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If you`ve bid on storage auctions in the United Kingdom before, then you know the sort of exciting world of possibilities they can contain. One can never be sure of what reward they will uncover, but revealing the opportunity inside is certainly an exciting moment. Once uncovered though, the real challenge is empting the contents of the storage unit, and knowing what to do with it. If you can develop a structure, you can streamline the process and make it much more manageable.

 

Expectations

 

While you surely previewed the contents of all the storage units up for auction in the United Kingdom before purchasing one, you can never really know what the entirety of the contents you have purchased. Certain items, such as appliances, furniture, desks, shelving, or electronics visible to you, can indicate the type of items the remaining contents might be: residential belongings, office property, business inventory, antiques, etc. With these general categories though, expect more than meets the eye, arriving equipped with the proper loading and safety gear to handle any extreme items or items that have remained stagnant for long periods of time.

 

Plan your approach

 

Emptying a storage unit can be overwhelming. This is especially the case when it is packed together tightly. To compound issues for you, you will often have a deadline to clean the unit, typically between 24 and 72 hours. For this reason, you need to work intelligently and have a plan.

 

Give yourself space to work with

 

Poking and prodding around in your storage unit, fiddling with the contents is no way to empty the unit efficiently. Spread out as wide as possible, ideally emptying the entire locker to see the contents clearly. If the facility onsite does not have the space for you to do this, then it is advisable to transport your items to a place where you can do so. Plan this in advance, so that when the time comes, you are able to broadly view your storage auction winnings for easier sorting.

 

Separate and categorize

 

Every unit won at a storage auction in the United Kingdom is unique, sorting the contents remains the same in every case: separate and then categorize.

 

First, separate the larger items from the smaller ones, emptying furniture of any smaller contents inside. Take your time investigating the ins and outs of furniture items, looking underneath and behind drawers for any hidden or lost valuables. Open boxes, but not to remove the contents, but only to determine what is inside.

 

Next, categorize your items by grouping them together. Household furniture can go together, even grouped by room-type, age, style, or condition, but any smaller items can join boxes with like-contents.

 

Do note that it is polite to look for personal keepsakes, returning photos, documents, or home videos, to the storage unit’s former tenants or to the facility itself. Leave items like these to the side.

 

Sort

 

With items categorized, it becomes easier to sort through the items individually. Plot out three areas for your items: one for items to keep, one to sell, and another to discard.

 

Now, if the storage unit is an investment for you, only keep the items you really want for yourself. Be strict with this. You purchased the storage unit as an investment, not because you needed things. As you sort through your items, continually remove the discard pile as frequently as possible to maintain an organized work area. Be brutal in this process: if you do not want it and cannot sell it, then it needs to be discarded.

 

Keep things separated, even during transport. Plan to transport the ‘to keep’ and ‘to sell’ piles in separate loads. Plan also to deliver the items directly to their final location – at your shop or to your buyer.

 

Once you’ve sorted and removed the contents of your storage unit, remember to clean the unit well to avoid incurring any additional cleaning fees. The storage facility will expect your unit to be rental ready when you leave.

Now that you know how to prepare for winning a unit at a storage auction, read more tips about storage auctions on our blog here, or start bidding today at iBidOnStorage.co.uk now!