Choosing What to Put in Storage

Balancing the Cost of Storing Versus the Value of Possessions

Whenever you have a storage unit, there is the ongoing consideration of what to keep and what to discard. Most of us don't have enough closet space in our homes, especially when we're young or living in a downtown urban area like Vancouver.

In considering what to keep and what to discard, you have to consider not just what something is worth, but what it is worth to you.

Many of us want to keep things that we hope to use or display at a later date when we have more room. We may also have valuable things that aren't practical to keep with us now.

You also have to consider the value of your time. Surprisingly, people spend an enormous amount of time looking for items that are misplaced. What you store in carefully labelled containers is easy to find, and you always know where it is.

So, what should definitely go into your storage unit?

Sentimental Items

For some items, it's impossible to place a value on them because they cannot be replaced. These are things like photographs, art, children's notebooks, letters, and other highly sentimental items.

Photos and paper, in general, can be damaged easily. You need to keep these kinds of things away from the dust and dirt to keep them safe without sustaining any damage.

Photographs, books, paintings, and documents

Make sure to keep these documents somewhere that keeps them away from water, light, and dust. A briefcase or durable plastic folder is appropriate for these documents. Paintings, images, and books are vulnerable to heat and damp so make sure to cover them up with a lot of care. Photographs and paintings are sensitive to light which need to be wrapped before storage to prevent scrapes, tears, and fading.

Porcelain and Glass

If you're not having fancy dinner parties, but you own some nice dishes or crystal, then put it in storage.

For ultimate results, clean your porcelain and glassware before storage. If your products contain some stains you should try to scrub them with toothpaste which whitens their surfaces. We recommend you to store your glass and porcelain in a place that leaves no space for movement.

Furniture

There are different ways to protect furniture. The methods that you use depends on the materials that furniture is made of. You should table legs and wrap chairs with cloth or newspaper. Make sure you have protected wooden surfaces with polish.

Jewelry

If you own good jewelry, and you're not currently wearing it, then put it in storage. It's safer in storage than in a dorm room or in a seedy part of town.

You should put your jewels in a soft compartment, like a lined box or cloth bag, as softer stones and metals might be scratched by the harder ones. Never keep your jewelry in plastic items because plastic emits vapours that can harm them. You also don't want jewelry kept in anything airtight.

Yaletown Mini Storage offers brightly lit, clean, affordable storage units in downtown Vancouver. Most units have 8-foot ceilings, and there are no access fees or limitations.

If you have any questions about this article or our downtown Vancouver storage units, contact us at (604) 603-5885.