What should I know about long-term storage?

September 27, 2005 6:33 AM

Soon, I'll be putting most of my personal belongings (including an apartment's-worth of furniture) in storage for a year. Got any tips? What do I need to know?

I'm moving from Philadelphia to Westchester County, NY. For the first year, I'll be living with my mother (!), then moving into an apartment in NYC with my sister. I don't have a lot of furniture, but I do have basics that I'd like to keep for the future (dresser, bed, nightstands, dining set, couch, bookcase, TV) plus just stuff--lots of kitchen gear, CDs, books, some files, and all the other stuff that seems to emerge from the walls when you're moving. Yes, I am doing a full purge before packing, but there's still a lot there. I think that selling the furniture, then buying new stuff later, is more of a hassle than keeping what I have.

Any suggestions? Anything I should store in Mom's attic instead of storage? Specific recs for storage places in the Port Chester area would be helpful, too.

posted by CiaoMela to home & garden (26 comments total)

Storage areas can leak.
posted by Nelson at 6:34 AM on September 27, 2005

I think that selling the furniture, then buying new stuff later, is more of a hassle than keeping what I have.

I think you think wrong. There's an abundance of cheap furniture to buy in NYC- why pay big bucks to store the junk you already have when you can just buy new junk? I think you should abandon the storage idea and get rid of *everything*.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:36 AM on September 27, 2005 [1 favorite has favorites]

i had stuff in storage for 5 months, and, although the place didnt leak, it got humid during the summer and some stuff ended up all mildewy and i ended up throwing out (some couch cushions and pillows).
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 6:48 AM on September 27, 2005

If you rent a storage unit, keep everything off the ground and away from the walls to avoid water damage. Water can drip down the walls or seep in from under the door. Ignore the staff who will tell you that there's never been a problem with water damage.

Use big plastic tubs with lids (Walmart) for the items most sensitive to moisture (books, clothes, etc.). If you have cardboard boxes, put them on top of the plastic tubs so they are off the ground.

If you're storing furniture too, see if you can find something to keep it off the ground (cinderblocks, plastic milk crates, etc.). Trust me - it's worth the trouble.
posted by kdern at 6:49 AM on September 27, 2005

I don't mean to be unhelpful, but I agree w/ ThePinkSuperhero. Think really, really hard about whether putting stuff in storage is the way you must go. Then, if you still think it is, think again.

Things change and while your plan now is that you'll want this stuff again in a year, who knows what could happen? Your plans could change, and meanwhile you'll be paying $X.XX a month and letting your stuff get mildewy and stale. Plus, there's the hassle factor (although, of course, selling everything off is not hassle-free either).

I made a move a year ago and was thinking I'd put all my stuff in storage for when I came back to town someday (didn't know when, was thinking 1-2 years). But a good friend persuaded me to just sell my stuff and it was absolutely the right decision.

Plus, a few people I've spoken to about this in the last year have told me they have stuff in storage but admit they couldn't even name half the things that are in there. If you can't remember it, doesn't that suggest you can live without it?

Yes, I had a lot of kitchen equipment. Yes, I had a lot of books. I saved maybe four boxes of stuff -- yearbooks, personal papers, etc. All the rest got sold off on Craigslist. May I dip into cliche territory and say it was "liberating"?

Well, it was.

Good luck with the move(s).
posted by veggieboy at 7:06 AM on September 27, 2005

I put my stuff in storage for a year and there was no leaking nor could I even imagine that there would have been leaking anywhere in this building. No humidity. No mildew. Nothing of the sort, nor was the storage place the kind of building or space where that kind of thing could be an issue. The moral being: Get a nice storage space not a crappy one. Think about it. If it's humid or you see water stains on the floor, walls, or ceiling, maybe it's not a great place to leave your things. Go elsewhere.

The "Sell everything" advice is unrealistic, I think. You'll need a place to store things regardless -- There may be lots of cheap furniture in NYC, but are you really going to replace your whole CD collection? Your cutlery and dishes? Your books? Are you really going to be able to get a decent mattress for what you'll get for yours? How could you replace your files?

I think it's obvious that you need to keep some stuff and store it somewhere and given that, getting a storage space enough for one person's crap won't cost you much less than one person's crap + furniture. So keep your furniture. I got a 6x10 storage space, I think. Double bed, dresser, kitchen table and chairs, assorted side tables, bookshelves + kitchen appliances, cookware, and dishes etc. + "stuff". The key is to build up in the storage space. I had stuff floor to ceiling. Heavy boxes and heavy furniture on the bottom. Tall and thin along one wall. Bookshelves along another wall, boxes on the bookshelves.

