Groundhog’s Day. Every year we begin anew and wait out the winter month of February. Whether the Groundhog sees his shadow or not, it’s still a great time of year to organize items for storage. Activity keeps the winter doldrums at bay and will allow time to enjoy the soon to arrive spring weather.

Finding the Right Storage Company
The best step is to find a storage company that fits your needs. If you are storing large pieces of furniture or small items – location, hours and duration of storage should be factored in. If you are saving materials you do not need access to -you will get a cheaper price with a storage unit further out of a metropolitan center. Be sure the storage is licensed, insured, climate controlled, secure and ask about access hours.

Calculate the size of the storage you need
If you are moving yourself, you can figure out the storage size by multiplying length x width x height. The average height of a moving truck is 7’, while its width usually comes in at 7’ as well. Storage units range between 8 x 12 ‘ so use the median height of 10’ in your calculations. But if you are hiring a professional moving company, they can tell you the size of the unit you need. Most storage companies can also help you figure out the best size unit. You don’t want one too small (it limits your ability if you need access at some point to pull an item out of unit), but you don’t want one too big and waste money. If you are planning on a long term storage unit, installing some kind of shelving unit for smaller items (Christmas decorations, sports equipment, art, etc.) will help you maintain order and make it easy to locate items you may need throughout the year.

Moving Items to Storage
Make sure all fabric covered items are well protected with shrink-wrap to avoid dust and dirt while in storage. Make sure all fragile glass items are blanket wrapped. You can purchase blankets at a moving supply store. If you hire professional movers they will have all these items on their truck. Be sure to label boxes with inventory and mark the ones you may need access to while in storage. (Medical records, tax records, special equipment, etc.) Mark them with a special notation such as a number, letter or direction (ex 1, A, FRONT STORAGE, etc) so you or your movers know to place these items last in the unit, making them easily accessible.

The better prepared you are, the more money you will save.