Home renovations are a great way of adding monetary and personal value to a house, but without adequate planning, your belongings could be damaged during the process. If left exposed or improperly packaged, clothing, furniture, and valuables could get splattered with paint, covered in sawdust, or broken by accident. Storing items in boxes can help — as long as these are not left around working areas. If you’re planning on upgrading your home with a renovation, follow these simple tips from our home renovation design team with Quality DesignWorks to learn how to better safeguard your belongings during renovations.

1. Use Rolling Racks For Clothing

Don’t store your hanging clothes in boxes — doing so will leave you with the unnecessary task of carrying a plethora of hangers and folded clothes. If you are renovating your bedroom or getting a walk-in closet as a home addition, get rolling racks to easily move your clothes from rack to rack. This will also let you have easy access to your wardrobe during the renovation.

3. Find The Right Storage Options

There are plenty of storage options to choose from depending on the number of belongings that need to be put away. Relying on a friend to take in items might be the cheapest option but space will be much more limited. Storage units offer decent space and security for the price, but if you plan on accessing your belongings frequently, you should consider options closer to home. A mobile storage unit could prove convenient to those wanting extra storage space and close proximity to their belongings. These can be delivered straight to your home and are offered at various prices and sizes.

2. Use Stackable Bins

Cardboard boxes might seem like the easiest and most reliable way to store your belongings but there are better alternatives. Stackable bins save you space and make it easier to carry more than one container. If you are doing a home office renovation, for example, plastic bins can handle the weight of paperwork piles better than cardboard boxes.

4. Move Everything Out Of The Way

Prior to the start of a home renovation, figure out which items actually need to be stored away and which can remain inside the home. Items in the room to be renovated are the obvious choice but, even when only one or two rooms will be worked on, you should remember that the path to these rooms should also be cleared to prevent accidents. Items hanging from the walls of neighboring rooms should also be stored to prevent them from falling as a result of workers hammering next door.

5. Pack & Label By Room

Once you know which belongings to pack, do so according to the room they belong in and whether you will need to access them during home renovations. Don’t make the mistake of burying your toothbrush under a mountain of towels — doing so will make the wait for your full bathroom remodel all the more difficult.