Whether you're moving, downsizing your home or going on an extended trip, you may find yourself in a position where you need to put some or all of your things into a self storage unit. If you have to put your things in storage, you should know that they will be exactly as you left them when you come to pick them up again. The things that you put into a storage unit are going to be things that you love and want to keep safe; otherwise they would have gone into the garbage instead of storage. There are a few things that you should keep in mind however, when you are putting your belongings into self storage in order to keep them in good condition, especially the special items such as paintings and family heirlooms.

Before you put your possessions into storage, you will need to categorize them and organize them so that you know the best kind of storage to put them in. A box of photo albums, a sailboat and a box of clothes may not all be stored in the same type of storage facility. You will want to look at all of your things carefully and decide which things go where.

Large items such as cars, boats and recreational vehicles can many times be stored in an outdoor shed or even just in a storage unit parking lot with a tarp pulled over them. You wouldn't want to do that with a brand new convertible sports car however, so you may want to look into storage in a closed in unit such as a garage. This entirely depends on how you feel about your property. If you think that it will be ok in an open shed, then the decision is yours.

Other special items such as paintings, photo albums, special documents and antiques, may need to be stored in a heated and sealed indoor unit. Many self storage units are fairly open and although they have fans to keep the air circulating, there is still a lot of moisture that gets into your things. There is usually not enough to cause mildew or molding but definitely enough to make pages stick together and curl. If the items are important to you, you will want to inquire about a heated unit and preferably one that is sealed and the door leads into a hallway rather that to the outdoors.

When you are packing special items, it is always better to be cautious than to find that they have broken in the storage process when you open it up again. Anything breakable should be either wrapped in bubble wrap or packed in Styrofoam and kept in boxes. The more breakable things are, the higher up in the pile they should be. Always keep your china and glass figurines at the top of the pile of goodies just in case. With paintings, framed items and mirrors, you should pack them in special picture boxes that keep them safe or if you don't have any of them, wrap them in blankets and tuck them somewhere safe where they won't fall or have things fall on them.

If you are prepared and plan out your self storage strategies before you begin your move, you are sure to find your things exactly as you left them when you are able to get them back out of storage. All it takes is a little planning ahead and extra time when you're packing. If you are unsure of how something should be packed, ask the people who run the self storage unit. They are experts in their field.