And if there's anything you might conceivably need to get out before you actually empty the space, be sure to put that near the door to the storage space and maybe mark it clearly.
posted by duck at 7:12 AM on September 27, 2005

If you're packing books, pack a few layers of newspaper between and around the books. Newspaper will absorb any moisture in the air more readily than your books will, thus protecting the books themselves.
posted by Miko at 7:21 AM on September 27, 2005

The only thing I would recommend is that you do not forget your storage items. I had things in storage for years and it got to be a big hassle to even think about doing something with them.

Storage costs can really add up. They give you a few initial months at a low rate but they are banking on your inertia so that you will pay the monthly rental forever.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 7:41 AM on September 27, 2005

I moved from Miami to the DC area with what I could put in and strap to a 2 seater car. You need less than you think is the lesson I took from that.

I culled out all my books, as painful as it was, to things that I either would (a) want in the next 12 months or (2) would be unable to cheaply replace in the time after. Rare or out of print, in the box. Stuff I could get again for $0.02 on Half.com? Onto half.com or to the used bookstore. (I still have about $400 in credit at a used bookstore near Dadeland in Miami - any MeFites in that area who are interested are welcome to mail me and ask for the use of it)

The books I did want to keep went half into 'storage' (the parental units have a house wayyyyy too big for them so it was free so long as it wasn't too big) and the other half went to the post office and were sent via Media Mail to my destination. Media Mail is your friend, though I imagine the carriers despise it - you can send a 70lb box full of books/dvds/other media for $22.84.

I sold most of my furnature. Used furnature is a pretty constant price so having the money in hand to use till such a time as I needed it again was a better deal, excepting the mattress and spring - those things are expensive.
posted by phearlez at 8:09 AM on September 27, 2005

Label all your boxes so you know what's in them. This is especially useful if you need to get into your storage eight months from now or so to look for a particular item.
posted by Staggering Jack at 8:17 AM on September 27, 2005

...and label doesn't mean 25 boxes of "BOOKS" and 8 of "KITCHEN STUFF." It means "BOOKS FOR WORK, 1 OF 12" or "SF BOOKS 0--BANKS." Takes two seconds when you're packing, saves hours unpacking.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 8:43 AM on September 27, 2005

Get thrown away palettes and put them on the bottom of the unit first.

Do NOT store anything that could possibly be considered as food in your storage unit or something that considers it food will find its way into it and make that box and other nearby boxes its home, kitchen, and bathroom. In my case, it was birdseed in a sealed container packed by a moving service and field mice in an allegedly sealed storage unit.

You provide the lock. And for your own good, don't use a Master Lock. They are fantastically easy to figure out the combination or to simply break or pick.
posted by plinth at 8:47 AM on September 27, 2005

Get thrown away palettes and put them on the bottom of the unit first.

Any idea where I can find these? (What kind of place--Home Depot or other big-box store, maybe?)
posted by CiaoMela at 9:44 AM on September 27, 2005

You might consider renting a "Pod" which is a self contained storage and moving unit--I have several friends who have used them and were very happy--pack once and unpack once--moved and stored in the same unit--I quickly googled "pods, moving and storage" and founfd a number of links--good luck
posted by rmhsinc at 9:54 AM on September 27, 2005

I've gotten mine from large pet food stores and the last set from a plastic fab company.
posted by plinth at 9:56 AM on September 27, 2005

I am storing stuff in CA right now, and I found it was significantly cheaper to use the containers that are delivered and picked up, then stacked in a huge warehouse. The downside is you have to make an appointment to get to your stuff, but it was about half the cost of a self-storage place.
YMMV.
posted by clh at 9:58 AM on September 27, 2005

I would recommend climate controlled storage. I had a climate controlled storage unit for 2 years with Shurgard. Never had any problems with damage/leaking or anything, and I recommend Shurgard as a company to deal with. All the units/buildings (this was Glenmills, PA) were clean and well kept and the facilities were gated. I rented the unit to store a large record (LP) collection, but ended up putting all kinds of other junk in there. When it came time to move, boy, did I wish I had thrown all that junk away instead of paying good money to keep it in storage. So my advice would be to store only those items you feel you can't live without down the road, and keep in mind you'll someday have to move all that stuff out of there.
posted by Otis at 10:05 AM on September 27, 2005

I am storing stuff in CA right now, and I found it was significantly cheaper to use the containers that are delivered and picked up, then stacked in a huge warehouse.

Yeah, I thought about that, but at the moment neither of the two I've found (Pods and Door-to-Door) serve my region the way I'd need.

Thanks for all the answers so far, this is all very helpful!
posted by CiaoMela at 11:15 AM on September 27, 2005

Squirrel proof the unit if possible, or at least your belongings. Some squirrels built a nest on some soft bags and created a bloody (yes squirrel blood!!), stinky mess that soaked through the bags and got on lots of boxes.
posted by evilelf at 11:20 AM on September 27, 2005

Woops, posted to quickly. Should have mentioned in my barely coherent comment that this happened over the winter in a unit I had rented.
Also, take a good look at what the total storage cost will be (as mentioned above). After realizing that I had spent $1,200 to store possessions I had little (or no) use for over the course of a year, I decided down-sizing was in order.
posted by evilelf at 11:41 AM on September 27, 2005

And for your own good, don't use a Master Lock. They are fantastically easy to figure out the combination or to simply break or pick.

