Preparing your valuables for storage is crucial to keep them in good shape while in your storage unit. Even though your storage rental company serving Palo Alto strives to keep their units secure, your possessions still need to be protected. Unforeseen damages from pests, improper handling, and excessive moisture can ruin the items you have taken great care to protect. Continue reading for the necessary packing materials everyone should have when renting a storage unit.

Plastic Containers

By using plastic containers instead of cardboard boxes, your linens, dishes, and treasured heirlooms will be better protected against invading pests, potential water damage, and other unforeseen conditions that might occur in your storage unit. Cardboard boxes can degrade even in the best of conditions, but plastic containers will keep your items safe while in storage.

Plastic Covers

Laying large plastic covers over your furniture will protect all of your large items against dust and potential rodents. Make sure there is plenty of ventilation to prevent excess moisture under the plastic sheet or cover. This will prevent the growth of mold and mildew.

Shrink Wrap

Shrink wrap is mainly used while moving dressers, china cabinets, and other furniture with opening storage units. This packing material can keep your items protected while in temporary storage. If you are keeping dressers and cabinets in your storage unit for longer than a few days, be sure to remove the shrink wrap to allow air ventilation.

Bubble Wrap

Bubble wrap is a safe way to keep your treasured heirlooms and breakable possessions safe while they are set in your storage unit. This kind of protective packing material is good for dishes, glassware, and other breakable household items.

Packing Paper

Many people pack their valuables, kitchen supplies, and other household items with newspapers. This is a mistake that can result in ink transference and damage to your valuables. Instead of using newspaper, purchase plain packing paper to wrap your breakables. This purchase will go a long toward protecting your possessions during the move and time in storage, and you can often find packing paper made with recycled materials to reduce your environmental impact.

People around the world use storage units for housing extra belongings, important documents, and bulky items. When you are in need of some extra storage space, it is a great idea to take a tour of a self storage facility in your local area. A company offering different storage options in Mountain View can help you pick out a storage unit that is tailored to your specific needs. In order to achieve the best benefits from your storage unit rental, you will want to make sure that you gather plenty of information about your facility. Read on to learn about a few myths about storage unit rentals.

Myth: Storage Units Are Not Secure

A common misconception about storage units is that these types of facilities are not safe and secure. However, a high-quality storage unit facility will be equipped with state-of-the-art security features, including 24-hour alarms, surveillance cameras, and more. All of these security features will provide you with total peace of mind after you put your stuff into storage.

Myth: Self Storage Units Have Fewer Services

As you are getting ready to rent a storage unit, you will have the option of choosing between full-service and self storage. A myth surrounding self storage is that this type of storage comes with fewer services and features than a full-service unit. Your self storage unit will provide you with the same amenities as a full-service facility, and will simply require you to complete the loading and unloading process on your own.

Myth: Storage Units Require Extended Contracts

If you have been waiting to rent a storage unit because you are afraid of signing a lengthy contract, you will be pleased to learn that storage unit rentals are available for both long- and short-term periods. Temporary storage is a great option for students or families who are gearing up to move. Your storage unit staff can answer any questions that you may have about the myths and facts surrounding storage.

Staging is among the most important elements of the home selling process. When you are gearing up to start showing your home to potential buyers, you may want to consider a storage rental to assist you with the staging process. Storage units allow you to house your personal belongings and clutter so that your home becomes more appealing to buyers. By taking out your personal items and any other unnecessary objects, you will allow potential buyers to more easily imagine themselves living in your home. Moving your belongings into a temporary storage unit near Mountain View can also give you a jump start on the moving process.

If you have questions about your storage options, be sure to get in touch with a facility near you. From high-security storage units to temporary storage and more, your local storage unit facility can provide you with the right storage services for your upcoming home move.

