7 Storage Unit Tips For Maximizing Space In Your Small Self-Storage Room

As minimalist design styles and economically tiny living spaces, like tiny homes and micro apartments rise in popularity, so too do storage units. In fact, there are now more than 55,000 storage unit facilities in the U.S., each packed with hundreds of storage units.

Storage units are great for storing belongings during a move, opening up additional space in your home, or getting big, bulky items out of the way.

But unless you want to rent a large unit or several, it’s important to learn how to pack your storage unit to make the most of your space.

Whether you already have a unit or are thinking about getting one, keep reading. We’re breaking down 7 storage unit tips you need if you want to maximize your space.

1. Rethink Your Storage Containers

This isn’t referring to your actual storage locker. Instead, this tip involves the containers you place inside of that space.

Maybe you’re moving and just keeping your belongings in a storage space until you can move into your new place. Or you’re using your storage locker as overflow for items that don’t fit into your current home. If you’re in the military, you might be storing your belongings during a deployment.

Either way, if you’re like most people, your belongings are packed in a variety of odds and ends boxes, plastic bins, and garbage bags.

When it comes to self-storage space saving, this is the biggest mistake you could make. The boxes don’t stack well, bags rip and overflow, and your entire locker becomes an impending landslide.

Investing in plastic bins that are all the same shape and size is a great way to make the most of your space. That way, everything stacks together perfectly, and all of your belongings, at least those small enough, are contained.

2. Label Everything

While this tip may not technically save you any space in your storage unit, it will make your life much easier when you need to get something out of storage.

Labeling every box and bin inside your unit makes it fast and simple to find what you’re looking for.

If you move and store your belongings while waiting to get into your next home, this will make it much easier to find what you need until you unpack and move storage into your new space.

If you don’t label your boxes, your only other options would be to leave the items you need out in the open, which would take up a lot of wasted space, or to dig through every box to find what you need each time.

3. Dismantle Furniture

Of the space-saving tips for self-storage on this list, this tip might be the most time-consuming. But depending on the types of items that you’re storing in your unit, it might also be the most important.

If you have large furniture items like desks, beds, dining sets, and more, these can take up a lot of space and leave you with lots of awkward empty gaps that can be a challenge to fill. This means you’re likely to end up with a lot of wasted space.

Dismantling your furniture can help with this. If you’re able to, take apart as much of your furniture as possible, so that you can pack items in flat to make the most of your space.

4. Purge What You Don’t Think You’ll Use

One simple way to free up more space in your storage unit is to purge any items that you are unlikely to ever use again.

It can be tempting to hold onto furniture or keepsakes. But if you are unlikely to ever take them out of storage and place them in your home, then you’re wasting money to store something that you no longer need.

Unless the items have sentimental value, consider selling or donating them to clear up some space.

5. Pack Heavy Items on the Bottom

If you fill your storage unit without much thought to strategizing where you place things, you’ll likely end up with leaning piles. Or you might simply choose not to pack items very high.

But making the most of the vertical space in your storage unit can give you a lot of extra room to store things.

To do this, start by packing your heaviest items on the bottom of your unit. This will help you create a solid base. Then, continue stacking, saving the lightest, smallest items for the very top.

6. Protect Fragile Items Better

If you’re busy worrying about not bumping your favorite picture frames or shattering mirrors you’ve placed in storage, you aren’t going to be able to make the most of your space.

Packing your fragile belongings better will allow you to protect them with ease, and to not worry about leaving them a wide berth in storage.

Old blankets packed into boxes containing breakable items is one great trick. For larger items, consider wrapping them carefully in bubble wrap and taping it in place.

7. Get Creative

Sometimes the best way to make the most of your storage unit is to get creative with your packing.

Once you’ve stacked furniture and your new, uniform boxes, consider your remaining space.

Thin gaps between boxes can be filled with posters, picture frames, or mirrors. Extra space on top of your piles could be a great place to tuck blankets, comforters, and throw pillows. The front of your locker might just have enough space to tuck your bike, a vacuum cleaner, or other tough-to-pack items.

Using Storage Unit Tips to Maximize Your Space

If you already have a unit, these storage unit tips can help you make the most of your space.

But if you don’t have one yet, its time to start shopping. A storage unit can open up your home, allow you to utilize the spaces that you now use for storage, like a garage or basement, or keep your belongings safe during a move.

If you’re ready to start using a storage unit to keep your life and home organized and safe, check out our climate-controlled facilities today!