If you've recently leased a storage unit and are currently packing items to move in, now is the time to make a plan that will help you maximize the storage space. Making the most of your storage unit requires planning and careful consideration throughout the packing and loading stages. These tips will help. 

Use Boxes of Standardized Size

Purchase sturdy boxes of standardized size to pack your storage unit. This will make it easier to stack and load your items into your storage unit. Use cardboard boxes or stackable plastic tubs. Avoid packing your items into plastic bags and boxes of unusual shapes. 

Organize Items Within the Unit

These tips will help you retrieve items easily and quickly. 

• Place items you need frequently near the front. When you load the moving truck to take your items to storage, load the things you need the least often onto the truck last. This way, the items you need least often will be off the truck first and can be placed at the back of the empty storage unit.  
• Group similar items together within the unit. This will make it easier to find things you need. For example, you may keep your documents to the left near the front, your holiday storage at the rear left corner, and your old clothes to the rear right corner. 
• Make an aisle inside the unit for walking. Situate boxes inside the unit so that there is room for walking down the middle of the unit. 

Fill Hollow Spaces

To pack the most into your storage unit, fill all the hollow spaces you can. Here are a few suggestions for tightly packing your storage unit. 

• Put light-weight or fragile items in the bottom of wardrobe boxes. Wardrobe boxes often have an empty space beneath all the hanging clothes. Put pillows, towels or small fragile items in the bottom of your wardrobe box. You'll want whatever you put into the wardrobe box to be lightweight because wardrobe boxes are quite large and can quickly become too heavy or bulky to move. 
• Put small items inside shelves and drawers. If you're storing old furniture or appliances inside your storage unit, fill the empty spaces inside the furniture/appliance after it's been loaded into the storage unit. For example, the space inside an old refrigerator can be packed with small boxes. 

Organizing items within the unit will make it easier to get what you want when you want it. This will improve your experience with your storage unit, allowing you to get the most space for your money.