Whether you are moving to a new neighborhood, or are getting ready for a long-distance relocation, you may want to consider renting a storage unit in preparation for your move. Storage units provide families with additional space to house their belongings as they are getting organized for a move. A storage rental company near Mountain View can provide you with the temporary storage rental that you need to streamline your moving process. To highlight the advantages of storage unit rental, here is a look at three ways having a storage unit can assist you during the moving process.

Storage Units Allow for a Flexible Timeline

If you are searching for a new residence, but have not yet figured out where you are going to live, your storage unit rental can allow you to begin the moving process on a flexible timeline. When you move your belongings into storage, you can rest assured that they will be safe and protected. After storing your stuff, you can easily stay at a friend or family member’s house while you are on the hunt for a new home.

Storage Units Provide Additional Space

Families that are downsizing during a move may want to explore the advantages of storage unit rentals. With your storage unit rental, you can house your important personal items in a safe location while you are getting organized. In the event that you find that your new home does not have enough storage for all of your belongings, a storage unit can provide you with the space you need to hang on to your treasured items.

Storage Units Can Ease Your Stress

Another great advantage of using a storage unit when you move is that your rental will help to ease your stress during the moving process. Rather than worrying about packing in a hurry and then moving all of your boxes and belongings in a single day, you can take your time and gradually move your items in and out of storage.

Sturdy boxes are essential for any move. As you are packing your belongings for placement in a storage unit near Palo Alto , you will want to make sure that your boxes are taped and secured properly. In this video, you will take a close look at the process of taping moving boxes. To save time and frustration as you are taping boxes, you can use a tape dispenser. The tape dispenser will ensure that the tape adheres to the seam of the box and creates a strong bond.

A facility offering storage rental can help you locate all of the supplies you will need for moving your belongings into storage or across the country. With assistance from a company that specializes in storage units, you can complete your moving process quickly and easily. For answers to your questions about self storage, be sure to get in touch with a storage unit facility in your area.

When you are packing clothes to place in a storage unit near Palo Alto, there are several factors that you will want to keep in mind. By preparing your clothing before it is placed in your storage rental , you can save time and energy when it comes time to unpack your belongings. For example, it is a great idea to wash and fold your clothes before they are placed in your storage unit rental. You can get more tips by watching this video.

Clean clothes will be fresh and appealing when they are taken out of a storage unit. Additionally, it is also a terrific idea to group similar types of clothing as you pack. For example, you may want to designate a specific box for your winter clothes. A company that offers storage options can provide you with the perfect space for storing your extra clothes.

When you are organizing your belongings so that they can be placed in a temporary storage unit in Mountain View, it is important to make sure that you sort out items that should not be stored. While the vast majority of items will do great in a storage unit, there are certain materials and objects that may not be appropriate for placement in your storage unit facility.

Live animals should never be placed in storage under any circumstances. Additionally, hazardous chemicals or explosive items are also not appropriate for a storage shed rental. If you are planning on storing any food items, you may want to set aside any products that are perishable. When food is left in a storage unit, it will quickly go bad. Finally, toxic waste products, such as asbestos or lead paint, should be safely discarded instead of stored. A company offering storage rental options can answer your questions about the dos and don’ts of self storage.

Whether you have excess belongings on your hands or you are gearing up for a move, you may want to consider moving some of your stuff into a storage unit in Mountain View. With services from a highly-rated storage rental company in your local area, you can rest assured that your belongings are secure and protected. In order to get the best benefits from your storage unit rental, you will want to do your research before you start to move. Here is a closer look at 3 factors that you will want to keep in mind when you are choosing your next storage unit.

Climate Control

When you are choosing a storage unit, one of the first factors that you will want to consider is whether your unit will be climate controlled or not. A high quality storage unit will offer climate control in all of its storage spaces. With carefully regulated climate control, you can rest assured that your personal belongings will not be affected by extremely hot or cold temperatures.

