Items you should and shouldn't put in self-storage

Sometimes moving multiple times can to leads to possessing more items than your home can accommodate. It is, therefore, crucial to have extra storage for unused items. There are numerous reasons why people rent out storage space, and we will dive into items you should and shouldn’t put in self-storage.

Understanding that self-storage has rules and that you can't put everything will help you scale down what it is you can and can’t do.

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Items you should put in self-storage are:

1. Clothes
2. Holiday decorations
3. Books
4. Extra furniture
5. Kitchen items
6. Toys 

Items you shouldn’t put in self-storage are:

1. Food
2. Live pets
3. Money
4. Hazardous items
5. Wet items
   

What you should put:

1. Clothes

This doesn’t mean you should put all your clothing in storage. You can put clothes you no longer wear if you cannot sell or give them away. Also, you can use storage to keep seasonal clothes. If you don't have enough space in your closet, keep clothes current for the season. That way, you won’t stress about storing clothes you don’t wear in the house.

If you have clothes that you won't ever wear, sell them online to make some money. Don't keep any items you don't plan on using in the future. This way, you’ll make space in storage for other items.

2. Holiday decorations

These decorations should always be stored in self-storage if you don't have space in your home. You can take them out when the holidays come.

Decorations can take up a lot of space, and you don't want to feel cramped. Whenever the holidays come, go to the storage and switch them as needed.

3. Books

If you have more books than you can keep in your home, put them in self-storage. However, you should probably sell all the books that you’re done reading. Sell them online or donate them to a library. Keep books you need in your house, even if they are new and haven’t been read.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

4. Extra furniture

While it is understandable that as we grow, we collect furniture and other household items. The reality is one day, you will have to let go. If you are not planning to use the furniture again, sell it. 

Selling furniture is easy these days because you can do it from the comfort of your home, and if at some point you want to switch out your furniture, you can use the one in storage.

5. Kitchen items

Kitchen appliances can take up too much space in the kitchen, particularly if you have a small kitchen. Everybody needs kitchen essentials, and sometimes the space in our home doesn’t allow us to have much, which is why storage is useful in this instance.

If you love hosting family and friends at your house, you may have excess cutlery, plates, etc. In this case, you should keep these items in self-storage and only use them when needed. 

6. Toys

Some toys are “seasonal”, and that means switching them out to the current season. If you have older kids and they’ve outgrown their toys. Keep those in storage and later donate or reuse them for your future children.

If the toys are damaged, throw them out.

What you shouldn't put in storage:

Though there are items that can be kept in self-storage, there are also some that are a definite no-no. 

1. Food

Do NOT put any food in the self-storage unit. Food requires temperature control. Putting it in storage can spoil the food resulting in mold, and that is not good. Keep all foods in your home, including non-perishable food. If you have too much food and not enough space in your house, give that away to family and friends or donate it to homeless shelters.

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2. Live pets

This shouldn’t even be considered an option. You cannot leave your pets unattended. If you have pets you cannot take care of, take them to a shelter. Pets left in storage have a very high risk of dying of starvation, thirst, and more. 

Some may argue that it's okay to leave pets in storage as long as you see them, and feed them often. Nope, NOT true. Avoid doing this at all costs.

3. Money

Always keep money in the bank or with you in your home. Self-storage is not 100 percent safe. Anything can happen while your money is there, a fire, natural disaster, can get broken into, etc. So many things could happen, so don't put any valuables in storage. 

4. Hazardous items

You probably have items you don't think are hazardous until something bad happens. It is important to know what you’re keeping in storage like chemicals, explosives, etc. These items can cause major damage to not only your stuff but other storage units as well.

Be careful what you put in there because you don't want to end up paying for damages or losing all your items. Some examples of hazardous items are guns, fireworks, ammunition, poison, etc. Be informed and stay safe.

5. Wet items

You cannot keep any wet items in storage. These can potentially cause damage like mold to all other items like snorkeling gear, umbrellas, etc. Ensure these are completely dry before you put them in self-storage.

In conclusion

Most people who need storage have probably downsized and don't have enough space in their houses. It is, therefore, crucial to understand that not everything belongs in the unit.

Self-storage is there for general household items. It is best not to use it to store everything that doesn’t belong there. One great idea would be to make a list of items you have and ones you scarcely use. Keep that list for future reference too. Remember to pack and label everything correctly before you move it to the storage unit to be easier to navigate when you eventually need your items.

Capital City Movers offers you great storage solutions. Contact us at (718) 619 4881 for more information, and visit our website for more services.

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