Because self-storage lockers are priced based on size, using more space than you need can cost you. According to www.insideselfstorage.com, the average cost of a unit is around $9 per square foot per year, which means that each square foot of your unit rental will cost you about 75¢ per month. Here are four ways to consolidate space in your storage unit, which can save you money. 

1: Go Through Your Things Prior To Storing

Sometimes when people move items into storage, they have a tendency to simply relocate their belongings without checking the contents of boxes. Before paying for precious storage space, go through all of your things in order to determine if what you have is actually worth keeping. Here are some tips for paring down the amount of storage that you need.

• Clothes: Try on old clothing in order to check the fit and to see if the garment has signs of damage. You might find that several items are no longer viable.
• Papers: Analyze old documents in order to determine if you need to save them. Oftentimes, people find that they can do some shredding instead of storing boxes of papers.
• Home Items: Check out old rugs and furniture in order to decide if pieces could be sold. You might be better off to collect a little extra cash to spend on new items as opposed to storing unattractive home objects for years.
• Food: Remember that food storage has a shelf life. Before putting grain bins and cases of food in your unit, inspect the dates in order to make sure that they are worth saving.

You might be surprised how much less you have to store after carefully considering what you have. By storing only the items that you need, you can save money on your unit.

2: Use Other Items As Storage

When it comes to storing items, remember that some objects can hold other things. Instead of storing empty pieces of luggage, use them to house those old Christmas ornaments or other smaller items. Old appliances like washers and dryers can house linens or clothing, saving valuable space.

Make sure to always fill totes and cardboard boxes to full capacity. Consolidating multiple item categories into single storage containers can significantly cut down on the bulk of what you need to store. Think of every item that you plan to store as a potential mini-storage unit for your other items. Nesting objects together can save a tremendous amount of space, reducing your monthly storage bill.  

3: Take Advantage Of Vertical Space

When people choose storage units, they usually only think about square footage and forget about the vertical space. Instead of setting up your storage unit like you would the interior of a home, stack items in order to use up the top of your unit.

Line exterior walls with bookshelves and use them to hold other objects. Install bike hooks to the rafters in order to store recreational equipment. Check with storage facility managers to see if they allow tenants to install hangers to the walls, which can allow you to take advantage of additional empty space.

When stacking storage containers, make sure to account for the additional weight that will be placed on lower items. Choose heftier boxes and totes for the bottom level, which will keep stacks more stable and protect your things.

4: Break Down Furniture

Although it might be tempting to store your items just as you would want them to come out of the unit, you can save a lot of space by breaking down your furniture. Take apart any items that disassemble in order to fit more into your space.

Remove table and chair legs, allowing you to store objects in their flattest form. To keep track of hardware, place all screws, nuts, and bolts in sealable plastic bags and tape them to the item. For more complicated disassembly jobs, it might even be a good idea to snap a picture of the piece before you take it apart, and store the picture with the item. This can help you to reassemble furniture correctly and efficiently.

By storing smarter instead of renting more space, you can save a lot of money over the course of your self storage experience.