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Uncovering the nuts and bolts of storage.
Good news! You don’t need to be a robotic genius to understand storage. Three simple rules to follow are pack it right, label it right and put it in a safe place (burying it in the backyard really isn’t an option). The fourth rule is don’t overpay for storage. Thankfully with NorthStar Moving and Storage, you’ll only pay for the space you need. Rule 1: Pack it right
Successful storage starts with packing your items correctly. With NorthStar Moving, there are a number of options for preparing your possessions for storage. We can always pack for you, you can use our friends at Storage-A-Go-Go or you can pack yourself. Here’s how to pack your items for storage yourself:
Electronics
- Televisions, stereos, computers, printers and other electronic equipment should be packed in corrugated cartons and placed inside their original packaging.
- If you no longer have your electronics’ original packaging, obtain adequate boxes and wrap each piece of electronic equipment with a blanket, bubble or packing paper before placing each electronic inside its own box.
- Records, videocassettes, CDs and DVDs should be stored vertically to avoid warping.
- Learn how to properly pack your desktop computer for storage using this packing video.
Musical Instruments
- Musical instruments should be placed in a hard case or packed in a box with sufficient bubble, packing paper or moving blankets.
- Musical instruments should not be stored at pitch.
Refrigerators and Freezers
- Clean, defrost and dry your refrigerators and freezers before they go into storage.
- Wrap your fridges and freezers with moving blankets for protection.
- Because you cannot store food in storage, consider donating your dry goods to Move for Hunger.
Gasoline-Equipped Items
- Before storing your lawn mowers, chain saws, generators, scooters, etc., you need to drain out the item’s gasoline contents.
Metals
- Wipe down metal items with a rag that was dipped in oil. Putting a small amount of oil on metal items before placing them into storage will retard rust.
Standing Lamps
- Pack standing lamps in their own lamp boxes.
In General
- Try to keep the size variation of your boxes to a minimum. You’ll save space in your storage vault(s) when stacking similar size boxes together.
- Not sure what boxes to use for which items? Our Boxes 101 video explains everything you need to know:
Rule 2: Label it right
Remember that memory card game? It’s hard to find those two matching elephants in rows and rows of cards. Sometimes you even end up with a lion where a giraffe should be. Even though we have an itemized inventory system for our warehouse and your storage vaults, it’s a great idea to always label your boxes and make your own inventory.Here’s how:
- Number your boxes, and label the outside of each box your placing into storage.
- Take photos of the inside and the outside of each box to make finding something easier.
- Email these photos to yourself, so you don’t lose them later.
Rule 3: Store it right
Figuring out where to store your items can make all the difference. See what separates NorthStar Moving’s Storage Vaults from regular mobile and self-storage units:| Pay for only the space you need! You can add space if needed and pay for less space when taking your things out of storage. Learn more about our vault sizes. | Storage units offer standard spaces and default prices that cause you to pay for space you don’t need. |
| We help you get your things to their next destination and make special detailed inventory lists of your belongings that enter our storage facility. | When using mobile and self-storage units, you have to do the packing and actual storing yourself. |
| Our warehouse is clean, secure and eco-friendly. You’ll have peace of mind knowing your items are safe and secure. | Storage units are often placed outside, where there is no temperature control and no guarantee that your items are safe. Countless rows of storage units also mean poor land practices. |
