Packing & Storing Valuables

By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group 

For almost everyone, someday, you are going to need to pack and move or pack and store, all or part of your things. If that day comes, it's imperative that you've mastered the packing valuables and fragile items--you do not need your plates and dishes turning up in pieces, or your winter coats destroyed by moths. Packing for storage in Colorado Springs, even for a short while, demands some attention to detail.

One of the first details that must be thought about is where to store your things. If your storage needs correspond with a move, if you're drifting down the road contemplating which storage facility is right for you, don’t stop. You have already picked a mover for hauling your stuff to a new residence, why don’t you check with them to see if they can provide storage, also? The majority of professional moving companies have warehouse storage--with the same seasoned employees to assist you in organizing your stored boxes and furniture that loads the moving truck for your move.

If you are moving internationally, or your move is not long-term, you'll require a plan for any boats, jet skis, or motor homes that are too big to go with you. You can store those large items with your moving company, and again, you can usually park them on the premises or garage them in the warehouse—it is your call.

Even if you are not moving, you may still need extra space--if you have inherited some things, if you've got an adult child who is moving back home—numerous things can happen that requires more space for a little bit. Or, if you're thinking of moving and decluttering your home, you'll want to create the appearance of hardly-lived in space, so everything on the counters, small furniture you fall over at night, and the items you need to generally live your life, all must go to storage until after your move in Colorado Springs.

Once you have figured out where to store your items, the next thing you need to ponder is how to pack everything for safe storage. The secret to packing crystal, china, and other easily breakable stuff is to wrap everything separately. You could do that with a few different kinds of padding or insulation, it is really up to you which you pick—so long as plates and glasses are adequately protected against banging against each other, use what you like best. Newsprint (as opposed to newspaper, newsprint is the plain off-whiteish paper that comes in large sheets at any moving supply or big box store), bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, foam padding--any and all will work, but you will realize that mixing and matching determined by the individual item works best. Select small, heavy duty boxes for fragile items. Take care that you don't wrap too tightly; items must have a little air space inside the wrap.

Some more things that require special attention when going to storage aren't always things that you'd realize.

Here is a short list:

• Albums--Yes, they are making a comeback. If you're a collector you know how treasured they are, and if you're a casual listener who likes listening on a record player you know how hard it is to find replacements. Albums that are going to storage for more than a few weeks in the spring or fall need to be in a climate and humidity controlled facility.
• Clothing--Cotton clothing and most synthetic blends are hard to damage. You'll need to wash and iron any items that you store, but for the most part it comes out the same way it went in. Wool and wool blends need to be packed with an overabundance of mothballs, cedar blocks, or both so you do not unpack hole-filled sweaters and coats. Moths are not as huge of a problem in cooler climates, but tossing in a few mothballs is still a good idea.
• Shoes--Leather shoes need to be in a humidity controlled environment, particularly in an area where humidity is high. They'll mildew when it is damp or humid, and when it's dry and cold the leather cracks.
• Art--Art is in the eye of the beholder, so you are going to be as cautious of your children's pre-school paintings as the curator at the Met is of his on-loan Picassos. For the kiddo's art projects, get a big flat plastic tub, and layer the pages between acid-free paper. (You can get it at a craft store.) For framed prints, you can either stand them up against the wall and wrap them with sheets, beach towels, or moving blankets, and they'll be okay. When your art is real, have the paintings professionally crated and packed, and use climate and humidity controlled storage. Because the frames of lots of heirloom pieces are as valuable as the paintings themselves, protecting them is crucial.
• Mirrors--Like art, a lot of vintage mirrors are in very valuable frames. Treat them like the works of art that they are.
• Chandeliers—Take off the crystals, and wrap them in a big zip lock bag. Keep the hanging hardware and crystals in a box, and either have the light itself crated, or wrapped for transit and then hang it in storage--most units have hangars across the ceiling to hang light fixtures and other things from.

And by all means, we are aware that you have the best intentions of sorting through all those boxes of college papers and cancelled checks from 1995 and throwing out all the junk. However, A-1 Freeman Moving Group will always have storage in Colorado Springs for you, until you can get that done.