Tips For Storing Things When Moving Overseas

If you are moving overseas for some time, you should consider keeping your belongings in a self-storage unit instead of continuing to pay rent for a house. Self-storage typically costs less per square foot than residential properties. Below are a few tips you can use to store your belongings securely and inexpensively.

Consider Storage vs. Repurchase Costs

One of the first things to consider is what you should store and what you should get rid of. This is especially true for inexpensive (but bulky) items that might be more expensive to store than to get rid of and replace later. You can sell, discard, or donate the items that are not worth storing. That way, you only rent space for the items you really need to store.

Break Down Large Items

Most storage facilities have reasonable fees. However, even inexpensive storage can be costly in the long-term. One way of cutting storage fees is to disassemble large items to reduce their square footage. Large machinery, pieces of furniture, toys, and sports equipment are some of the items that fit in this category. The disassembly will also help with the safe transportation of the items.

Consider Safety During Storage

The risks of something going wrong during storage are higher in long-term storage than short-term storage. Temperature damage, humidity damage, water damage, and even decay are some of the things that can affect your stored items.

Therefore, you should pack your items properly and choose the right storage unit if you will be away for more than a few months. For example, you need to use strong storage boxes that won't crumble in storage. You should also consider climate-controlled storage units if you have expensive and sensitive items.

Watch Out For Penalties

Lastly, you should watch out for sneaky costs that might come up when you leave your items in long-term storage. The most common one is that of late fee penalties, which you might have to pay if you forget to pay your storage fees in time. A six-month stint overseas can easily turn into a seven- or eight-month stint. You need to have adequate payment measures in place to avoid missed payments. For example, you can set up automatic payments with your bank so that you don't have to miss any rent.

Note that storage facilities offer different storage solutions, so it is up to you to choose the best one for your storage. In some cases, you may need a mix of different storage solutions such as outdoor storage and storage units.

Contact a company like Freeport West for more information.


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