When you’re organizing storage units, it’s important that you organize them efficiently. If you’re meticulous about how you organize your storage locker, you’ll be able to maximize space.
This article will tell you how you can organize your storage lockers to get the most space possible:
Create a Master List
Before you even begin packing items away and storing them in your storage locker, you should create a master list. This list will contain the name of each item that you intend on storing in your storage locker. If you ever need to find a specific item and you’re not sure if it’s in your locker, then you can just refer back to your master list.
Plan a Layout
It’s also worth planning your locker’s intended layout on a piece of paper before you begin moving objects into it. This will give you the opportunity to take the locker’s measurements and properly organize them for maximum efficiency. Expert packers say that you should put furniture against the walls of your locker, boxes above, beneath, and around your furniture, and you should leave a path through the middle so that you can access everything when you need to.
Pick a Single Box Size
It’s important that you pick a single box size for most of your items. Same-size boxes are much easier to store and arrange. While you can fit more into a large box, it’s usually harder to move, and much heavier than a smaller box. With this in mind, you should go for small-to-medium-sized boxes. It’s also very difficult to move larger boxes if they’re at the bottom of a stack. With smaller boxes, this is not the case. You should also store Christmas decorations in ornament containers. They’re designed to keep everything safe and padded, and are worth the purchase for your more valuable Christmas items.
Larger boxes also take up a lot more space. This makes them very inefficient. You can fit much more, usually, into four smaller boxes than you can in a single large box, yet four smaller boxes will often only take up slightly more space.
Use Storage Racks
When you’re arranging your storage locker, it’s worth giving storage racks some thought. Storage racks are shelving units that are typically suspended from a locker’s walls. You can click here for ideas on how to hang your storage racks efficiently. Storage racks are definitely worth considering if you have a small-to-medium-sized locker.
Storage racks allow you to use 100% of your locker, instead of just the parts that you can reach. It’s worth also investing in a ladder so that you can reach items stored on these racks.
Identify Items You’ll Need to Access
There are probably going to be some items in your storage locker that you’ll need to access more frequently than others. Because of this, you should organize your locker so that these items are more toward the front and are easier to access. You could also put larger objects at the back of your locker to maximize space.
If you do not identify items that you’ll need to access, you could find yourself having to take everything out of your locker just to find a single item. This can be very time-consuming, especially if it happens again and again.
Reduce Clutter
To make your locker more spacious, reduce clutter. Ensure that all of your items are packed away properly inside boxes or containers. Do not leave items lying around on the floor. Clutter can make your locker feel a lot tighter, and it can also be dangerous.
Label Your Boxes
It’s also very important that you label your boxes. If your boxes are not labeled, locating items will become very confusing. If you do not have labels to hand, then you should mark the boxes with a code. Alternatively, you could just draw straight onto the boxes. Label your boxes meticulously to make it easier for you to locate specific items.
Invest in a Larger Unit
If you’re going to be really short on space, then it might just be worth investing in a larger unit. You can pack a lot into a small locker, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’ll be easy for you to get everything out again. Larger lockers do not cost much more than smaller lockers, and they can be much more efficient. It’s better to have too much space than not enough.
Using Pallets
It might also be worth investing in wooden and plastic pallets so that your belongings are not resting on the ground. If water gets into your locker, then your belongings can become damaged. Pallets also make it easier for you to get things out of your locker (provided that you have a forklift).
Stacking Boxes
When you’re stacking boxes in your storage locker, to maximize space, you should stack from the back to the front in order of need. The boxes that you need to access most often, as we mentioned above, should be at the front of your locker. The boxes you won’t need should go at the back. Larger, heavier boxes should form the base of your stacks. Stack lighter boxes on top of them.
When you’re stacking, avoid stacking too high and creating towers. Instead, use storage shelves like those mentioned previously. Boxes that are stacked too high can be dangerous.
Organize for Safety
Your locker should be organized for safety. Do not cram everything that you can into it, as this can be very dangerous. A locker that is not organized carefully can be a hazard for everybody that goes into it, and every item stored inside of it.
Create a Map
When you’ve organized your unit perfectly, you should create a map. This map will help you to locate items inside your locker. A map, in coordination with your master contents list, will make your storage locker much easier to access.
You could color coordinate your boxes and divide your locker into four sections. In each section, stack boxes of a specific color. This can be a very efficient way of organizing your locker.
Getting the most out of your locker means getting the most for your money. Instead of haphazardly arranging your locker, do it meticulously. The more careful you are, the more space you will have.