Packing and Storing Awkward Items

Not all items that need to be packed into a self-storage unit are regularly shaped. Many such as sports equipment need to be carefully packed to avoid damage.

Whether you are packing up the complete contents of your home, seasonal items, business stock or just clutter you cannot bear to part with in order to place them in storage there are bound to be some awkward items that will need special care and attention or are difficult to pack and protect well. These are the items that need to be packed carefully if they are to survive their stint in storage unscathed. You might be storing your possessions long-term (while you live temporarily overseas for example) or just as a temporary measure between house moves, but no matter how long or short the storage period is, items can always get damaged if they are badly packed or badly stacked in the storage unit.

So here are some useful tips for packing some of the most common awkwardly shaped items so you can improve the chances of your items remaining in good condition.

Computers

There are many reasons why you might wish to store a computer – a business PC may currently be surplus to requirements but you anticipate needing it again in a few months' time, and, whilst, computers and their operating systems and software do quickly become out of date, even old computers can be useful for standard use such as word processing and spreadsheets. Or you may run a computer repair business and need to store computers that could be useful in the future for their spare parts. But whatever the reason it will need to be packed carefully to avoid damage in transit or once in storage.

Once the computer has been shutdown, unplug it and all its peripheral devices such as the monitor, printer, speakers, external hard drive, keyboard etc. so that each item can be wrapped separately. If you are fortunate enough to have any of the original boxes then use those, otherwise use plenty of bubble wrap securely taped around each component and then place each parcel in its own box with additional bubble wrap or old newspaper used to fill the gaps in the box. Always use strong cardboard packing boxes and never be tempted to use the fragile boxes that can be picked up for free at most supermarkets – these are simply too flimsy to give valuable or fragile items the protection they need during transportation and once in storage.

Bicycles

Many bicycles are highly valuable and if not protected adequately their gears, in particular, can be easily damaged. It is impractical to wrap a bike in bubble wrap (not to mention expensive) so find a large packing box or try to buy a specialist bike box in your local bike shop – these are inexpensive but effective at protecting a bike in long-term storage.

Before placing a bicycle in self-storage remove the tyres and let the air out then remove the handle bars and mud guards not forgetting to put the screws in a bag to keep them together for when you come to use the bike again. Put the frame, wheels and handle bars in your packing box using old newspaper between each item to prevent scratching and other damage.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.