Okay, so you have decided to rent or buy a shipping container to store your household or business items. It’s a lot of extra space, but there are a couple of things to consider before you start to pack a container.
- Organize and categorize
Good packing starts before you open the container doors by sorting out the items for storage. If you are packing up a household, declutter first and organize items by type and room. For commercial goods
- Are you going to be moving the container?
Though containers are sturdy and will protect your belongings, when in motion, the items inside may shift about. You do want to balance the weight and use packing materials to protect fragile items. For example, if you are storing household items, protect mirrors and glass tabletops by sandwiching them between mattresses.
- Do you need access to any or all of the items you are storing?
It would not be unusual to pack your container and then, a few weeks later, discover that there are items that you need to get out. Imagine packing all your winter garments away, and then a business trip comes up to a cold country. You’d want to collect some warm garments to take on your trip. There are two things to consider here. 1) Save a rough map of where in the container you’ve packed certain items. 2) Pack items that you are likely to need access to towards the front of the container.
- Get the most out of the space
Think of the container storage space as a 3D space and maximize your investment by packing it up as well as along the floor of the unit. Stack heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones at the top and fill empty spaces with crumpled paper or packing material to prevent shifting.
- Effective packing
Don’t randomly throw things in boxes and end up with several half-filled boxes. Instead, aim for fewer well-packed boxes. A full box is sturdier than one that is not packed well. Also, pack heavy items individually, either in a box or by wrapping them in protective cardboard or bubble wrap. This is to make it easier to unpack and move the heavier items. Clearly mark all boxes with a list of contents, and mark those that contain fragile items.
- Shelving and accessories
Shelving can be a useful addition to a container, whether it is being used for household or commercial storage. Other accessories include vents for air circulation, heavy-duty container dividers, and secure locks.
There are hundreds of creative uses for used shipping containers but surely one of the most practical and common is using them for storage, either at your property or at a container storage facility. We look forward to answering any questions you might have on storing your items safely with Easy Move Containers whether that might be your RV or boat, or a collection oof household or commercial goods.