The holiday season is quickly approaching. The final quarter of the year brings an array of holidays in fairly quick succession - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Winter Holiday festivities are all almost here. With each of these holidays comes a multitude of decorations. Since these items are only used once a year, it can be a task to pack and unpack them each year. Additionally, these decorations can be quite pricey and also very delicate. Things like glass and ceramic can break or chip easily. Therefore, to avoid unnecessarily replacing these things, you should ensure you save them both safely and securely. The good news is that self storage can provide a very good alternative to trying to find space around the house to place these items. Here are some ideas for how to ensure that your holiday items and decorations will be kept in pristine condition so that you can continue to make great memories with them year after year:
It’s all about the bags
Anyone who regularly decorates during the holiday season knows that it can be a real pain to locate these small and delicate decorations. Ideally, it would be great to keep the original packaging but this is not always possible. In the absence of the original boxes and bags, the secret to easily storing these is to use clear, resealable bags. This way, you can group all decorations into the same category and even go as far as separating them by themes and colors. If you are worried about these items cracking or breaking, you can wrap them before placing them in these plastic bags. If the wrapping will hide the items, then label all the bags to properly keep track of everything.
Organize before you pack
The best time to start organizing and packing your holiday items is right at the end of all the festivities. If you organize your holiday decorations and necessities while packing them away, then when you unpack the next year, they will already be in the same order that you will need to start decorating. This can help to cut down on a lot of time when decorating your home for the holidays. To further help with your organizing, treat this as if you are packing for a move. To make moving easier, it’s the norm to organize and pack items by rooms. Apply the same logic when packing up your Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations.
Separate all items by use and type. For example, lights should go together, plates should be in the same box and so on. Fragile items and those that can break easily should be taken out from the rest. These items will need extra attention and care to ensure that they are not destroyed while you pack and unpack them into your self storage unit. If you are unsure about whether or not an item is fragile, then err on the side of caution and treat it as such.
Arrange storage unit and plan ahead accordingly
Since these holiday items will be in storage for at least a year, you will need to arrange your unit to best accommodate your needs. Depending on the amount of holiday items you have, you may be storing other items in the unit. If that is the case, you will want to place your these easily breakable items at the very top. Avoid placing other items on top of them since this can increase the likelihood of damage.
You should also take note of the other items you will be storing in case there will be any interferences. For example, items that may attract small bugs and rodents should not be stored with your video games and consoles. As an added precaution, try raising your items a few inches off the ground to keep them out of reach to those small animals.
Get a climate controlled storage unit
After you’ve spent all that time packing and organizing, you will want to ensure that your items are well protected. You wouldn’t want all those hours that you invested into carefully putting away these items to be wasted. The best way to protect your holiday items and ensure that they are in pristine condition for the upcoming years is to rent a climate controlled storage unit. You delicate items are susceptible to damage in the event of extreme heat or cold. With a climate-controlled storage unit, you can rest easily knowing that the temperature will be kept at a constant level. That way, you won’t have to worry about constantly checking on your items throughout the year to ensure that moisture hasn’t somehow made its way through to your items. Having a unit that is temperature controlled will assist in maintaining the quality of all your precious holiday decorations and other related items. Though these units attract a higher price tag, it is well worth it for the sake of protecting your items.. While regular storage units are fine to store most items, the added security and peace of mind provided with a climate-controlled unit is preferred since delicate decorations can easily be damaged if not stored in the right conditions.
