Moving in with your boyfriend

Posted on: 12 December 2016

If you need to store your items for a long period of time, it makes sense to pack as efficiently as possible so that you only have to pay for the smallest storage unit. Here are some tips to keep your storage as efficient as possible. 

Make use of your soft furnishings

When you are packing your items you should keep all items from an area together but can mix and match the types of items in each box for maximum efficiency. For example, you can use cushions from the loungerooms to help buffer between works of art and framed prints in a box. This makes the artwork less likely to jostle against each other and break in storage whilst also making the boxes easier to handle and pack. A lighter and easier to move box will also be less likely to collapse in situ. 

You can use soft items such as tea towels to pack the area inside large items such as vases (which helps support the vase internally). You can also pack cutlery, wrapped, into baking trays and kitchen appliances to save space. 

Pack in between, inside and underneath items

Some items have an unusual shape underneath or inside them, such as the space underneath outdoor chairs or the space inside appliances. This can be challenging as a space to pack items, so look for some soft items or small items that can be stashed in this space. Items such as soccer balls, pot plants, or small toolboxes can often be fit in between items to help maximise your packing efficiency. Equally, the insides of microwaves and fridges can be a great place to store baking tins and plasticware. 

Disassemble your furniture where possible

You can also look at disassembling your items to help them fit into a smaller space. While this is easiest with flat pack furniture, many items that come preassembled can also be broken down into smaller and flatter pieces for storage. Collect all of the screws, nuts and bolts that you have removed in a single zip lock bag, and mark it with the furniture description (i.e. 'kitchen table' or 'large bookshelf'). You can then tape the bag to the furniture to make it easier to reassemble later on when you get your possessions back out of storage. 

By planning your storage efficiently and keeping items packed as close together as possible, including using spaces inside and around unusually shaped items, you can pack your items into the smallest possible storage unit. This can save you big bucks while your items are in long-term storage.