How to pack - Rectangular vs Square

This article will give some tips on how to pack and demystify which is the best type of self-storage: square or rectangular?

Plan at home

• Make sure to know all the items that you can and can not store in your unit.
• You can create an inventory of the items you are going to pack
• The items that you no longer need, you can sell or donate them.
• Use quality packing supplies.
• Clean your items prior to placing them inside the boxes or unit.

Packing at home: organizing and labelling

When Packing, you already know you need take extra care with fragile objects or boxes, label everything and tape or wrap furniture.

Check our labelling article to download some useful labels for your moving!

Lastly, seal the boxes nicely so that nothing can go in or come out of it and Highlight the items you think you’ll need the most often from the storage unit.

On the unit

It’s important to organize it by priority. Whatever items you are going to access regularly, should be stored at the front of the unit. On the other hand, the rest should be at the very back.

Create a map of the storage

Sometimes it can be difficult to know where a specific item is in the middle of all your storage. If your If you can, create a map of your storage unit with the specific location of each item or box and in this case referring what it contains, so that in case you need to access a specific object you already know it’s location on the unit. If it’s easier for you, you can also pack boxes according to a number order.

 Maximize space – Space is Expensive!

• Start at the bottom and stack up. Put the heaviest box at the bottom layer.
• Organize large or oddly shaped items that won’t fit in boxes on shelves.
•  Fill each box to its full, so that it is completely straight and easier to stack

Furniture

Take it apart as much as you can. You can also use drawers to pack smaller boxes and fragile items.

The furniture should always go first in the end of the unit/box as it’s unlike to be needed often

Make sure to leave an aisle that allow you to access to the back, unless you plan to take all out the next time you need to reach an item at the back

Unit shape - Square vs Rectangular

The shape of your storage unit can depend on the shape of the items you are going to put into it.  Some storage units are skinny and long, some are perfect squares, yet others may be wide and shallow, and each shape has its advantages.

Square and rectangular shaped units are the most common you will find. The first impact makes it seem that square units are larger but remember that it has the same size as a rectangular.

All our doorways are wider than your home or office doorways so everything will get in the unit allow you to place the items you need most often at the front while other items remain out of the way.  This is especially helpful for storing large items.

In case of using a square box , for you to have access to your items, you should have an aisle in the middle of the box, which will make you lose some space. Also, you will need to put the things you don’t need to access often in the back or will be difficult for you to find them, when in need.

Storage rooms that are long but skinny are better for storing items that need the extra length.  A business with inventory on shelves would do well to rent one of these spaces, for example.  Other uses would include storing long pieces of pipe or conduit, long pieces of furniture, or even storing several bikes. In this case, you can leave the aisle at one side of the unit, and the other side will have all your items stack.

You can also organise yourself with our calculator.

Find the perfect size and unit for you!