How to pack a storage unit efficiently

Knowing how to pack a storage unit well is the difference between a smooth hire and a frustrating one. Whether you are storing furniture during a move, clearing a garage or keeping business stock on site, a few simple habits will help you fit more in, protect what you store and still reach the thing you need in week six.

None of this needs specialist skill. It needs about ten minutes of planning before you start.

Plan before you load anything

Decide four things before the first box goes in:

• Which items you will want during the hire. Those stay at the front.
• Which heavy, solid items will form the bottom layer.
• Which items cannot take any weight on top, such as mirrors, lampshades and anything already cracked.
• Whether you need a walkway down the middle, or whether you are packing it once and closing the door.

Then take apart what comes apart. Wardrobes, bed frames, table legs and shelving take up a fraction of the space flat, and most go back together in minutes. Pull the drawers out of chests and stack them separately, and keep the fixings in a labelled bag taped to the inside of the piece they came from.

How to pack a storage unit, step by step

Start with the heaviest things. Appliances, tool chests and solid furniture go against the back and side walls to make a stable base. Everything else builds up from there, and a stable base is what stops a stack shifting when the door is opened in a fortnight.

Stack boxes heaviest at the bottom, lightest at the top, and label every box on the side rather than the lid so you can read it without moving anything. Wrap fragile items individually in bubble wrap or blankets, mark those boxes clearly and keep them off the bottom of any stack. Mirrors and framed pictures travel and store better upright than flat.

Fill the gaps with soft things. Pillows, duvets and folded clothing weigh almost nothing, cushion what is around them and take up the awkward spaces that would otherwise be wasted. A rolled rug is ideal for the long gap down a side wall.

If you will be in and out of the unit, leave a clear path from the door to the back wall. It costs you a little space and saves you unloading half the unit every time you need the Christmas decorations.

Why a delivered unit is easier to pack

A Door To Store unit is built on your property, so you are not packing against the clock. There is no van idling outside and no closing time. Most of our customers load over several evenings.

Every unit sits at ground level, so there are no ramps, lifts or stairs. That matters more than people expect when the thing being moved is a fridge freezer or a three seater sofa.

There are eight sizes, all built from the same 2 m steel panels, from a 2 × 2 m unit that fits on a single parking space to a 4 × 6 m unit that takes the contents of a house:

Prices exclude VAT. Hire is billed every four weeks with a four week minimum, and transport is included within 30 road miles of our Luton depot. If you pick the wrong size, call the office and we will work out whether a second unit or a change of size is the better answer.

Not sure which one you need? Our storage calculator shows what fits in each.

Common questions about packing a storage unit

Should I put pallets on the floor?

Not usually. The floor is clean and weatherproof, and the unit is levelled on wooden blocks with air circulating underneath. For a long hire, flat boards under very heavy items can make them easier to slide out at the end.

How full should I pack it?

Pack it properly but do not force it. Leave a small gap between the top of your stacks and the roof. If the door is hard to close, something is going to get damaged.

Can I get to my things once it is loaded?

Yes. The unit stays on your property for the whole hire and you hold the keys, so access is whenever suits you. One thing to plan around: a unit cannot be moved while it is loaded. If it ever needs to go to a different address it has to be emptied and dismantled first.

What should I not put in it?

No hazardous or flammable materials, no perishable food and no living things. Ordinary household and business contents are fine. If you are unsure about something specific, ask us before you load it.

How do I keep damp out?

The units are steel and weatherproof and are designed to live outdoors in British weather. For soft furnishings, fabrics and anything stored through the winter, add Absorpoles at £25 each. They sit inside and pull moisture out of the air. The bigger the unit, the more we suggest.

For help choosing a size, get an instant quote with your postcode, or call 0800 043 9302.