How to Organize Your Storage Unit

I've watched many people turn their storage in Tallahassee into an unfun game of find the needle in a haystack. If you have ever spent time moving boxes to find that one thing in the back, or can't remember which box contained the items you are looking for, organizing your storage unit is a worthwhile task to accomplish. After years of helping folks with storage in Tallahassee, I've learned the difference between how people can best utilize a storage unit vs piling up items, making it difficult to find items. Luckily, it's pretty easy to pick up. You just need to plan ahead instead of throwing everything together without a proper plan. Here's what works when dealing with storage in Tallahassee, based on watching hundreds of people do this right and wrong.

Plan Out How You Want Your Items Organized

The biggest mistake I see with storage in Tallahassee is people showing up with a truck full of stuff and placing all the items without creating a walkway to make the first items placed accessible. Six months later, they're frustrated because they need their documents and can't get to them without moving all the items they first placed in the unit.

Before you put anything in storage, walk through your empty unit and think about where to place your items. Think about where to put frequently needed items? What's going to stay buried for months? How are you creating walking paths so you can get to things?

A good way of thinking about it is if you are designing a small warehouse. You want easy access to anything you might need, and you want to be able to find things without playing a guessing game with unmarked boxes.

The Front-to-Back Strategy That Works

Here's what I've learned works best for storage in Tallahassee. To put it simply think about the front, middle and back.

Front Zone

This zone is for anything you might need in the next few months. Seasonal clothes, documents, holiday decorations are coming up, and business inventory if you run a small company. This stuff needs to be easy to grab without moving other things around.

Middle Zone

The middle zone is for medium-term storage. Furniture you're not sure about, books you're not ready to get rid of, sporting equipment that's out of season. Things you might need eventually, but not right away.

Back Zone

The back zone is for long-term storage. Family heirlooms, old school papers, furniture you're definitely keeping but won't need for years. This stuff can be more complicated to access because you won't be digging it out very often.

The key is being honest about what you need access to and planning accordingly.

Box Strategy That Prevents Digging Disasters

I've watched people in storage in Tallahassee spend an hour looking through boxes because nothing is labeled properly. Label everything clearly for example plates, mugs, and small appliances. Use a permanent marker on multiple sides of each box, so you can it see whats inside from multiple angles. Keep a list on your phone of what's in each box and its location in your unit.

Also, clear plastic bins should be used when possible instead of cardboard boxes. Yeah, they cost more upfront, but you can see what's inside without opening them, they stack better, and they handle Tallahassee's humidity better than cardboard.

Don't pack boxes too heavy. It is possible to hurt yrouself by trying to move a box of books that weighs 50 pounds. Make sure you keep it reasonable so you can move things around when you need to.

Create Real Walking Paths

This is huge for storage in Tallahassee because our units get hot and cramped, and you don't want to be climbing over furniture every time you need something. Plan walkways that let you move around comfortably.

Leave a main path down the middle or along one side that's wide enough for you to walk normally. Create smaller paths to reach different zones. Don't pack things wall-to-wall and expect to squeeze through tiny gaps when you need access. I tell people to leave more space than they think they need. You'll thank yourself later when you can get to your stuff without breaking a sweat or your back.

Don’t Forget About Vertical Space

Tallahassee humidity means you must think about what goes on the floor and how you stack things. If possible, put everything on shelves. Stack heavy items on the bottom and lighter items on top. This seems obvious, but I've seen people put heavy boxes on top of furniture that couldn't handle the weight. Use your furniture as storage. Think about putting boxes inside dressers and wardrobes instead of stacking them on top.

Be careful about stacking boxes too high, especially in our heat. The last thing you want is a tower of boxes falling over when trying to get something out.

The Inventory System That Gets Used

Most people start with good intentions about keeping inventory lists, then give up after the first few boxes. The trick is keeping it simple enough that you'll actually maintain it.

Take photos of your unit from different angles every time you add or remove significant items. Keep a simple list on your phone with major categories and locations.  Update your list when you add or remove items, not six months later when you can't remember what you did. It takes two minutes in the moment versus two hours of searching later.

What We've Learned About Storage in Tallahassee

At Apalachee Self Storage on 2001 Apalachee Pkwy, we've seen every organizing mistake and success story you can imagine. The people who do storage in Tallahassee usually have a few things in common. They plan before they pack, label everything clearly, and leave room to move around.

We've also learned that our climate here affects how you should organize things. Humidity means getting things off the floor matters. Heat means you don't want to be digging through packed units in the summer. Planning for easy access becomes even more important when the weather makes being in your storage unit uncomfortable.

The customers who are happiest with their storage in Tallahassee are the ones who took a little extra time upfront to organize properly. It saves them time, frustration, and money in the long run.