Preparing furniture for storage, tips from the Paso Robles self-storage professionals 

-Moving into a new home only to discover that the furniture became scratched, torn sometimes even broken in storage put a serious damper on the excitement of the new home. Rick Runnels, owner of River Road Mini Storage in Paso Robles, has some guidelines to help protect furniture while it’s in storage.

A few basics are:

• Plan where things are going to be in the storage unit: Planning where things are going to be in the storage unit gives you a head start on how organized the storage unit is when it’s full. Furniture should be some of the first items in the unit because lighter furniture and packed boxes can sit on top.
• Have packing tape, some boxes, and bubble wrap on hand.
• Clean upholstered furniture and oil wood furniture: Clean upholstered furniture by thoroughly vacuuming and removing spots. Oiling wood furniture helps prevent the wood from drying out.
• Disassemble furniture when possible to make more room in the unit. Removing legs from tables, for example, makes the tables easier to store. Wrap removed articles in bubble wrap, tape closed so the bubble wrap is nice and tight. Store hardware in baggies, marked for the furniture it belongs to. Pack all of the baggies of hardware in a labeled packing box.
• Cover furniture using moving blankets, mattress covers, or thick blankets. Covers protect against tears and scratches that might happen while moving in or out of the storage unit. Cover and tape anything with glass such as curio cabinets.

The Paso Robles self-storage professionals also offer other practical tips such as:

• Store cleaned mattresses in a mattress bag. Leaned against one wall. Placing other furniture in front of the mattresses keeps them in place.
• Remove shelves from cabinets and bookshelves while those items are being moved in and out. Once in the storage unit, the shelves can be replaced and boxes stored on them.
• Remove dresser drawers when moving. Also once in storage, drawers can be replaced and used to store small boxes.
• When the legs are not removed from tables and chairs, still wrap the legs in bubble wrap. Store the chairs seat-to-seat and tables top-to-top. Be sure to cover the seats of chairs and the tops of tables.
• Mirrors and framed art can be stored in special packing boxes designed for those purposes.
• Sculptures can be stored in special wooden crates to keep them safe.
• Write the room and contents of all packing boxes on the outside of the box and place an inventory list on the inside of the box before sealing it.
• Make an inventory list of everything in storage and where it is. This is particularly important when items are stored inside of furniture on shelves or in drawers.

Moving is stressful but being organized and safeguarding property in storage can help reduce the stress. Allowing plenty of time and doing a little every day instead of a weekend marathon makes life a little easier.

One more thing to do before starting to pack and load up the moving van is to rent an appropriately sized storage unit. The Paso Robles self-storage facility has storage units for every need. Serving the self-storage needs of the community since 1984, River Road Mini Storage is a safe and secure, conveniently located facility. Security features include seven-day-a-week code-controlled gate access, well-lit for safety and security, and fully fenced with on-site security cameras. The facility also features wide easy access drive up to all units and easy, affordable payment options.

River Road Mini Storage
1631 North River Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 239-4333