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5 Stress-Saving Storage Tips for Long-Term Travelers

Are you traveling for a long period? What will you do with your belongings while you’re away for several months? Whether you’re going on an RV trip across the US or a European venture, worrying about your possessions is the last thing you’ll want to do.

There are plenty of storage rental solutions available to keep your items secure for an extended period. After all, having peace of mind in knowing your belongings are safe is the only way you can truly relax and enjoy your vacation.

Before you throw all your items into storage for your long-term travel, here are some useful tips to keep in mind.

1. Reduce the number of items you need to store

Storing all your belongings in a relative’s house or a storage unit isn’t a practical or cost-effective solution, especially if you have too much stuff. As much as possible, try to declutter and sort your items according to what you can keep, give away, sell, or throw out. By reducing the number of things you have, you can minimize your storage costs and avoid taking too much of your relative’s space.

If you have plenty of items to rummage through, hire somebody to help you go through it all. Decluttering regularly is the best way to keep a clean and organized home so that you can store your belongings with ease before your long-term trip.

2. Determine how much items you need to keep

First and foremost, you need to consider your storage needs. Do you need a small space to stow your outdoor equipment or would you need a large area to keep all your household items while you’re away?

If you have plenty of things to store, you may want to get a storage unit instead. Storage units come in various sizes to fit your needs. However, it’s still important that you take an inventory of your belongings to determine exactly how much storage space you need to rent.

For ease of access and to prevent damage, make sure you rent enough storage space to fit all your items in the unit comfortably.

3. Take time to pack properly

Properly packing your belongings will help ensure that they stay safe while you’re out of town. This guarantees that your items remain in the same condition as the last time you saw them.

It’s quite tempting to cram all your things into a storage space. Unfortunately, that won’t make your life easier once you retrieve your items. When packing your belongings, consider taking the following into account.

  • Use a marking pen to label boxes and be sure to mark “Fragile” on delicate items and note which end is up.
  • Disassemble furniture pieces to reduce size.
  • Wrap mirrors and other fragile items in bubble wrap or padding.
  • Stack boxes correctly with the heaviest at the bottom.
  • Fill in the gaps completely to prevent damage.
  • Keep boxes off the floor to avoid water damage in case of flooding or leaking.

4. Assign someone to check in on your items every so often

You’ll have to appoint a friend, relative, or any local person you can trust to visit your items on your behalf. This person should be someone who’d be willing to run errands for you, such as to ship an item if ever you decide that you need it. He or she should also be someone who can respond quickly in case there are problems that you need to address regarding storage.

5. Get insurance

Look into getting insurance to add another layer of security for the items you intend to store. Check your policy guidelines to find out whether you need additional insurance if you’re renting a storage unit. You have to make sure that your insurance policy covers your items within a long-term storage unit and off-site.

Leave everything with ease

Are your belongings hindering your next big adventure? Don’t let them get in the way of your travels by making sure they’re all stored securely. After traveling for months, you need an assurance that once you get back, you’ll still have things to return to.  

Incorrectly storing your items, whether short-term or long-term, may result in unwarranted damage or stress. Bear in mind the 5 tips above so that you can travel with ease knowing the things you left behind are 100 percent safe.

AUTHOR BIO

Chris Humphrey is the General Manager of Easytruck Moving & Storage. In 2013, the company combined their expertise in professional moving services and storage to create an entirely new approach to the business – and mobile storage was born! Easytruck now operates over 30,000 sq.ft. of air-conditioned facilities in three convenient locations in Dubai and is the only Mobile Storage operator in the UAE.