As people go through life they tend to accumulate a lot of items. Some are small, but others are large. They may also find that their choice of style changes, perhaps when they meet a significant other. In these situations, they may want to put away some of those 'out of style' items, while still looking after them. If this is you, how should you approach this carefully?

Step-By-Step

Just because some of those furniture items are not currently in style, it doesn't mean that they are worth any less. Remember, style considerations tend to go in cycles and you should look long-term. You need to do your best to look after these items and go through a four-step process before you put them into storage.

1. Cleanup Time

Over time, dust tends to settle on anything that's in storage and this can attract dirt. It makes sense, therefore, to make sure that your items are as thoroughly clean as possible before you commit them to storage. Where appropriate, use a special cleaner and then wipe them down with a damp cloth. Before you consider covering any of the items make sure that they are completely dry, as otherwise trapped moisture could cause an accumulation of mould or mildew in a dark storage unit.

2. Compressing

Wherever you can, remove legs from items such as chairs, sofas or tables. This will make it a lot easier to transport the items and they will take up less room in your storage unit. Don't forget to put all of these items together, clearly labelled and then wrapped separately for transportation and storage.

3. Wrapping

Many people choose to use plastic packaging materials like bubblewrap extensively. While this is a good product when it comes to protecting items that are fragile, it shouldn't be used on larger fabric or wood furniture items. This is because it can cause the formation of condensation and not allow any air to circulate. It's far better to use purpose made covers, or even blankets for this task.

4. Exact Storage

You should approach the actual storage of your items with the same type of resolve as you would if you were planning to lay out your living room. You need to be able to maximise the available space, while protecting each item as best you can. You might be able to use computer programs that will calculate the available space and allocate the items according to their actual size most efficiently. When you do this, you will allow air to flow more freely in the unit.

You'll also be able to access individual items, knowing exactly where they are stored. This could become particularly advantageous when that 100-year-old rocking chair comes back into style!