We all know that moving your personal items around is a pain. However, with a little planning, it can be completed quickly and efficiently and set you up for success the next time you need to find something you have in storage!  The faster you can find what you’re looking for, the faster you can get back to your day!

Use these 5 tips to help you maximize your storage space and use your time efficiently!

1. Store your most commonly used items within easy access.  Anything that you plan to retrieve often should be stored near the front of your storage unit.  Don’t stack anything on top of these items – they should be easy to reach without having to move several other items to reach them.
2. Large, heavy or bulky items should be kept against the wall.  Large items should be stored against the wall so they do not take up unnecessary space in the middle of the unit.  This also helps prevent wasted space between large items and the walls.  Smaller items may be stored on top of larger/heavier items but you cannot usually store large or heavy items on top of smaller ones.
3. Maintain an aisle down the center of your unit.  Keeping an aisle in your unit allows you to walk into your unit within easy reach of everything stored inside.  Renting a unit slightly larger than you think you will need is a great way to accomplish this.  If you have a 5×10 unit that is jam-packed – consider renting a 10×10 so you can store the same amount of stuff AND have easy access to all of it!
4. Fill your storage unit back-to-front AND from the sides-in.  This tip goes hand-in-hand with #3 above.  By first placing items along the rear wall and sides, you can maintain walkability inside your unit.  As you bring more items to your storage unit you can place them along the side walls from front to back; maintaining the walking aisle inside your unit!
5. Clearly label your boxes on multiple sides.  The top of your boxes may not always be visible and it’s quite possible that one or more sides may also be obscured in a full storage unit.  Make it a habit to label the top and at least two sides of each box for quick and easy identification later on!

Having a storage unit should provide you with convenience by freeing up needed space at home and making it easy for you to access your stored goods.  With a little planning you can make your storage unit work for you!