Is your garage or attic bursting with old holiday decorations, boxes of clothes you’ll never wear again and piles of dusty books? If this sounds familiar, it might be time to make a New Year’s resolution for better storage.

After all, organizing doesn’t just mean putting things where they belong; it’s also about creating the proper conditions for things to not become mildewy, rusty or moth-eaten. Keeping things in good shape requires a little planning.

If you think it’s time to clear out the clutter so you can store your belongings more securely, check out these tips for better storage in 2022 and beyond.

Find a storage facility that is closer to where you live or work

Nobody wants to commute twice a day just to get their belongings. Make your life easier by choosing a unit at a facility that’s closer to where you live or work. You’ll save time and lower the risk of injury from driving in inclement weather conditions.

At American Self Storage, we have multiple facilities conveniently located in Russellville Alabama, Moulton Alabama, Village Wood Drive & Highway 24 and Phil Campbell.

Stop storing things you no longer need

Wading through piles of old books, appliances you no longer use and memorabilia from your last relationship might be fun for some people, but chances are your storage area is filling up with items that could be more useful to someone else.

Check out your local charity options if you’d like to give some of your belongings away. If there’s no one in need in your neighborhood or you don’t have time to coordinate a donation drive, it might be more practical to simply throw certain things out.

Create a system for labeling boxes

If you’re going to be moving your items into a storage unit, then it’s a good idea to create a system for labeling boxes with what is inside them. If you don’t, how will you know which box contains the bulky sweaters and which one has the flimsy holiday decorations?

It makes sense to organize your items before actually moving them into the storage unit. If you wait until you’ve already begun packing, then it will be harder to move all of your things into the space and maintain order.

Plan on spending a weekend day to sort through your belongings and purge what you don’t need or want

Take advantage of the space in your current storage unit

This will make it easier to find what you need when it comes time to move out.

It is common for people who are storing their belongings in a storage unit to feel like they can let things go because their items are not in sight, but this is wrong. People should organize their items and place them in the storage unit properly regardless if they are visible. 

If you don’t think it’s important to organize your items, imagine this: you’re moving out of your storage unit and need to find a piece of furniture. Without correctly organizing the items in the storage unit, where would you look? You wouldn’t know which aisle or row that particular item is on so it might take you several minutes to find what you’re looking for. If you had organized the items in the storage unit, finding that piece of furniture would be much easier.

Designate one section for off-season or seasonal items

This tip doesn’t need much explanation because it makes so much sense. For example, if you have a storage unit filled with holiday decorations, don’t stow away your Easter grass and Santa figurines until next December rolls around. Instead, designate one section of your storage space for each holiday season so that when it comes time to decorate your house, it will be easier to find what you need.

Create a section for seasonal clothing. For example, place all of your cold weather gear in one area and hang all of the summer attire next to it. When winter rolls around, you’ll know right where your heavy sweater is without even having to look for it.

So stop procrastinating and get your things organized before New Year’s Eve so you can start 2022 off right!