It’s often sad to see a season go, but the next always comes with something to look forward to. Summer has sunny beach days and family barbecues, Autumn has back-to-school and warm apple cider, Winter has the holidays and cozy sweaters, Spring offers a fresh start and beautiful flowers. Every new season probably means a visit to your local self storage facility as well.
Changing seasons means a change in your routine and the items you need on a regular basis. Seasonal items can vary greatly depending on your hobbies and preferences. During some seasons you might need to store a ton of items and during others you might need to store very few. Here’s a brief list of some seasonal items you may have:
- Holiday decorations
- Outdoor furniture
- Pool and beach accessories
- Sports equipment like skis, golf clubs, and bikes
- Camping, fishing, or hiking gear
Storing seasonal items can be a bit more complicated than storing other items. Most likely, you are bringing some out of storage as you are storing others. You are probably handling seasonal items more frequently as well. A little organization and planning can make the transition smooth and easy.
First, visit your storage unit and pull out everything you’ll need for the coming season. Make sure to do a thorough check. You don’t want to load all your lawn chairs and beach umbrellas into your unit only to realize you forgot that small box of ornaments now buried underneath. This is also a good time to look around and figure out how much space you have to store last season’s items. You don’t want to waste time and energy packing up your entire family’s bikes only to realize you don’t have the room.
A regular self storage unit is recommended for most seasonal items. Because these items are stored and removed frequently and tend to be bulkier, the ability to drive right up to your unit is key. Spring, Summer and Fall seasonal items are more likely to be designed for outdoor use and won’t be vulnerable to damage by fluctuations in temperature and humidity. You might consider indoor self storage for smaller, fragile seasonal items such as Christmas ornaments.
Wash and completely dry any outdoor furniture or sports equipment if appropriate. This is a good way to prevent rust, damage, and odor. Plus everything will be clean and ready to use when you pull it out again. Stackable plastic storage bins can keep smaller items organized and protected from dust. Make sure to label all bins or boxes with the season you need the items inside. Make a list of everything as you store it, so you can easily remember what you need to pull out again next year. Record the number of boxes you have for each season and list any bulkier items not stored in boxes.