Packing and Storage Tips To Help With Your Next Move

Tips for Moving & Packing

In our experiences, we've seen quite a few strange methods of packing things. The one that intrigues us the most is a method of packing that could just be called "toss and throw". People that do this just toss everything into a vehicle, before throwing it all into a storage space. If you'd like to avoid this sloppiness, then we strongly suggest you do at least some of the following steps.

1. Discard anything you don't want, if you can't sell it, give it away, or recycle it.
2. Buy packing supplies several weeks before you have to move. Stock up on things like tape, packing paper, boxes, mattress protectors, furniture protectors, and bubble wrap.
3. When you're packing, try to use uniformly sized boxes as much as you can, be they small, medium, or large. Doing this will mean stacking boxes inside a truck or your storage space is a lot easier to do.
4. Pack heavier objects in smaller boxes, and put lighter objects in larger boxes.
5. Mark every box with its contents clearly.
6. Mark the sides of boxes that have breakable goods with "Fragile" warnings or stickers.
7. Packing paper and bubble wrap need to be used for the protection of breakable items.
8. When you pack up any electronics, use plenty of packing material.
9. Never pack up boxes with more weight than they are rated for.
10. Use packing material to fill up boxes entirely, leaving no empty spaces.
11. Tables, bed frames, and other bulky items should be disassembled. It's smart to use tape to make sure nuts and bolts are attached rather than lost.
12. Freezers should be defrosted before they are moved. Dry up any residual water to avoid puddles and splashes.
13. If you're moving a washing machine, put bags over the hose ends to also avoid water leaking out.

Tips for Storage in Arroyo Grande

For anything that you don't get rid of, you might need to store for a while when you move, or just to clear up space in your home. Whether you're filling up a closet, a garage, an attic, a basement, or an off-site storage unit, make things easier for yourself with the following tips:

1. Use the whole volume of available space instead of just the floor space.
2. Store couches, mattresses, and table tops on their ends so you have more floor space.
3. Store mirrors and glass between mattresses and cushions.
4. Empty trash cans are great storage spots for garden hoses and tools.
5. Use any space you have available in drawers and appliances like a fridge, freezer, washer, or dryer.
6. Refrigerator doors need to be left partially open to avoid mold growth.
7. If there are items you use more frequently than others, put them closer to the front of the storage space.
8. Think about leaving some kind of aisle right down the middle so that you can have future access.
9. Mattresses and furniture should always be stored using protective covers.
10. Furniture should also be stored on pallets or boards.
11. If you store garden and yard equipment, drain the gasoline and oils out of them.
12. Never store anything that's combustible, including gasoline, oil, chemicals, and paint.
13. Don't store any food items which aren't permanently sealed inside of cans.
14. Never store the leather or fabric side of any furniture in direct contact with a concrete floor.
15. Only use high-security locks.
16. Check in on your stored possessions routinely.