Move planning guide

Storage packing checklist

Use this list to prepare a unit that is safe to load, easy to navigate, and less likely to surprise you when you need an item months later.

Move readiness

0 of 15 checks complete

Start with the checks that will affect your unit choice.

Before move-in

Choose the unit with your real load in mind

Do this before you buy boxes or reserve a unit. The most expensive mistake is booking by a rough apartment label and discovering that one large item or a narrow door changes the whole plan.

Measure the longest, widest, and tallest items that must fit through the door. Confirm the unit's usable width, depth, height, and door opening with the provider. Decide which items you will need before the final move-out date, then reserve space for an aisle. Check the approach to the unit, including elevator, loading bay, driveway, and any tight turns.

Packing

Make every box easy to identify and safe to stack

Use sturdy, similarly sized boxes where possible. Mixed-height boxes create unstable stacks and make the listed storage volume less useful in practice.

Put a short contents list and destination room on two sides of each box. Keep heavy boxes small enough to lift safely and place them at the bottom of stacks. Use furniture covers or pads to protect fabric, wood, and finished surfaces from dust and scuffs. Keep documents, medication, food, batteries, and anything sensitive to heat, cold, or moisture out of ordinary storage unless the facility specifically supports it.

Simple loading rule: plan around the objects that cannot change shape. Mattresses, appliances, sofas, and shelves decide the first layer; boxes fill the remaining volume.

Loading day

Build from the back, then preserve the path you need

Place durable, rarely used, and heavy items at the back of the unit first. Distribute weight on the floor instead of leaning a heavy item on a lighter box or tall stack. Leave a clear route from the door to the items you expect to retrieve. Keep a small list or photo of the front-to-back loading order somewhere outside the unit.

Before you leave

Do a final access and condition check

Walk the aisle without moving a box and confirm the door can close freely. Take a quick photo of the unit interior and your lock or access instructions for your own records. Keep your agreement, unit number, and facility contact information somewhere separate from the stored items.

Still choosing a size? Start with the storage unit size calculator, then compare its result against the actual dimensions from the facility.