Your Self Storage Move Out Checklist

So, you’re ready to move out of your storage unit. The process of ending your self storage lease and moving your items out is easy, but it’s still important to make sure you follow the correct steps to avoid breaking your contract or incurring fees.

You’ll find a step or two on this list that you might not have considered. This list should help you optimize your time and make the most out of resources available to you.

Schedule Your Move Out Date

This step isn’t strictly necessary, but facility managers appreciate it. If you know the date by which you’ll be able to have everything out of your unit, schedule that date with the facility. This will make it more likely that they’ll be able to close out your contract as soon as you’re done.

Let it also serve as a reminder that you don’t have to get everything out of your unit on the same day. You could do that, especially if you can enlist a few friends to help and rent a truck. However, let’s say that everything in your unit can fit individually in your car. In that case, you can take a week or so to get everything out, heading over to your unit every couple of days and grabbing that dresser, that bookcase, and as many boxes as you can fit in your vehicle.

Empty Your Unit

It almost goes without saying that you’ll need to empty your unit, but put it on your list anyway. You’ll feel great after you’ve finished, and you’re able to put a checkmark next to this item.

Donate and Recycle

As you go through your unit, you’ll find items you don’t need.

You may find many items that you can bring to a recycling center or clothing and furniture that you can donate to a charity. You may also find items that you can sell on Craigslist or Ebay.

Some self storage companies take donations that they then give to charities, and handle several types of recycling. Here are some great nonprofits to consider donating your items to.

Clean Your Storage Unit

Throw away any garbage that remains. Sweep up the dust and dirt and dump it. If there are any liquid spills, clean these up as well. The facility manager and workers will appreciate that you did this, and, if there’s a deposit, they won’t need to take money out of it to pay for cleaning.

Keep Your Lock

Remember, if you purchased the lock for your storage unit, it’s yours! Take it with you when you leave the facility.

Inform The Facility At the Office

Once you’ve emptied and cleaned your unit, stop at the office. Let them know that you’ve moved out. They may ask you to stay for a few minutes, so they can have a look at the unit then close out the contract with you. This is why it’s a good idea to inform them ahead of time of when you plan to move out.

Make a list of those items, and you’re ready to go! We hope you have a smooth move from your unit.