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Storing valuable household furniture in self-storage requires careful planning and execution to ensure the items remain in pristine condition. Here’s some advice and suggestions to make the process smoother:

1. Choose the Right Storage Unit: Opt for a purpose-built lockup room to protect furniture from extreme temperatures and humidity. This feature helps prevent warping, cracking, or mould growth, especially for wooden furniture.

2. Clean and Prepare Furniture: Thoroughly clean and dry all furniture before storing to prevent mould and mildew. Use appropriate cleaning agents for different materials like wood polish for wooden furniture, leather conditioner for leather, and fabric cleaner for upholstery.

3. Disassemble if Possible: If furniture can be disassembled, do so to save space and prevent damage during transport and storage. Keep all screws, bolts, and nuts in labelled bags to ensure easy reassembly later.

4. Use Proper Protection: Wrap furniture in moving blankets, bubble wrap, or furniture pads to prevent scratches, dust, dents, and other damage. Cover delicate surfaces with protective sheets or cardboard to avoid scratches.

5. Elevate Furniture Off The Ground On Tiered Bench Shelving: Place furniture on purpose-built bench shelving (available and exclusive to Masterton Self-Storage) or boards to protect those item closer to the floor from getting squashed. This prevents potential damage, especially if heavy items are placed in wrong locations.

6. Arrange Furniture Strategically: Leave aisles between items to access furniture easily without having to move everything around. If you do not use bench shelving place heavier items at the bottom and lighter ones on top to prevent crushing.

7. Avoid Plastic Covers: While it may seem like a good idea to cover furniture with plastic to protect it, plastic can trap moisture and lead to mould growth. Instead, use breathable materials like old cotton sheets or furniture covers. Of course, cotton sheets also protect against dust. Because you never want to store stuff, especially furniture, in an air-tight lockup (e.g.: a shipping container) there will be some dust just like there is if you do not do the dusting at home.

8. Label Everything: Clearly label each item and box to know what’s inside without having to rummage through everything. This makes retrieval easier and helps prevent damage from unnecessary handling. Use FRAGILE sticker to alert furniture removal staff to take more care – available free from Mstn Self-Storage.

9. Regularly Check and Maintain: Visit the storage lockup room periodically (or have someone do it for you) to ensure everything remains in good condition. Check for signs of pests, mould, or moisture and address any issues promptly. Masterton Self-Storage guarantees your stuff will not get damp from condensation because your lockup room is a purpose-built room and well ventilated – they are not steel storage sheds or shipping containers.

10. Insurance: If you have household contents insurance you should notify you insurer, in writing, before it goes into storage and where you stuff is being stored. That way your insurer should carry your policy over while your stuff is stored at our place. To date none of our customers’ insurance companies have refused to do this (mainly because a representative from most of the major insurance companies have inspected this facility for security, fit-for-purpose, and dryness) but they do get twitchy when stuff is stored longer than 12-months. If you have not got a household contents policy you should consider getting insurance coverage for your stored furniture to protect against unexpected events like theft, fire, or natural disasters. Remember, Masterton Self-Storage is a self-storage facility and not a storage company – i.e., Masterton Self-Storage is not in the business of storing and handling their customer’s stuff – customers are doing this themselves.

11. Following these tips will help ensure your valuable household furniture remains safer and better-preserved during its time in self-storage.