Security

As you are selecting a storage unit rental, you may also want to ask about the security features of the facility. Ideally, your storage unit will be protected by several different security measures. For example, you may want to choose a facility that offers secure fencing, CCTV systems, and 24/7 security guards. By taking the appropriate safety measures, you will have peace of mind when you place your items into storage.

Size

Finally, you will want to select a storage unit that is the proper size for your needs. If you will be storing an entire household’s worth of belongings, you will want to seek out a spacious storage unit that can fit furniture and other bulky items. For those customers who are only storing a few items, mini storage units can be of great value. By choosing your storage unit carefully, you are sure to be satisfied with your storage services.

A temporary storage unit can provide you with valuable space during your next transition. When you are choosing a storage rental company near Palo Alto , you will want to make sure that your storage options include high quality security features. With advanced security and safety systems, your storage rental company will be able to provide you with total assurance that your valuable belongings are protected from theft and harm. If you are gearing up to rent a storage unit, be sure to read on to learn more about how to judge the security features of a storage facility.

Alarm Systems

One of the most important security features for any storage unit is a quality alarm system. A security alarm will deter burglars, and will also notify the proper authorities immediately when a break-in takes place. As you are considering renting a storage unit, you may want to ask your storage company about what type of alarm system they have installed in their facility.

Video Surveillance

Video surveillance is another must for any quality storage unit facility. Since there are typically many people coming and going from a storage facility throughout the course of a given day, a video surveillance system will allow the security personnel at your facility to keep track of who enters and leaves. Additionally, in the unfortunate event that a crime occurs at a storage facility, video surveillance will provide valuable assistance towards identifying and apprehending the criminal.

Advanced Locks

Finally, you will also want to evaluate the quality and condition of the locks that are installed throughout the storage unit facility. For example, you may want to seek out a storage facility that offers password or passkey access to each individual storage unit. With a passkey access system, you can rest assured that you are the only person who has access to your stored belongings. Additionally, you may also want to determine whether your facility has secure padlocks or other physical locking mechanisms.

If you have been thinking about using a self-storage facility, then consider looking for one with ground-level storage units near Mountain View . With ground-level storage, you can take greater advantage of the many benefits of having a storage unit. Here is a brief look at how a ground-level storage unit can help you.

• By using a ground-level storage unit, you can enjoy easier access to all of your stored items. You will not have to climb up stairs to reach your storage unit, making it a more comfortable option when unloading and loading your furniture and boxes.
• You can have access to bigger storage options with ground-level units. Your storage facility will be able to make its units tall and large without having to accommodate multiple floors of storage units.
• It is easier to get around a ground-level storage facility. Instead of navigating stairs, elevators, and multiple floors, you can find your storage unit and park next to it without hassle.

When you have an empty storage unit in front of you, it is common to think you have a lot of space. However, once you start filling it up, that extra space can quickly disappear. The best way to make use of all of your space is to carefully organize your storage unit near Mountain View. With the right organization tips, you can take better advantage of that extra space with a little room to spare.

Plan Ahead

The biggest tip anyone can utilize when packing a storage unit is to plan ahead. Think about every item you are planning on storing and where it would fit best. Consider how many boxes you will have, along with the amount of furniture. Plan out a narrow path that will keep all of your important stored items accessible and easy to reach. Do not stack boxes and furniture so high that you will not be able to reach them when needed.

Place Frequent-Use Items in Front

Along with making a pathway, be aware of where you place your furniture and boxes in the storage unit. Plan out your unit so the lesser-used items are stored towards the back and out of the way. Make sure any containers you know will be in frequent use are stored towards the front of the unit.

Disassemble Furniture

You can save a lot of room in your storage rental by disassembling as much furniture as possible. Take the legs off of tables and chairs, and dismantle bed frames. This action will make it easier to bundle furniture together and lean it to one side or corner of the unit. Just remember to keep all hardware in labeled containers near the furniture it accompanies.

