Before you use self-storage this winter
Every winter, most of us end up with a house full of items we won’t use as we settle into the colder months. Surfboards, summer bedding, toys, gardening tools, outdoor furniture — many of our possessions fall by the wayside in winter.
At Wilson Storage, we have learned all the tricks in the trade to ensure an effective transition for your winter possession. Here are our top four tips for easy and effective winter storage.
Choose
First, you have to decide which items you will put into self-storage. It’s safe to assume you won’t be out in the garden as much as you were in the warmer weather, so things like lawn mowers, whipper snippers and gardening tools need to be kept out of the damp, which can cause rust. Other items, like surfboards, the inflatable swimming pool you used to keep cool in the summertime, and sports gear like cricket bats and golf clubs, will take up precious room in the house.
Think about whether you will use the outdoor furniture will get much use, if not then it’s best to do a clear out, and put all these items out of sight and out of mind in a safely secured self-storage unit.
Prepare
Save yourself time and effort by cleaning all items before you put them in storage. This way, when spring rolls around, and you bring everything back home for the warmer seasons, they will be clean, functional and ready to use.
Empty the gas bottles for the BBQ and wipe items like mowers with oil to keep them from rusting. Cover all machinery and outdoor furniture in wool or cotton covers — plastic tarp and vinyl can trap moisture, ultimately causing damage to your possessions. Finally, make sure you label boxes and keep an inventory so that you will always remember what you put into storage, and where it is within the unit.
Pack
When you store things in your unit, make sure you lay down blankets or pallets to protect the first layer of boxes, machinery or furniture from dust and dirt on the ground. This will also act as further insulation, protecting your possessions from dust and grime.
You can maximise the amount of space in your self-storage unit by packing items vertically and lay thin plywood over several boxes to create a stable layer. Make sure to store bulky items like outdoor tables towards the back of the unit so you can use these as a stable base for smaller pieces. Think about placement — anything you might want pull out of storage early, such as the lawn mower in case of warmer weather towards the end of winter, ought to be placed near the front of the unit for easy access.
Things to remember
You can’t store things like lithium batteries in self-storage, so check each battery operated toy and other any other digital items over carefully before you put them in storage. It is also against the law to store flammable liquid, so there’s another reason to get rid of the petrol from lawn mowers and empty out those barbecue gas bottles.
Now you have all the information so you can begin the process of moving your unused possessions into storage, leaving your house free for winter activities.
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