Don't get a storage space somewhere where this would even be an issue. At the place I left my stuff there was list of people authorized to access my space (me and two close friends). Anyone who came into the building would be asked for ID before they could exit the office part of the building to get to the storage part of the building. Yes, I suppose someone who had their own storage space elsewhere in the building could have broken in to my unit, but since the whole building was covered in cameras, I'm sure the burglars would better spend their time in your average suburb).

And squirrels? Geez, do you have squirrels in your house? Don't rent in a place that isn't at least as solidly built as your house. It sounds like people here are paying money to put things in places that aren't much better than a neighbour's abandoned or empty basement or garage. If you're paying money, you have the right to expect a clean, secure, well-maintained, solid building. If you're willing to put up with damp and mildew and squirrels, then I'm sure you have a friend who can provide free basement or garage with all the water, mildew, and rodents you could possibly hope for.

Finally, note that you can get renters insurance for your storage unit. I didn't since I couldn't see what could possibly happen to my stuff, while it was in a giant cement warehouse with metal walls (and nothing did happen to my stuff), but some people do.

I paid about $800 for a year, which I do think was worth it. My matress and boxspring alone were worth about $400; my desk would have cost me at least $100 to replace. I had a nice antique coffee table that I could not have replaced, several bookshelves worth of books (and academic books are easily $60/each), small appliances which I probably would have paid $20 each for, even used (and let's not forget the trouble of finding them used and picking them up etc. etc.). The value of all that stuff adds up, and while it's easy to say "you don't need" it, you can be sure that if you throw it away or sell it, eventually you're going to find yourself buying a new toaster, and a new ironing board, new storage crates, new blow dryer, etc. etc. And if you have decent stuff, what you can buy used may not be as nice. And of course the hassle of buying it used rather than just driving to your storage space and picking up all the stuff you already picked-out, liked, and bought.
posted by duck at 12:49 PM on September 27, 2005

If you're storing wool, use mothballs. I stored a beautiful carpet which was eaten to thread by moth larvae. For all I know, moths might attack other fabrics too, but wool seems particularly attractive to them.
posted by anadem at 1:24 PM on September 27, 2005

I've used Westy's Storage and been really satisfied. There are two of them in Port Chester. Not cheap, but clean, secure, well lit and easy to get to.
posted by redfisch at 2:17 PM on September 27, 2005

I'm going through the same thing right now, but I've opted for the purge-my-belongings approach. It is indeed liberating. I figure it'll cost me $1K to store everything for a year -- and my stuff simply isn't worth that much. Selling now; will replace later.

But assuming you're going ahead with the storage idea. I'd put as much as possible in plastic containers. Maybe seal them extra-well with duct tape. I'd seal any mattresses in plastic as well. This isn't going to keep critters out, but hopefully they won't have any reason to go in, and it'll help keep out moisture.

I'm not sure about where to get wooden pallettes; when I was young and foolish we used to steal them from behind grocery stores for bonfires, but I wouldn't really do that again or recommend it to you. What if you lined the floor of the unit with plastic milk crates? They could even be used as storage blocks, in which to put non-sensitive items like pots, pans, glassware, etc.
posted by donpedro at 2:24 PM on September 27, 2005

Used palettes: anyplace that sells any quantity of anything will have tons of them, and will probably be happy for someone to take them away. You may have better luck talking with smaller businesses than bigger ones, as they are more likely to have someone around who can make that decision quickly and less likely to have a policy or nonsense. Also, check university loading dock/dumpster areas.
posted by whatzit at 4:39 PM on September 27, 2005

They seem to have a lot of palettes behind some of the local furniture stores. Grocery stores have a lot as well. Check with the manager.

You mentioned your mother had an attic - does she have a yard? You may be able to buy a mini barn for the same cost as a few years rent at a storage center. Then you could give it to her when you were finished.

Check to see if they have 6 month or yearly discounts.

Most of the suggestions here are good - rubber containers, elevating objects off the floor, building up, labelling boxes well. The storage area I used had 10 ft ceilings, so I made my own shelves out of plywood and 2x4s so I could stack everything high without crushing the bottom boxes. You can also build shelves around your furniture so you can stack things on top of them. Remember, some fabrics will have a permanent imprint if even light things are left on top of them for a long time.

You generally want a climate controlled unit, although some people think this does more harm than good. If it is indoors and the place does not supply carts, invest in a cheap hand truck and/or garden cart and/or mover's dolly. Your back will thank you.

Also, you should things like books or other items you may need during the year or when you move in with your sister closer to the front.
posted by Yorrick at 4:40 PM on September 27, 2005