How to pack a storage unit

Updated October 1, 2026

A well packed storage unit holds noticeably more than a badly packed one, keeps your furniture in good shape, and lets you find things without unloading half the unit. Most of the work happens before you get to the facility.

Before moving day

Decide what you will need to reach

Sort your things into three groups:

Long term: things you will not touch until you move out, such as spare furniture and archived paperwork
Occasional: seasonal items, sports gear, tools
Frequent: anything you expect to retrieve during the rental

Long term items go at the back, frequent items near the door. If you have a lot in the occasional and frequent groups, plan an aisle.

Measure the big pieces

Measure the length, width and height of every large item in inches: sofas, beds, dressers, tables, appliances, shelving. Catalog dimensions are typical, but your sofa might be 6 inches longer than average, and 6 inches decides whether it fits along a wall.

Confirm the unit’s real dimensions

Ask the facility for the width, depth, ceiling height and door height. The door is often lower and narrower than the unit. An 8 foot ceiling lets you stack higher than a 7 foot one, which matters when floor space is tight.

Plan the layout

Lay out your items on paper or with a to scale planner before you load anything. A plan tells you where the sofa goes, whether the mattress stands on the left or right, and whether you can keep a walkway. It also tells you if you have rented the wrong size, while you can still change it.

Gather supplies

Uniform medium and large boxes (mixed sizes stack poorly)
Packing tape and a marker
Furniture blankets or old sheets
Stretch wrap for drawers and doors
Mattress bags
Pallets or plastic sheeting if the floor could get damp
A printed copy of your layout

Packing your things

Fill boxes completely. Half empty boxes crush when stacked. Fill gaps with towels or paper.
Keep boxes under about 50 pounds. Put books and heavy items in small boxes, light bulky items in large ones.
Label all sides. Write the room, the contents and a number. Keep a numbered inventory on your phone.
Disassemble what you can. Remove table legs, bed frames and shelves. Tape screws in a bag to the piece they came from.
Clean and dry appliances. Defrost and dry refrigerators and freezers, and leave the door slightly open in storage to prevent mildew.
Wrap furniture. Blankets prevent scratches. Avoid sealing wood furniture in plastic, which can trap moisture.

Loading order

Load from the back of the unit to the front, and from heavy to light.

Protect the floor. If the facility allows it and the floor is concrete, lay down pallets or plastic sheeting first.
Large, heavy furniture at the back. Dressers, appliances and solid wood pieces go against the back wall. Stand mattresses and box springs on edge in mattress bags, flat against a wall.
Long items along the side walls. Sofas, headboards, rugs and ladders run lengthwise along the walls.
Stack boxes in stable columns. Heaviest boxes on the bottom, lighter ones above. Keep columns straight and do not stack higher than you can safely lift down.
Use furniture as shelving carefully. Sturdy dressers and tables can carry boxes. Sofa cushions, upholstered chairs and anything fragile cannot.
Fill vertical space. Put light boxes, lampshades and soft items on the top layer.
Leave an aisle. A path down the middle or along one side lets you reach the back without unloading.
Frequent items last. The things you will need first go nearest the door.

Keep it safe

Never stack heavy on light. It crushes boxes and makes columns unstable.
Keep at least 60 percent of an item supported. Something resting mostly on air will eventually tip. See our guide to stacking furniture safely.
Leave a small gap from the walls. A few inches lets air circulate and reduces condensation.
Do not store prohibited items. Facilities ban flammables, fuel, perishable food and hazardous materials. Check your lease.
Insure it. Your homeowners or renters policy may cover items in storage. If not, the facility will usually offer protection.

After loading

Photograph the unit from the door so you remember where things are.
Update your inventory with which box is where.
Keep your printed or exported layout with your lease.
Use a strong disc or cylinder lock.

Plan it, then pack it

The single biggest improvement you can make is planning the layout before you load the truck. You find out in advance whether everything fits, you load in the right order, and you avoid the moving day scramble of pulling furniture back out to try again.

With the planner you can place every item on a to scale plan of your unit, stack boxes on furniture, and check the result in 3D. It warns you about anything that crosses a wall, goes through the ceiling, or lacks support. See pricing to plan your unit tonight.