Take Advantage of Large Furniture

Some furniture may not be easily disassembled, so make use of it instead. For example, with large and hollow furniture, such as wardrobes or entertainment centers, you can store boxes or decorations in the open spaces. Linens or winter coats may be stored in dressers or chests.

There are many reasons why people opt for short-term storage solutions. Whether a storage unit is meant for student storage or used during a busy house move, anyone can benefit from a storage unit near Mountain View . Many people may think that a storage unit is only meant to hold items for long-term storage, but short-term storage units can also be very helpful and economical.

Long-Term Visitors

Your child may be coming home from college for the summer, you may have out-of-town family or an elderly parent living with you for a few months, or you might even be hosting an exchange student. There are many types of long-term visitors that would warrant the need for extra space. Whether you store your extra furniture and boxes or your visitors store theirs, a short-term storage unit will definitely come in handy.

Relocation

Many homeowners need a storage unit rental for the few weeks or months they are between houses during a relocation. Others may choose a storage unit so they do not have to feel rushed to move furniture and possessions from the old house to the new house. Using a storage unit can help relieve a lot of pressure to organize and decorate your new home right away.

Downsizing

When the kids go off to college, parents are usually left with a large house and no one to fill it anymore. Parents tend to downsize into a smaller house, but they may still be left with the furniture, decorations, and clothes that filled the bigger house. For many people, these items are filled with years of memories, so they opt for short-term storage while they decide how to proceed.

Renovations

If you have decided to update your kitchen, bedrooms, or your entire house, then you need somewhere to put all of your furniture and decorations. You do not want these items getting dirty, dusty, or damaged during the renovation. Whether the renovation will take several weeks or several months, consider heading to your local storage facility for short-term storage.

Before loading up your storage unit , you need to be sure that your fragile possessions are packed correctly. If you leave your mirrors and artwork in a precarious packing situation, they may become damaged during the move into your self-storage unit in Mountain View. Watch this video and continue reading to learn a few strategies for safely packing your fragile mirrors and artwork.

• Purchase the right type of boxes. There are specially-made boxes sized for mirrors and artwork.
• Make sure the bottom, sides, and top of each box has cushioning.
• Wrap your mirror or artwork in bubble wrap or packing paper. Be sure that the packing material is safe to use with artwork.
• Label the box and mark it as fragile. Do not forget to add it to your storage unit inventory list.
• Look for high-quality storage units that offer climate control. This can help protect stored artwork.

Storing items is a great way to keep them safe without taking up valuable space in your home. You’ve made the decision to rent a high quality storage unit in Palo Alto, but you need to know exactly what you can, and cannot, keep in your new storage unit.

For the most part, almost anything can go in a storage unit rental. This means that your possibilities are endless as long as it can fit in the unit. However, there are only a few kinds of products that can’t be stored no matter their size. If you’re storing something toxic or living, such as chemicals or an animal, then you need to look elsewhere for storage. The same goes for edible items and flammable products. These are all potential hazards, either to the people or items in the storage facility. Your storage facility might have further restrictions on their units, but these are the most common. Always follow the rules of your facility.

Moving items into your first self-storage unit in Palo Alto can be a stressful time. Usually you’re moving or downsizing your home, and you might already feel frazzled. Don’t let yourself get caught in common, yet less-known, mistakes when packing your storage unit for the first time.

Not Enough Room for the Moving Truck

Whether you’re using a professional moving company or your own group of friends, make sure the moving truck will fit through the aisles and roads of the self-storage facility. To make room for as many units as they can, storage facilities may have tight corners and narrow aisles, big enough for a standard truck, but not a professional moving truck. If the truck may not fit well through the facility, ask if there is another entrance closer to your storage unit rental. If the truck won’t fit, ask the moving company what their options are for transporting your furniture and possessions from the truck through the facility to the unit.

