If you are storing valuable items at any of our Macho Self Storage locations for a long period of time, we have some helpful tips for you when making visits to your storage unit. No matter what your intent is for visiting your storage unit, if you follow these guidelines, you can make efficient use of your time.
Why Are You Visiting the Storage Unit? – Have a Plan
Sure, there are going to be instances in which you have one particular item you need to pick up from storage or something to just put in the unit. Most of the time, you will be visiting the unit to add additional items into storage or picking up multiple seasonal boxes and equipment or necessities for your home decorating, etc.
What is one annoying thing that could happen? You forgot the key to the unit lock! Or perhaps you have forgotten or misplaced the property gate code. Double-check that you have the lock key and passcode. Of course, if you visit one of our storage locations during office hours, our staff can assist if you forget or misplace your key. It is also help to make a simple list of what you are wanting to accomplish with your visit to the storage unit. Better to check off those items than to get home and….ooops! Forgot to do that!
Take A Look Around The Storage Unit
Now that you are inside the storage unit, how do things look? Inspect your belongings and see if you notice any signs of damage to the pieces. Check for water stains, rust, or any sort of leaks. Better to catch them during regular unit inspections than to face bigger problems down the road. Be sure to check to see if boxes stacked in the unit are secure and well placed to avoid the stack
falling over or collapsing. You might want to rearrange some of the stored boxes and items to
allow for some walking space to get to items in the back of the unit. This will make future visits
much more efficient.
If you are storing vehicles, boats, and recreational vehicles with us, be sure to check for any leaks or issues that may have developed from sitting stationary for long periods of time. If your vehicle or watercraft is parked in an outside space, you can always consider an indoor space if available.
Organizing Your Storage Unit
It doesn’t take too many trips to the storage unit for it to become disorganized and difficult to find what you need. Be sure to make it a regular habit when you visit to organize the unit by seasonal items, household items, gardening tools, etc. You will thank yourself when you go to the storage unit during the change of holidays to find decorations, and there they are all marked in storage bins and boxes by season.
Gardening tools can be unwieldy for storage. Try to place all the gardening tools in one corner of the unit. This might be a good time to introduce some fresh new boxes to replace older ones that perhaps are weaking. Plastic storage bins are a good choice for storage units. Make sure the items stack well and don’t risk falling. While you are organizing, bring along some labeling supplies to clearly mark boxes and storage bins. And, be sure to mark which storage boxes and bins contain fragile items.
When you are satisfied with the storage supplies securely and efficiently holding your items, think about the layout of the unit. What things will you need most frequently, and which ones will be needed when you come back for your next visit? Organize the storage unit accordingly. During your reorganization, if you come across items no longer needed, this would be a good time to box those up and take to a donation center or possibly a recycling location.
Self Storage Inventory List
You get home….now, do you remember what all you have in the storage unit? That’s a good reminder to take inventory of what you have in your unit. You might even make a grid or layout showing where the items are stored in particular boxes. But, a simple list of all the items you have will be very helpful for you to reference when trying to remember where that special lamp is located!
Also, an inventory list is helpful to reference when you are considering making purchases. If you see on your storage inventory list that you already have a certain item, it will help you keep from duplicating it with an unnecessary purchase.
An inventory list is very hand during seasonal changes to locate special winter sports gear or summer swim season pool toys and flotation devices. Holiday decorations itemized on the list can help you in your festive season event planning.
Less Is More
We know the thought of making trips to your storage unit is not the highest desired activity on your To Do list. So, if you can plan ahead just a bit, you can take full advantage of your trip to the storage location in the least amount of time possible. Here are a couple of suggestions:
Try to visit your self-storage unit on days and times when you expect it to be the fewest amount of people on the property. This also includes time of the month. The end of the month and beginning of the month are busy with move-in and move-outs. There could be several vehicles in the access areas which might delay your activities in getting to your drive-up storage unit. So, if you can plan on certain days of the month and perhaps a weekday, you can most likely maximize your time at your unit.
Multi Task
Multi-tasking in storage unit trips is your friend! If you are visiting your unit to retrieve season items or certain boxes, that is a good opportunity to take some items from your home that you are ready to move to storage. A 2-for-1 task opportunity on a single trip!
How Often Should You Visit Your Storage Unit?
How often should you visit your unit? As a general rule of thumb, most people only need to pop into their unit once every month or two. However, delicate or expensive items may call for a little more attention, especially if you were unable to rent a climate-controlled storage unit.
Other factors may also determine the frequency of visits to your self-storage facility. And, of course, your peace of mind might dictate you come more often.
Need packing supplies? All of our locations have everything from boxes, mattress covers, non- slip gloves for moving, tie-down ropes, tape, and more! When you reserve a storage unit with Macho Self Storage, don’t worry about buying a lock for your storage unit. We’ll supply one for you, free of charge!
