A secure self storage facility that is neat and tidy will save you a lot of trouble, aggravation, and time. Envision yourself in a cold climate, only to find that all of your winter gear is languishing in storage. After a half hour of fruitless rummaging among piles of boxes, you decide to make the journey to the unit. Just when you thought you’d gotten home and found your coats, you realize that you still haven’t retrieved your baking goods and holiday decorations from storage. Does that ring a bell?

Fortunately, this type of chaos is entirely preventable with just a little bit of preparation and structure. If you want to maintain your storage unit clean and make it easy to find what you’re looking for, follow these simple recommendations.

Make All Boxes the Same Size

Use uniformly sized boxes; otherwise, stacking will be more of a challenge and the result will be a chaotic mess. For easier stacking and access, go for medium- or small-sized boxes. Only use larger boxes for products that are neither heavy nor fragile. To avoid crushing or instability, never put heavy objects on top of big boxes.

2. Make Items That Are Used Often a Priority

Put the things you’ll need to access often closest to the door to your unit. One good example is seasonal products. Here are a few objects that are frequently retrieved:

Dressing for the season

Tents, sleeping bags, and cooking utensils for camping

Holiday décor

Ingredients for a delicious bake

Items for travel

Kids’ playthings

Implements and apparatus

Important documents and office files

3. Make Clearly Visible All Labels

When you’re done packing a box, make sure to label it on all sides so you can see what’s inside. Write more precise descriptions, such as “Kitchen – Baking Supplies” or “Kitchen – Plates & Glassware,” instead of simply “kitchen.” Doing this simple thing now will save you a ton of time picking through boxes later on.

4. Maintain an Up-to-Date Inventory Record

Make an exhaustive inventory of all the containers and what’s inside. You have a few options here: write it down, save it to your phone, or print it off and keep it in the unit. Find what you need faster and avoid spending time opening boxes by making use of a master list.

5. Arrange Things Efficiently

Having a well-organized storage unit layout will greatly simplify retrieving and arranging belongings, especially if you visit it often. I’ll show you:

Position large and hefty objects, such as furniture, parallel to the walls.

Assemble the boxes into sections with labels to facilitate navigation.

So you can reach everything without lugging around a bunch of boxes, make sure to leave a path in the center.

Keep things you use often close to the entrance so you can reach them quickly.

6. Consider Upgrading to a Bigger Unit If Necessary

Items will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reach if your storage unit is completely full. Renting a somewhat larger unit will allow for better organization and movement, which will prevent this. Pallets or shelves are other great ways to utilize vertical space and keep things off the floor.

Step 7: Create a Basic Map

Just construct a rough outline of where everything is kept to make things more easier. An uncomplicated hand-drawn map with sections labeled will suffice. Your master list and map will serve as quick references in case you ever lose track of where something is.

Your visits to the storage facility will be more productive, less frustrating, and time-saving if you follow these organizing guidelines. If you put in the time and effort up front, getting to your stuff will be a breeze.