Storage units and facilities are used for a variety of reasons. Maybe you are remodeling your house or downsizing and don’t have enough room to take everything with you. They are a good option to give people some flexibility in any scenario. People put all sorts of things in storage places (have you ever seen the show Storage Wars?!) but that doesn’t mean that you should pack up all your stuff and leave it in there. There are some things that you simply shouldn’t take to a storage facility and that you should either keep with you, donate, or throw away. Here’s some items that shouldn’t be moved to the storage facility:

Perishables: You would think that this one would be obvious but sadly it is not. Do not bring any item whatsoever into your storage unit that could rot, mold, and stink up the entire facility. Even though people automatically think of food products, this goes for plants too. It’s better to donate/throw stuff away than it is to keep it in your storage unit.

Money: People are always looking for ways to hide their money, but a storage unit is not a good solution. No matter how safe or monitored your facility might be, it only takes a matter of minutes for a thief to break in and loot through your belongings. If you have any cash or currency of any kind, this is like hitting the jackpot for them!

Chemicals: Whether you are a biochemist or a self-proclaimed chemist, do not store any chemicals of any form within your unit. Besides the disastrous physical and environmental effects that a chemical explosion or spill could have there are also legal matters that can come from this too. Keep your chemistry set in the lab!

Animals: Okay this one should be common sense along with the whole perishable food items but it happens. If you have a bunch of cats and are running out of room at your house, a storage facility is not the solution. Just like with the chemicals this can have legal consequences due to it qualifying as animal abuse. And whether you put your animals in their on purpose or not, cats especially are notorious for crawling into boxes and finding hiding places. Make sure that none of your pets is a stowaway for your storage unit!

Mini Storage Unit Doors

Valuable Items: If you have anything worth money or that has sentimental value with it, better err on the side of caution and don’t put it in your unit. They are better kept with you and this will lower the chance that they get stolen or damaged while in the unit. These items can range anywhere from antiques, jewelry, art, and even photographs.

Personal Documents: Maybe your new home doesn’t have an office and you don’t have extra storage space to keep all of your documents, so your natural solution is to box them up and park them in your storage unit. This is not the answer for so many reasons. If there is a spill or leak in your facility, there is no way to salvage those documents. Or if a burglar breaks in and starts going through your files, depending on what you have in there you can have your identity and confidential information all gone. What we would consider to be personal documents is passports, birth certificates, financial information, insurance policies, wills, and anything else deemed confidential.

Storage facilities are safe and secure and you can feel comfortable with keeping your stuff there. However, it is not worth it to take a chance no matter what on having your confidential and personal items stolen. Keep your storage unit organized and clean without these items in it.

At West Coast Moving & Storage, we have safe and secure, climate controlled, piano storage facilities. Contact us today for a free estimate!