stored down to each one of their specific locations. A quick sketch of the items buried deep within the unit and their approximate locations will do just fine. As long as this map provides you an idea of where each item is – it will do just fine.

Consider Upsizing Your Storage Locker 

• • If you’re trying to maintain a budget, you can always attempt to Tetris your storage locker. However, this will just make accessing needed items in your unit that much more difficult. Setting aside a little bit more money to upgrade to a slightly larger storage locker could mean all the difference in your organization! This can give you room for shelving, or for an aisle, maybe even both. Of course you don’t want to, for example, pay for a 10 x 40 foot unit when all that’s needed is a 10 x 20 foot. Make sure you read our blog about everything you need to know before renting your storage locker as well!

Book Sparta Movers for Your Storage Needs!

• • Why take on the headache of moving all your belongings into a storage locker, drive over to the storage and dig through the storage locker to find the items you need, and then move everything back when it’s done? Let us do the hard work for you! We offer competitive rates for a wide variety of storage lockers; from 5 x 5 foot units all the way to 10 x 40 foot units. Need certain items delivered to your door? We can do that too! Call us today at: 403-402-7992 to find out how we can help simplify your storage needs.