Packing Tips for Long Term Storage: 5 Simple Tips

Published: February 21, 2019

Moving is never easy and neither is the packing. Perhaps you’re simply out of space in your current home. Maybe your lease is up. Maybe you’re moving across the country and you’ve found yourself in a position that you need to put some of your things in long-term storage. Or maybe you just need some extra room for a renovation project, so you’ve settled on using a portable storage container for a few months to complete the job.

Whatever your motivation, there are a few simple packing tips that you can follow that will help simplify the packing process and make things as easy as possible for when you’re ready to unpack. Whenever that time may be!

Some of these packing tips might seem a counter-intuitive.

Packing Tips for Long Term Storage

Like the first one here …

1. Avoid Plastic Bags
   Do not pack items in plastic bags. Sure, we think of plastic as durable and a great wrapper, but plastic bags can also can also allow a buildup of moisture. Not good within any storage unit or a portable storage container. Water is not your friend during any length of storage.
2. New Boxes Are Better Boxes
   Recycling your old boxes is great for the environment but not so great for long-term storage either in a unit or portable container. Always use sturdy, new boxes for long-term storage. If you will be stacking boxes, the last thing you want is for old, used ones to collapse and damage the items inside. Not to mention new boxes are always easier to move!
3. Packing Fragile Items
   Bubble wrap is the best wrap. Are glasses or dishes going in the boxes or your portable storage container? Wrap these fragile pieces in bubble wrap or newspaper and place them carefully in the box, then fill the box with packing filler to protect all the pieces from incidental contact if the boxes are moved.
4. Mark Those Boxes, Thank Yourself Later
   Mark them well. Will you be back to pick up the stored boxes tomorrow, when everything is fresh in your mind? Probably not. And how will you remember what is where in six months? An indelible marker will serve you well. Write on the box or on a label, but clearly identify what is in the box. Also make a list of the boxes and what is in them – leave a copy in the storage unit for your convenience.
5. Furniture Storage
   If you are storing furniture, cover it with a clean sheet that is 100 percent cotton and white. Colored sheets can bleed on the furniture if moisture is present in the storage container. It’s by far the easiest and most cost-effective way of keeping your furniture clean in long-term storage.

A portable storage container provides an excellent home for a variety of household or office items, no matter how short or long term their storage may be! For all your moving and portable storage needs, contact Units Moving & Portable Storage today!