Important Documents
Personal Identification
Cash and Coins
Credit Cards
House and Car Keys
Copy of:
Birth Certificate
Marriage Cretificate
Drivers License
Social Securith Card
Passport
Will
Deeds
Household Inventory
Insurance papers
Immunization Records,
Bank Account and Credit Card Numbers
Stocks, Bonds, etc.
Contact List
Tips for Storing Important Documents
When it comes to storing your important documents, you want to lock them away somewhere safe, knowing they are in good hands at a closely monitored facility. A self storage unit can be the perfect place for just that, with a state of the art surveillance system in place ensuring the security of the premises at all times. When storing important, private, or sensitive documents, every possible precaution should be taken to ensure their safety and security. Here is a list of safety measures and guidelines to follow to guarantee your important documents safekeeping while they are in storage:
1. Organize all boxes by date and label them accordingly
2. Store the oldest or least frequently accessed files along the back of the storage unit and the most recent or more readily accessed towards the front
3. Stack file boxes along side walls leaving a space to walk in the middle of the unit if possible.
4. Prior to storage, make copies or backups of all important files and store at a different geographical location as a safety precaution.
5. When packing, separate files by sturdy pieces of cardboard or stiff binders that will prevent important documents from bending or folding.
6. Boxes containing documents should be raised off of the ground by something like a wooden pallet or rack to protect against water damage or pest infestation.
7. Cover all boxes with a cotton sheet or tarp to prevent dust from settling on the boxes.
8. Depending on the nature of the documents being stored, you may want to use locked filing boxes and cabinets for added security for sensitive information.
9. When filling boxes, never use newspaper as packing filler especially for paper documents as the newsprint will transfer. Most San Diego storage facility locations have on-site packing supply centers where you can purchase the appropriate packing filler.
10. Making a password protected digital copy of important information before putting it into storage is a good idea. A CD or DVD can be stored in a safe in another location as a backup should anything happen to your paper copies.