There are many people who put things in long-term storage units and have no problem with their belongings. And then there are others who put something in storage only to find when they try to get it back out that there are problems with the items and they are either broken, damaged, or ruined. What is the difference? Here are some common mistakes that people make when they store items.

1. They Keep Things On The Ground

When you store nice things in the unit, you need to get them off the cement ground. Most storage units have cement on the floor. The cement is durable, but it is also very cold and susceptible to the weather. This means that if you put something like a leather couch directly on the cement, it will crack.

Additionally, it is bad to keep nice things on the ground because it doesn't allow any airflow. So even boxes that could become moldy need to be lifted off the ground so that air can pass through. Otherwise, the bottom box of the stack will be ruined.

Instead of putting it on the cement, you should get crates or cinder blocks to help raise it up. This will allow the temperature to stay more constant and for air to pass through.

2. They Don't Cover Anything

Of course you are going to have boxes of things, and those items will be covered, but what about the items that aren't boxed? Are you going to cover the furniture? You need to take sheets or large pieces of fabric and cover the furniture so that there is no dust that gets on top of it. The dirt and dust that will inevitably get on the items that aren't boxed can ruin them, especially if you go months without checking the unit.

3. They Don't Get Proper Security

Lastly, you need to make sure that the security of the unit is up to par. The problem is that even if the company that owns the units is doing security, you still need to take extra steps. Never load or unload the unit with people around. Never put the most valuable items near the front where they can be easily seen, and always have an additional lock put on the unit so that you know it will take a lot of effort to get into your unit.

By avoiding these mistakes, you can protect your unit.