There are over 48,000 self-storage units in the United States and rising. With the rise in minimalism and tiny-house living, as well as Baby Boomer house downsizing, self-storage is more relevant and competitive than ever. Here are 5 ways to utilize small storage units more efficiently.

1. Get More for Less (really!)

The easiest way to solve this issue is to lease a bigger storage unit at Chambers Connector Storage. The only thing that is actually small about our “small” 8 x 20 units is the price. They are about half the price of our competitors. We don’t have the tiny storage units that are about the size of a closet. More, in this case, is less. Really.

2. Think Outside the Box (pun intended)

Whether you’re packing up for deployment, moving, or just need a place to store Aunt Judy’s enormous collection of porcelain angels until she forgets about them and you can sell them on eBay, you have got to consider how your stuff will be stored.

Most people throw their possessions into a few cardboard boxes, plastic bags, and that Rubbermaid tub that used to hold legos. Unfortunately, the bags rip or spill, and the boxes don’t stack well. Investing in plastic bins or a set of high-quality cardboard boxes is a great way to make the most of the space you have. This way, everything stacks and stores efficiently.

3. Dismantle Furniture

Furniture is the bane of your existence if you’re storing in small storage units. If you’re not going to be using the furniture you’re storing for the foreseeable future; it’s a great idea to break it down to smaller components. Furniture like desks, beds, and dining tables are the most prominent space hogs. Dismantling them to make them lay as flat as possible will free up a lot of wasted space.

4. Two words (or is it one?): Vacuum-Pack

Vacuum-packing is fantastic. Any compressible items can be reduced to much smaller sizes with vacuum-bags. Clothing can be reduced to 1/4 of its actual size, and blankets and comforters can be reduced to microscopic dimensions. Okay, maybe not that small, we just love vacuum packing.

If you don’t want to vacuum-pack (who even are you?), we’ve got an alternative.

Compression. Compress your soft or cloth items between or beneath heavy items. Compression forces the air out of the fabrics and saves a ton of space. Make sure that there is enough lateral support so that the heavy items don’t tip over!

5. Get Creative

Shimmy that painting in between the beautiful new containers you bought and slap those vacuum-packed jeans into the drawer of your dismantled desk. Fill the gaps between boxes with posters, and make like Marie Kondo and toss Aunt Judy’s useless porcelain knick-knacks in the trash because she’s going to forget about them anyway.

Self-storage is insanely useful, but it’s a bit like a high-stress game of Jenga. Here at Chambers Connector Storage, we’re committed to helping you find ways to make the storage game easier so that you can play more actual Jenga or spend more time doing the things that matter to you.