In the last post we talked about how to organize your storage unit. You may recall the last tip offered was to make a diagram of the storage unit and note the location of items in the unit. This will indeed make your life easier, but now we are going to crank it up a notch: a complete inventory of your storage unit, stored in the cloud! How high-tech, 21st century hip is that!
And, of course, there’s an app for that. This article on Mashable.com discusses not only the benefits of doing an inventory of all your stuff, but also reviews eight home inventory apps that will allow you to upload photos and receipts and any other pertinent information about your items, then store it all safely in the cloud.
The beauty of this is that you can use these apps not only for home inventory, but also for storage inventory. The importance of all this will become painfully clear if a hurricane blows through, or some other unavoidable disaster causes you to scramble to remember what you had and what it was worth. If you want the best settlement from your insurance company, you need a thorough and complete inventory.
You don’t have to be an organization nut to see the sense in that!
It is so tempting to just shove everything into your storage unit, lock the door, and run away! But you are going to have to use those items again – after all, that’s why you are storing them instead of getting rid of them, right? So make a plan, you won’t regret it. You will, however, regret storing your weight set on top of Grandma’s antique china, or all of those boxes of books on top of your memory foam mattress.
Ever wonder what to do when you have something really big to store? Ask the U.S. government. They have been mothballing fleets of military ships since World War II, off the coast of California, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina and New Jersey. Photographer Amy Heiden was allowed access to the fleet in Suisun Bay in Northern California, and 
I made a shocking discovery recently: when your kids grow up and move out, they don’t take their stuff with them. Oh sure, they take the Xbox and all your good wine glasses, but the lifetime supply of Legos and their soccer trophies? Not so much.
Occasionally the need arises for an extended leave of absence from your home or apartment. Maybe you are taking a long-term assignment for your job in another state or country. Or maybe, if you’re lucky, and have a nomadic streak, you have decided to take a year off and travel the world. Either way, you are going to have to do something with all your stuff.
If you collect antique furniture, or have inherited some from a family member, but don’t have a place for it in your home, it is especially important to take care when considering where and how to store it. Antique furniture represents an investment, with not only cash value but sentimental value if it has been passed down from a family member. A climate controlled storage unit that protects from extremes of heat and cold, such as the ones offered at our