Okay so you've got a storage unit, what are some good hacks to make sure you keep your storage space organized?

You've seen storage units stacked to the gills with no way to even get into them to get to people's stuff. That's insane!

You need to be able to find your items when you need them, so you need to know where they are.

Here are some hacks to help you organize your self storage unit and cut down on headaches and frustration.

When you need to put your things in storage, you really need to make sure it's easy to get to them.

After all, what good is it not to be able to find what you want.

To help you avoid problems, here's what we recommend:

If you can, use clear storage tubs. This makes it so much easier to see what's in the tub rather than rely on printing on the outside of cardboard boxes.

That said if you use cardboard boxes, write on them, the top, the sides as well if you can. That way no matter how the boxes are stacked you can read what's in the boxes without having to take boxes off the top of them to get to them to actually see what's in them. Takes a little more time and prep work but it's pretty easy.

Creating custom lists. We've seen folks actually use color coding stickers on boxes or even use numeric codes to keep track of what they have. A spreadsheet can go a long way in relieving the stress of having to dig through boxes to find what you're looking for.

Custom shelving is great as well. A lot of military folks will be using standard shipping boxes that may not jive with commercial shelving you can buy at Lowe's or Walmart. Do a Google Search for custom storage unit shelving and you'll see commercial shelving options but also see on websites like Pinterest that show what folks who are handy have done to tackle their storage problem.

Be aware of items you may need quick access to. If you have stored away your first child's clothes and the crib and are expecting to have another baby on the way, don't bury those items at the back of the unit.

If you can, store large items at the back, like large pieces of furniture you want to keep to use later, or seasonal clothing.

Depending on the size of your unit, plan your walkways. Storing frequently used items on an island in the middle of the unit can go a long way to ease frustrations.