At one point in our lives, we all need to store furniture. Sometimes we have spare space at home for it, like in the basement, attic, or garage. Other times we can count on a generous family member or friend who has room to spare at their home or in their garage for temporary storage space. When those two options are not available, a self-storage unit is an affordable, flexible solution.
No matter what the reason for storing furniture, whether you are downsizing, renovating, moving, traveling, a student or just looking for more space to live a less cluttered life, it’s important to store furniture correctly so that it does not get damaged while it’s not being used.
We have been in business 20+ years and consider ourselves serious experts for all things self-storage related, which includes furniture storage. Below we've shared tons of furniture storage tips, tricks and advice that we’ve collected and shared over the years.
Furniture Storage Tips:
- Clean and polish items before storage and make sure they are 100% dry. Depending on the type of furniture you are storing and the materials they are made of, dirt or wet furniture can smell, grow mold or cause rust.
- When storing wood furniture specifically, always treat surfaces before storing to protect and repel dust.
- Never cover or pack stored items in plastic or shrink wrap as they can cause mold & mildew.
- Old sheets provide great protection for upholstered or wood furniture while stored.
- Wrap mattresses in old linen prior to storing. They are breathable & less likely to create condensation & mold.
- Stack your items on pallets to improve air circulation.
- Leave a small space between the wall & your stored items to allow for ventilation.
- Always store your couch on its legs. It wasn't designed to stand upright and bear its full weight on just an armrest and 2 legs.
- Disassemble furniture like tables, chairs, desks, shelves, etc. This makes these larger items easier to move and store, and helps prevent damage, especially scratches. Make sure to store the hardware in a sealed bag and tape that to the legs or underside.
- Protect mirrors, picture frames, windows & doors with bubble wrap and boxes where possible. Also store on their sides to help avoid 7 years of bad luck.
- Don’t overfill your storage unit – this creates a safety hazard for you and can cause unnecessary damage to your stored furniture. Check out this helpful resource on picking the right sized storage unit to rent.
- Consider renting a drive-up outdoor unit. With a drive-up unit, you can literally drive up to it and start storing. They are very easy to move things into and out of. They are an optimal storage solution for heavy and bulky items like furniture.
To maximize the space in your storage unit rental, and make things easier to find, try these space-saver tips and organization tips:
- Stacking chairs takes up the least square footage.
- Drawers of stored furniture are perfect for storing knickknacks, china, silverware & small delicate items. Get more tips for storing fragile items.
- Creating and maintaining a master list of the contents in each box/bin and area of your storage unit will help you quickly find what you need.
- Check out our post, 10 Ways to Optimize Your Self-Storage Unit, for more tips to maximize your storage unit space.
One last tip – Get and use a high-quality lock on your self-storage unit. It's the key line of defense against potential thieves. We offer very secure self-storage at all our self-storage locations, but using the right lock is critical and will give you true peace of mind. Here is some guidance on how to choose a lock.
Choose Storage Solutions for your Furniture Storage Needs
Whatever your furniture storage needs are, we have you covered!
- We offer a large variety of outdoor drive up units and indoor heated units and climate-controlled units - take a virtual tour online.
- We make renting super easy – by text, email, phone or online from our website.
- For added convenience you even pay your rent online, or sign up for automatic payments.
If you have any questions about our Milton Self-Storage, Woodstock self-storage or Ayr Self-Storage locations or what sized self-storage unit is best for your self-store storage needs, reach out! We’re here to help you with all your self-storage needs.
For more self-storage tips, tricks, and advice (like appliance storage tips, electronics storage tips, book and photography storage tips, and more), make sure you check our blog regularly. And for a good laugh and ongoing entertainment, like or follow us on Instagram & Facebook.
Your friend in self-storage,
Storage Solutions
