How to Store Your Most Prized Possessions

From that rare first edition of your favourite book to the necklace that’s been passed down through generations, every family has its treasures. But whether you’re setting off on a worldwide adventure, downsizing the house, or welcoming a new arrival, sometimes those treasures take up much-needed space.

Putting your belongings into storage is a great way to free up space without having to get rid of items that are far too precious to sell. And today we’re looking at just how you can store your most prized possessions to make sure they’re kept safe and sound until you need them again.

How to store: Vinyl Records

As any vinyl fanatic knows, building up a huge collection is all too easy. If you have more records than you could possibly listen to, it can be a good idea to have some on rotation in storage. Not only will storing some of your collection free up space, when the time comes to swap out your records it will feel like discovering them for the first time all over again.

Vinyl is notoriously susceptible to distortion, which can be caused by anything from heat and humidity to pressure and light. When it comes to storing your records, you’ll need to put them in a clean and dry storage container to prevent distortion.

Remember to stack vinyl by size and not stack anything on top to avoid bending.

How to store: Jewellery

When it comes to storing jewellery, security should be one of the first considerations. If you’re storing something that’s valuable as well as precious to you, you might want to look for a premium storage option that is both secure and fully insured. Look out for a storage facility with CCTV and 24/7 security.

To keep jewellery in the best condition, make each piece is wrapped separately in soft or anti-tarnish materials. This will prevent harder materials like diamond from scratching more malleable materials like gold. Bear in mind that anything silver will tarnish easily so should be kept completely dry.

How to store: Books

Books, especially antique ones, can be some of the most fragile items to store. Spines are prone to bending and pages can disintegrate if exposed to too much moisture.

Think dry and dark when storing your books. If you’re using box storage, always store books upright and in their original dust covers where possible. Remember that boxes of books can be extremely heavy so try not to stack too many boxes on top of each other.

It’s also a good idea to quickly flick through the pages of each book to make sure there are no hidden bookmarks inside that might tear or warp pages over time.

How to store: Fine China

Of course, when it comes to ‘fragile’, there’s nothing quite so terrifying to pack as fine china! From wedding china to the fancy plates you only get out for special occasions, dinnerware isn’t always needed all year round and will do well in storage if you know how to pack it properly.

The main concern with storing fine china is cracking and chipping. Both of these can be avoided if you wrap each item individually and make sure to separate every piece with a cardboard divider to prevent any knocking in transit. Another top tip is to store plates on their sides to prevent splitting under pressure.

Talking of pressure, if that still sounds a little too daunting you can always entrust fragile china to a professional packing service!

How to store: Electronics

There’s nothing worse than unpacking a box of electronics only to face a jungle of tangled, unassigned cables. If you’re putting any electric items into self-storage, the first thing you should do is organise and wrap cables; you can use colour-coded cable ties and stickers to make life even easier for yourself.

Expensive items like computers or TVs will also need specialist packing materials to protect screens. If you’re storing white goods like fridges or washing machines, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for defrosting/drying out and give them plenty of time to dry beforehand to avoid any rust or water damage.

Hopefully that’s given you some handy tips for packing up your prized possessions. If you need more help though, TFM offers all sorts of storage options suited to valuable or precious belongings, from premium storage and small volume storage to packing materials and a professional packing service that will do all the hard work for you.

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