Not Providing Direction

You need to give your movers directions, not just to the facility, but for moving your personal objects. Planning ahead is one of the foundations of moving effectively. You need to tell your movers exactly where to put your kitchen supplies or bedroom furniture in the storage unit. This is going to save them a lot of frustration and you a lot of unneeded stress when you’re trying to find something later. Movers, professional or personal, can’t read your mind, so you need to provide clear, organized direction.

Not Having Enough Space in the Unit

There’s almost nothing worse than packing everything up to go in the storage unit and finding out the unit isn’t big enough for what you have. The best ways you can combat this annoyance is to heed the advice of the storage facility and measure your belongings. If everything is in boxes or large furniture, judging how big of a unit you’ll need will be easier, but when in doubt, rent a bigger unit.

You’re newly married and exquisitely happy with each other, but then you notice the extras that come from merging two households. Professional storage services near Mountain View may be just what you need to keep your sanity as you merge your lives and your belongings. Here are some helpful ideas of how you can use a self-storage unit to make your newly married lives easier.

Storing Instead of Selling

If you’re both bringing your own couch, bed, and dining room table to your new space, then you might start arguing over which piece of furniture you should keep and which to sell. When you start fighting over something as small as a couch, consider storing it instead. You can make a deal to switch out the furniture once a year, or just get the piece you’re fighting over out of the house for a few months to get some space. Whatever your reason, using a storage unit rental to help calm the waters may be just what you need.

Storing Seasonal Items

For the most part, when you move it’s probably during a particular season. You’ll have the clothes you’re planning on wearing regularly, but you also have those winter or summer clothes that won’t be touched for the next several months until the season changes. Instead of stressing over where to fit these unneeded clothes, store them. After you’ve been in your new home, with your new spouse, for a few months, you will have the time to find the space for your extra clothes. Or, in the case of seasonal clothes, you can switch out seasons every few months to continue saving space.

Storing as a Means of Organizing

Have you ever heard the organizing adage, “if you don’t use it after a year, get rid of it”? Using your self-storage unit can help you make those decisions. When merging two homes, you both can store items you don’t use often and see if you miss them. If you don’t miss them, toss them.

When you’re packing up boxes to put in your storage unit rental in Mountain View, you should know the correct way to make sturdy boxes. You’ve spent the time and money packing your self-storage unit, so you should spend the time taping your boxes correctly.

When you watch this video, you can see that more goes into taping up the box than just slapping a piece of tape on it. You’ll end up using five individual lines of tape to secure your box for the storage unit rental. Each piece of tape supports the bottom of the box, so your personal possessions are protected. Once you’ve created a strong box for your personal items, don’t forget to stack them correctly in your self-storage unit. This will help you keep it organized when you need to return.

How to Tape Moving Boxes

Are you worried about packing up the glassware from your kitchen and placing it into a self-storage unit ? It’s not as difficult as you might think, and as long as you use plenty of packing paper, your glasses will survive their trip to your storage unit rental in Palo Alto. Watch this video to see the best ways to pack glasses up for storage.

Before you start packing glasses, you should obtain dish pack boxes that are designed to handle glassware. You should also purchase packing paper to wrap your glassware up. You can then begin the process of preparing each of your glass items for your self-storage unit. By taking these simple steps, you can keep your glasses safe once they are placed into your self-storage unit to be stored.

How to Pack Glasses for Moving

If you are preparing for a move or heading home from college for the summer, you could benefit from renting a storage unit . It doesn’t matter if you only need a high-quality storage unit in Mountain View for a month or two.

Independence Storage would love to work with you, and we don’t place any restrictions on how long our customers have to rent a self-storage unit from us.

There are many advantages to renting a short-term self-storage unit. It can help you clear out your home when you’re trying to sell it. It can also make it easier for you to move back to your parents’ house after a semester at school. Regardless of the reason, we can help you obtain a storage unit from us, even if you only need it for a short amount of time. Whether you want it for a month, a year, or a decade, Independence Storage can provide you with the storage unit rental that you need today.