Tips for organizing your storage unit before moving to France

You decided on moving to France from USA and such a relocation won’t be easy at all. It requires you to organize, pack, and find a moving company to assist you all the way. All moving tasks should be executed flawlessly if you want to rest assured that everything is ok once you arrive at the final destination. And the main question is – what to do with all your belongings while you are in France? People often rent storage units to keep their precious items there for a while until the dust is settled and later pick them up when the time is right. So, today, we will show you how organizing your storage unit should look like.

Find a storage unit first

The first step is to decide how many items you are storing and what to do with leftovers. Of course, this widely depends on your plans. If you are moving only for a couple of months, everything can stay inside your home. But if you are moving for a longer period, it is much more affordable to sell your home and use a storage unit to keep only your most precious possessions there. But still, you must gather all those items and make a list so you can know what size of storage unit you must rent. Your movers can help with this part by providing international moving quotes. They will pick your cargo and bring it over to the unit and relocate the rest to the shipping dock and get it ready to ship to France with you.

So, as soon as you realize how many items you have, give them a call. Also, while communicating with your moving representative, give them a chance to explain all about the international services they offer because there might be something worth checking out. Movers offer many services that can make your life easier. For example, they can bring materials, pack you, and relocate safely. They have dedicated teams for all sorts of fragile, delicate, valuable, and special items. Hence, listen to what they have to say and review the offer closely.

Organizing your storage unit like a pro

This one should be simple because you won’t be using your storage for anything else but to keep your items while you are gone. This means that you need a shelving system, maybe an old wardrobe, a few hooks to hang items of the ceiling, and a few wooden pallets. The goal is to keep your items organized and stacked nicely on your shelves and more delicate items inside boxes and drawers. Hang robust but lighter items onto the hooks and hangers and use pallets to place all your boxes on them. Dedicate a corner for each of those we mentioned and leave the middle of the room empty so you can move unobstructed through your unit and reach everything easily.

Safe packing is a good way of organizing your storage unit

You will pack for storage like you would pack for any other relocation. Firstly, obtain at least 30 carton boxes, some bubble wrap, a roll of adhesive tape, and a label for each box. Use a blister pack to wrap furniture and to make a cushion inside each box. Then, use tape to assemble your boxes and close them once they are full. Apply labels with a description in the end so everyone can know what is inside. Most importantly, you will find your items much easier when you look for them inside the unit.

Finally, you can purchase plastic bins, customized boxes, corner pads, Styrofoam, packing peanuts, and more. Yes, they are a bit more expensive but they are better-quality packing materials. If your budget allows it, invest more in the safety of your belongings. Lastly, cover the whole batch with a tarp or a similar cover to protect it against dust and you are good to go.

Who will help you move out?

The whole moving project will be extremely hard if you decide on doing it alone. We recommend using Transparent international movers and the moving services they provide. It is the safest and the most affordable way to cover the entire project efficiently. So, browse a bit online and compare moving companies. Read a few reviews and compare prices as well. Once you find the company you like, give them a call and confirm if they are licensed and if they have all the tools and means to execute this job properly. If you are satisfied with the answer, make a deal and start packing.

But again, if you decide to make a DIY project out of this, remember that you must pack, organize, and do the heavy lifting yourself. Also, you must know how to load a moving truck and drive it yourself. Not to mention that you must have a permit to drive such a vehicle. Hence, it is far better to let your movers cover this one and save a lot of time to focus on legalities and prepare for the journey to France.

Sort out the items you do not need anymore

You will have a much easier time when organizing your storage unit if you get rid of some of the items you have. Yes, we all have a bunch of items we drag along for many years. It can be broken furniture, memorabilia, electronics, clothing, etc. All those items are outdated, unused, broken, and simply there to clutter the space. So, do not let it happen again. You do not need them to clutter your unit yet again. Or if you have a stretching budget and you want to rent a sizeable unit to accommodate everything, then you should go for it. If you can fit it all, do it. But if you are limited with space, consider decluttering and downsizing. While inspecting your belongings, set aside all those items and do the following:

• Donate to local charities or a church
• Recycle or throw away
• Sell online or at the yard sale
• Give away to friends or neighbors

You can do whatever you want with them. Just keep in mind that you will finally get rid of all the hoard, your relocation will be cheaper, and your rent as well. Decluttering is beneficial on all fronts. Think about it.

Maintain your unit

Because you are moving abroad, organizing your storage unit and maintaining it becomes harder but more important than ever. As we stipulated before, if you organize your unit in a way to be a long-term storage unit, you can rest assured it will stay in the same condition as it was when you left. And if you rent a climate-controlled one, you won’t have to worry for a second. All you’ll find when you come back is a bunch of dust on your covers which you can carefully remove and dust off outside in the open. Simple as that. For everything else, you’ll have a maintenance crew to clean outside the unit and all over the facility. It comes with the purchase and they would do it regardless of the occupancy.

Moreover, if you want to add another layer of protection, you can introduce an air moisturizer, rodent repellants, scented baggies, and air fresheners. Just in case. And make 100% sure you do not leave any perishables or hazardous and flammable materials before you leave. Those are prohibited and dangerous.

And now you know the best practices of organizing your storage unit. As you can see, it is not so hard as it might look at the beginning. All you must do is find a legit and reputable storage unit provider to be sure your belongings are safe while you spend your time in France. Good luck and have a safe journey.