Getting ready to move your goods into storage? Follow our moving advice and make a hard task a bit easier.
1. Ask for help
Never try to move heavy items without help. Ask your friends for support or pay for help if you don’t like asking. The storage company may provide equipment like trolleys to help you, too, and you should take advantage of this – it’s included in the cost of your storage, after all.
2. Pack your fragile goods diligently
Packing materials are surprisingly expensive – but if you’ve got fragile goods, don’t stint on the wrapping to save money. We’ve got some suggestions to help you save money on packing materials in our blogpost.
3. Learn to lift
Before you start work, brush up on your lifting techniques to avoid injury. This is particularly important if you don’t normally lead an active life or if you’ve ever had a back injury. Remember to plan your lift, know your limits and move smoothly. You may want to do a few warm-up stretches before you begin, too. NHS UK has some safe lifting tips that will help you.
4. Check the instructions on domestic appliances
Some domestic appliances need to be handled a bit carefully to avoid damage. Flip through the instruction booklets before you start work to find out what the manufacturers recommend. There may be instructions for a pre-storage clean or information about what way up you need to store the appliance. See our blogpost for more hints and ideas about moving and storing white goods.
5. Don’t overpack boxes
It can be tempting to get a few very large boxes – but a larger number of small boxes is more manageable. Overpacked boxes are too heavy to handle safely and they are difficult to store, too.
6. Use moving blankets
Moving blankets are invaluable for protecting your goods while you move. You may have some old blankets, towels and quilts you can use. Or you might be able to borrow them from your storage company. Or charity shops might have some – often they can’t sell used duvets and must pay for disposal, so they could appreciate you taking them off their hands.
7. Pack your van efficiently
Plan before you pack your van. It might seem counter-intuitive but put items that you’ll want to bring out of storage often in first. That way, they’ll come out last and end up at the front and top of your storage unit.
8. Is your property insured while you’re moving it in and out of storage?
Are you wondering if your personal property is covered by insurance in a storage unit? Your household insurance may extend to stored goods, but this is not always the case, so you should check with your insurance provider. Store and Insure offers competitive insurance for domestic goods in self-storage. And crucially, they’re covered while you move them between your home and storage, so long as it’s in an enclosed car or lorry. Contact Store and Insure today for a quote.
