Most furniture pieces are too bulky and as such, they take a lot of space. Therefore, if you’re downsizing your home, planning on a big new-home renovation project, or trying to preserve priceless antique furniture that just won’t fit or match your new residence, then putting your furniture in storage can solve your current just-not-enough-space-for-furniture problem until you find a long-term solution.
However, before you can store some of your pieces, you’re going to have to prepare your furniture for storage so that your valuable possessions retain their current condition and appearance regardless of the storage period (short-term or long-term storage).
Read on to find the best way to prepare furniture for storage.
Storing your furniture: is it worth it?
Before you get down to preparing your furniture for storage, you’ll need to be sure that you’re doing the right thing in terms of investing your time and your money into the whole furniture storage idea.
After all, if you do decide to store your large and heavy items inside a storage unit at a good storage facility near your new home, then you’re going to have to pay a monthly storage fee to keep your things safe there. And if neglected or mismanaged, storage costs can quickly add up to thousands of dollars a year – a serious financial burden which you most likely won’t be able or won’t be willing to handle.
Important info: How much does it cost to rent a storage unit?
Keep in mind that it won’t make much sense to discard high-quality furniture items that are practical, comfortable, fashionable and trendy, or ones that are treasured within the family as family heirlooms. Also, it won’t be too smart to store inexpensive IKEA-like pieces that you can buy cheaper later than the storage fees they will incur in time. /How to pack IKEA furniture for moving/
Go through each furniture item that you plan to store away and ask yourself these 5 questions to figure out of a piece of furniture is worth keeping or not.
Is the furniture item
practical, convenient, comfortable and easy to use?
well-made from high-quality materials?
in good shape and condition, ready to serve you years to come?
sentimental to you in any way (a family heirloom, a precious gift, etc.)?
expensive in terms of monetary value?
As already explained above, renting a storage unit to safeguard your valuable furniture for a few months (short-term storage) or more than 12 months (long-term storage) can be the ideal solution during the transitional period in which you find yourself at the moment.
Storing your furniture in a storage unit can be beneficial for you. Click here to learn what to look for when choosing a storage facility.
How to prepare your furniture for storage
Ideally, you’ll have already decided which furniture pieces to
move with you to the new home (if your new house or apartment is ready to receive any household items at the moment),
put into storage (most likely into a storage unit but you can also place in storage in an attic, basement or garage), and
get rid of before the actual move (either sell, gift or leave behind).
So now comes the big question: What’s the best way to prepare your furniture for storage? Follow these 2 steps to do just that.
Step 1. Clean your furniture for storage
The very first step to preparing furniture for storage is to clean the pieces thoroughly. If you fail to do so, the dust or dirt that may have been left on their surface may lead to permanent damage while the items are stored away for months.
To clean your furniture before placing it in storage,
REMOVE dust and any loose particles from the furniture surface by using a soft, non-abrasive and dry cloth. Do this gently and avoid pressing or rubbing down the dust particles onto the delicate finish of your furniture.
PREPARE WOOD FURNITURE FOR STORAGE by applying a suitable wood cleaning product on the wooden surfaces and wiping it out gently with a damp cloth. Then, apply a coat of furniture polish on all wooden surfaces (a process known as sealing) to prevent the wood from drying out while the furniture pieces are stored away.
PREPARE LEATHER FURNITURE FOR STORAGE by vacuuming well the upholstery to remove any coarse particles and then applying a high-quality leather cleaner. After some time (read the product’s instructions for use), wipe the leather with a dry cloth to finish the cleaning process. Finally, use a leather protecting product on the upholstery to keep it in tip-top shape for a long time.
POLISH all metal parts on your furniture to remove the accumulated oxidation.
MAKE SURE all furniture items that you intend to place in storage are completely dry before packing them up. Remember that any amount of moisture trapped in your furniture can lead to the growth of mold in time.
See also: How to pack a storage unit
Step 2. Pack your furniture for storage
The second step to the preparation process is all about packing furniture for storage. Do a good job here and you’ll get the guarantee that your pieces will stay perfectly protected for as long as you need them to stay in storage.
To wrap furniture for storage,
CONSIDER disassembling the largest furniture you own so that you can pack, transport and store the separate pieces more easily and safely. In addition to the better level of protection for your possessions, you’ll be able to use the storage space more efficiently thanks to the smaller size of the disassembled parts.
WRAP FURNITURE FOR STORAGE with (furniture) blankets, bed sheets, large pieces of cloth or other suitable furniture covers to keep dust, dirt, and moisture away from your pieces. These soft and breathing protective materials will not only keep your wood or leather furniture from accidental scratches or dents, but they will also enable the air to circulate freely around, thus eliminating the possibility of moisture accumulation and mold growth.
PROVIDE extra protection for all protruding parts of your furniture pieces such as legs, arms, ornaments, and so on. Do this by wrapping those fragile elements with soft padding (blankets, clothes), and then adding sheets of bubble wrap over them.
NEVER PLACE bubble wrap directly over delicate wood or leather surfaces. Doing so may lead to the formation of condensation, which in turn will enable the growth of mold and mildew. ALWAYS use plastic wrap (bubble wrap or shrink wrap) as a second line of protection over fabric or paper materials. Thus said, particle board furniture does not “breathe” as solid wood and leather do, so those chipboard furniture pieces can actually be packed in plastic wrap as the first line of defense.
POSITION cut-out pieces of thick cardboard over the glass elements (doors, shelves, panels, etc.) found in some household furniture. Then, finish the protective layer by adding a sheet of bubble wrap.
USE small pieces of packing tape to secure the protective materials but do not place them directly over the delicate furniture pieces.
And now that you know how to prepare your furniture for storage, learn how to get good deals on storage units.
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