1. Choose the right size
Too small and you are cramming things in and damaging them. Too large and you are paying every month for air. If you are torn between two sizes, use our size calculator or just call us. We have walked thousands of people through this.
2. Do not move in the rain
This is Florida, so an afternoon thunderstorm is always on the cards. Anything you load in damp stays damp behind a closed door, and mould and mildew take hold within days. If the sky opens, wait it out.
3. Label every box, on more than one side
Pack systematically and write what is inside on at least two faces, so you can read it whichever way the box ends up stacked. Future you, hunting for the Christmas decorations in a full unit, will be grateful.
4. Use shelving and go vertical
Our ceilings run 8 to 12ft in the drive-up buildings and 10ft in climate controlled. Free-standing shelves turn that height into usable space and stop the bottom boxes taking the weight of everything above. Just do not drill or mount anything into the unit walls.
5. Leave yourself an aisle
The single most common regret we hear. Leave a walkway down the middle or along one side, so you can reach the back without unloading the front. It costs you a little floor area and saves you hours.
6. Protect the fragile things properly
Bubble wrap, packing peanuts and furniture covers exist for a reason. Wrap glass and ceramics individually, fill the gaps in the box so nothing shifts, and never stack anything heavy on a box marked fragile.
7. Think hard about climate control
Electronics, documents, photographs, wood and leather furniture, instruments and anything irreplaceable do not do well in a Florida summer. If you would not leave it in your garage from June to September, put it in a climate controlled unit.
8. Drop in every so often
Visit the unit occasionally and have a proper look. Check for pests, damp, or anything that has shifted or slumped. Problems caught in month two are trivial. The same problem found in month twenty is not.
9. Sort out insurance
Under Florida law our facility is not responsible for stored items. Check whether your homeowner’s or renter’s policy extends to off-site storage, and if it does not, Tenant One coverage is available month to month.
10. Pack with access in mind
Before you load anything, think about what you will want first. Seasonal decorations, tools, business stock and children’s clothes all get retrieved regularly, so those go near the door. The furniture you will not touch until you move house goes at the back.
Boxes and Materials at Our Cost
We do not keep packing and moving supplies in stock, but you can custom order through our supplier at any time and have your items within one to two business days, with no marked-up retail pricing.
There is a $10 processing fee to place an order. Beyond that you pay exactly what we pay for the supplies, plus any shipping, handling or freight charges on the sale. Military and first responders in Project Guardian get supplies at facility cost.
Free moving carts
Carts are available free of charge to tenants and are kept in the two-story building, which also has a freight elevator. We do not offer truck rental.
Outgrown your unit?
You can transfer to a different size at any time, free of charge, subject to availability. Whatever balance you have follows you to the new unit.
Work Out What Size You Need
Our calculator gives you a realistic answer in about a minute.
