Today’s guest post comes from Matt Schexnayder at SpareFoot.com. He’s got quite a few savvy tips for how to store your extra office furniture until you’re ready to use it again.

A lot of people, including businesses, view self-storage the wrong way. Maybe they haven’t had any experience with it. Or, maybe they’ve just been watching too many episodes of Storage Wars. Whatever the case, the general perception of the average San Diego self-storage unit is that it is a black hole where people put stuff they can’t bear to throw away. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Rental facilities don’t have to be simply for long term storage of household junk. In fact, these types of units are frequently used for business inventory storage. That’s a money-saving idea that’s found its place in today’s world of high rent and scaled back business operating costs.

If your company needs to find extra room to keep surplus inventory (or you have simply run out of room in your office space), a long term storage facility could be the affordable answer you have been looking for. Employers can store many items in a business storage unit – not just paperwork. They are an affordable way to “add” square footage to an organization’s needs.

Consider these ideas for how to leverage office storage units while reducing office clutter:

• Retail products and excess, non-perishable inventory
• Office supplies (you can buy in bulk and save more money on this recurring business expense)
• Extra equipment and furniture not in use by employees
• Computer hardware including monitors, laptops, and keyboards
• Seasonal office decorations
• Oversized marketing materials such as banners, trade show booths, and signage

Using self-storage units can even help you downsize your space requirements so that you can lease a smaller office. That way, you can save additional money by significantly lowering those overhead costs. Storage space is a lot less costly per square foot than commercial real estate used for offices.

Store for Success

When storing any items in a business storage unit, take pictures and maintain a running inventory. You should always know what is stored to ensure nothing goes missing and so you know when to reorder certain items.

When it’s time to pack up and store your office furniture, a little common sense can make a big difference. Consider these tips to keep your furniture safe and in good condition during business storage:

• Start off clean. No matter what you’re storing, it’s a good idea to make sure it’s clean first – especially with furniture. Food stains can make for a horrible surprise at the end of summer.
• Store up off the ground. Use pallets to keep your furniture out of harm’s way in case of flooding while in storage.
• Take it apart. If your office furniture can be disassembled, it’s best to store it that way. It’s easier to wrap and protect. Take out (and empty!) any drawers. Be sure upholstered surfaces don’t wind up underneath anything heavy.
• Wrap it up. Bubble wrap and cardboard, or even a tarp thrown over everything, will do in a pinch. However, if you’re serious about keeping your furniture safe during storage, use furniture pads and blankets.
• Don’t stack it. As tempting as it might be, don’t stack your furniture. Stacking is a great setup for potential damage from falls or simply from the weight of the furniture on itself.

Matt is on the SpareFoot marketing team and writes for the SpareFoot blog. SpareFoot is the largest online marketplace for self-storage with more than 5,000 self-storage facilities listed nationwide.