Storage Unit- Tips and Ideas

Are the walls such that you could hang things on the wall? The type advertised for garages. Or perhaps use free standing shelves. I might isolate large items, that won't fit into a bin or on a shelf, using blankets. You can get thick, heavy duty quilted ones from a rental place such as Hertz.

Take photos of all stored items before you store them, and then after you place them in the unit. Keep an inventory of what's in there, with dates purchased, etc. Put the photos on a flash drive, label it, and store it away safely and where you won't forget where it is.

If there is just a cement floor, buy simple rubber mats or place something on the floor to slightly raise up your items. Cement can be damaging sometimes, moisture can seep in, etc. Just get a couple of ugly utilitarian rubber door mats, the kind that allow air to pass through but that would raise something off the floor by an inch or so.

Don't wrap clothing in plastic or store it in dry cleaner's plastic bags or put them in non-breathable storage containers. Amazon.com sells inexpensive, breathable, mold-proof, fabric bags that keep dust and bugs out, but allow for air to get in.

Hide things from plain view. Don't put expensive sporting equipment in plain view if the storage unit isn't enclosed (some just are basically made of metal fences that you can see through easily). Either place them behind a folding screen or put things of value behind a garment rack (you can buy an easy-to-assemble clothes rack to hang things on), and you can hang clothing on it and keep people from seeing what's behind the garment rack. Of course, if this unit is an actual enclosed unit that the passerby can't see into, just ignore this one!

Inform your homeowners or renters insurance company that now some of your belongings will be in a storage unit.

Make sure the lock has at least two keys, and make note of where the keys will be stored. Don't just put them on the key rack with all the other household keys. Store them in a safe, or in another secure place, and make sure that all the adults in the household know where the keys are, and the procedure for returning them after use.

Visit it regularly, keep track of what you have in there, and get rid of things you truly never use and/or don't need.
Taking photos of it before storing is a good idea.
In the event something floods, or the place burns down you want to be able to inform insurance about what you lost.

My only tip is don't put anything irreplaceable down there. I know someone who had a storage unit. He put some family old family picture albums in it (among other things), because he didn't have much space in his very small apartment. The unit was broken into and the thief took everything - they didn't discriminate in the taking, I guess they figured they could go through it later. Insurance replaced items of value, but there was no way to replace those picture albums.

it depends on the location of the storage unit. back when i rented, my storage closet was just that.. a locked closet just off the hallway on the ground floor nest to the door for the laundry area. so i stored my things as if they were in a hall closet in a home.
my brothers storage locker was a fenced in area that was locked just off his garage parking space. (not heated) so anything he stored was treated like it was in a shed or garage..
if you could post the location and general climate of the storage area you might get more fitting answeres.

Bins! (use a sharpie to label them with the contents.) The good thing about plastic bins is that they are waterproof and they don't generally buckle. Try to get the same type so they'll stack well. In my basement I like the clear ones so I can see what's inside. If your storage unit is a closed to others I'd use clear bins. If it's a chain link fenced area I don't know if I'd want my nieghbors to see what's in my storage. If you're organized I'd make a list and number the bins. Stacking them in some kind of order would be easiest (rows A,B, etc and bins 1,2,3 from bottom to top.) For bikes you can get hooks and hang the bikes (so much easier than smashing them into themselves) garbage cans can be good for tall items like skis (put them in carefully). You can also buy inexpensive shelf units from HomeDepot that stack up - they hold a ton - we use them in our shed for helmets, roller blades, etc. We also use lots of hooks in our shed!

Enjoy the space in your home. It'll be temporary - you know nature abhors a vacuum and it'll get filled up really quickly.

Congratulations!! Plastic containers to keep out bugs/moisture. A strong lock if there's not one already there. An itemized list of what's down there, so you'll remember.

We have a basement and it isn't leaky or unusually damp, but on any concrete surface moisture can be an issue for containers sitting directly on it long-term. We use pallets to raise things up and keep them off the ground and promote air-flow. I would suggest that with storing clothing, books, and such. A Rubbermaid type bin is a better option than cardboard if there is any chance of mice. There are bins with small air vents near the grips that are great for storage.

Get some wood pallets to put on the floor. If water gets in or there is seepage through the concrete your things won't be right on the floor. Plastic containers are also a good idea. They will keep bugs, rodents, and moisture out better than cardboard. Keep an inventory of what you put in there and make sure your rental/home owners insurance covers that space.

Put some mouse/rat poison around along the walls but out of sight of people when they walk in. Frequently check your winter things to see if mice have gotten in them and are peeing/pooping/eating them. If they have get those items out and cleaned then put more poison out. If it continues to be a problem contact the management and request they have an exterminator help by doing all units at once.