Top 5 Storage Mistakes

• Failing to insure your items – as stated in a previous blog, the storage center is not responsible for losses of any kind and does not insure your items. Check with your insurance agent to see if your homeowner or renter’s policy covers items placed in storage. If not, there is low cost insurance available at our storage centers. Insurance on items is a requirement for renting a storage unit. If it’s worth insuring, it’s worth storing!

• Using newspaper to wrap items – the ink on newspaper can smudge and bleed causing unnecessary work by making the items dirty. You cleaned them before you put the in storage. Why clean them again when they come out? It is also possible that newspaper can damage certain items. Use ink-free wrapping paper which can be purchased at any of our storage centers.

• Storing food – this may seem as stating the obvious, but it does bear repeating: do NOT store food, of any kind, in any container. It’s simple: food will attract pests.

• Not having enough time or help – moving is extremely stressful and it can be difficult to keep track of everything. It is essential to make sure you have enough time and help to complete your move. There is nothing worse than having closing time looming and you’re only halfway done. Rushing to pack a storage unit tends to leave things unorganized and could cause damage. And not having enough help could cause damage to your body! Make sure you are lifting correctly! Check with your storage center to see if they offer a move in truck.

• Not labeling boxes – there is nothing more frustrating than looking for something and having to go through boxes that are not labelled. For your own piece of mind, label the boxes with a number and the general contents. Keep a detailed list for each box. That way, when you are looking for something you simply refer to the list. Our storage centers maintain a supply of boxes and packing materials for purchase.

Access Self Storage strives to make your experience as stress-free as possible. Avoiding these storage mistakes is one way that helps.