Rethinking Your Summer Storage
With summer in full swing, you’ve probably rotated a lot of your storage items back into your home. Summer clothes, summer sports gear, and summer holiday decorations have been unpacked, while coats, sweaters, and Christmas décor have been put away. When you put those winter items away, what did you pack them in? And where did you store them? Now’s the time to start rethinking your usual summer storage situation, reorganize those boxes, and consider an upgrade to climate-controlled storage units in Metairie. Here are some tips for doing just that.
Examine What Stays in Storage
No matter where you’re storing your items, take a minute to glance over those boxes and ask yourself the last time you opened each of them. Are there boxes in that unit or on those shelves that have been unopened for years? Do you even know what’s in them? If you have boxes that aren’t being touched, take them down and open them up. Go through what’s inside and decide what you really need to hang onto.
Oftentimes, we hang onto things because of their sentimental value, and there’s really nothing wrong with that—to an extent. If you have boxes upon boxes of items you’re not using or even looking at regularly, it’s time to take a more objective look at those items and start donating or throwing some of those items away. Doing this can save you space wherever you’re storing items, and, if you’re renting a unit, you might even be able to move to a smaller unit to save money.
Toss Worn Out Storage Boxes
When rotating through seasonal items, most people pack the items right back into the same boxes they pulled them out of, and they continue to use those boxes year after year. While that’s perfectly fine, cardboard boxes have a definite, limited lifespan. If your boxes are starting to rip, bend, or pull apart at the seams, toss them out and get new ones. Better yet, pay the few extra bucks to get sturdy plastic bins. These will stack better than cardboard boxes while also better protecting the items inside.
Of course, even plastic bins can reach their limits. So, if you’re already using these for storing your items, it’s still worth taking a look at them and deciding which ones need to be replaced.
Add Shelves and Cabinets
If you’re storing your stuff at home—whether it’s in your garage, basement, or somewhere else—now’s a great time to consider adding shelves and/or cabinets to your storage space. You can buy these items or build them yourself. Whichever way you go, they’ll make storing and accessing your items easier; when every box is set directly on a shelf, and you need to reach a box, you don’t have to worry about pulling off every box stacked on top of it to safely get it down.
Upgrade Your Unit
If you’re already renting a storage unit, consider whether or not now is the time to upgrade your unit. This doesn’t just mean getting a bigger one; it can also mean upgrading to a unit that is more accessible or has additional features. One upgrade you should seriously consider is getting a climate-controlled unit.
Summer is hot and humid here in Louisiana, and many items that you might put into a storage unit can be damaged by such external conditions. While a storage unit will protect your possessions from wind and rain, if it’s not climate controlled, it can’t stop the heat or humidity. If you step inside your storage unit on a hot summer day, you’ll quickly see how a climate-controlled unit can make a big difference in preserving delicate or valuable items.
If you’re not renting a storage unit yet, contact Affordable Self Storage today! We offer cheap self-storage units in Metairie, LA, that can offer you the perfect storage solution. Call to learn more! We also offer FREE 24/7 access, and we do not require you to purchase insurance through us.
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