Every so often, I go and visit my things in storage in a neighbour’s attic and just have a rummage around for an old document I suddenly need, or to transfer non-seasonal clothing to a protected environment.

Usually it’s a fight – inevitably I wind up taking out of the locker half of my stuff and methodically opening every suitcase or filing box to find exactly what I need.  Half the time it’s not there, or I don’t plan enough time for the visit and I bump up against the time that my neighbour needs to close up his home and leave.

I thought I had gotten smart – one day I arrived with a stack of pre-printed A4 (approx letter-sized) papers with large 48-point bold Arial writing on them as makeshift labels.  I used heavy duct tape to plaster signs like “Christmas deco’s” or “Air Mattress” or “Tax Records – 2005/06″ on the suitcase, box, or garbage bag I was using to store the item in question.

After a time, I had to bring additional papers to update my records (tax year 05/06 invetitably turned into 06/07, then to 07/08 and so on).  Also old papers get dog-eared, or I use the suitcases and need to replace the labels anyhow.

I finally decided to invest in some better storage boxes, after having woken up in the middle of one night exclaiming “Modular!”  In this way I could solve a number of problems:

• organise my things in decreet groups and categories
• with handles, the plastic boxes are easier to manage than bulky garbage bags or cardboard boxes that can rip
• the boxes are stackable evenly – no more dangerous leaning towers of papers
• the boxes I chose are air-tight and keep ambient smells or damp out
• as the boxes can be stacked, they allow air flow under, over and between them – again minimising any risk of damp

Best of all, they’re transparent – I can see at a glance whether the contents are my winter parka (which may weigh the same as my air mattress), or my tax files ready for the accountant instead of a thousand of my old holiday snaps!

Ordering was easy.  I live in the UK so I went through my British Airways Executive Club membership through to their online shopping service, clicked through to Ebay (doing it this way gets you double BA airmiles!) and selected 7 * 64 Litre boxes and 3 * 80 Litre boxes.   The next business day they arrived. Over the weekend, I did the repacking / distribution.

I can now sleep more soundly at night, knowing that future visits to my beloved storage home will be easier, faster and far more hassle free than ever!