5 free apps for keeping inventory of your storage locker

Have you ever been looking for something at home–a wok, a book, a painting of a boat–and couldn’t find it? You didn’t get rid of it, but you don’t know where it is.

Like thousands of Canadians, you might have an offsite storage unit filled with belongings. And like many of those people, you might forget what’s in your locker, especially if you don’t access it often.

We’ve put together a shortlist of free organizational tools you can use to keep tabs on your storage stuff (and use it for insurance purposes). This way, you can lower your stress and know exactly where to look the next time your mother-in-law asks what you did with the tea set.

Sortly (iOS)

Sortly is intuitive and simple. Organize items by location (in as much detail as “black box in moving box on left side of locker”). Tag everything for easy searches and sync to the cloud for peace of mind. You can also access your data on a variety of devices, including your computer.

Encircle (Android/iOS)

Like most other inventory apps, Encircle lets you quickly categorize items by location and back up your data online. This tool is especially helpful for anyone who has insurance on their mind: it lets you compare asset value to your coverage. But Encircle is perfect if you’re moving, estate planning or looking for a detailed tool to keep track of your things (as well as information on parts and accessories).

Magic Home Inventory (Android)

For infinite organization options, Magic Home Inventory is a solid choice. See a visual overview of your stuff, import or export inventory, and easily move items into different categories. Navigation is intuitive and you can get into an incredible level of detail.

Google Sheets (Any device)

Google’s take on Excel, Sheets is ideal for creating tables, itemized columns and more. Find existing templates online, or start from scratch. We love this tool because you can collaborate with others in real-time. Your partner, child, parent, or roommate can update your document with your permission. Perfect for the uber-organized!

Home Inventory (Mac, iOS)

From notes and receipts to photos and documents, this tool provides excellent home inventory and storage management–but that’s just the beginning. Excellent for compiling asset data for insurance purposes, you can even ‘assign’ heirs for estate planning. Create a schedule of maintenance tasks and track warranties. The sky’s the limit!

While the Mac program itself costs $29.99, you can download free iOS apps to manage your inventory on the go.

Click here to find your perfect storage locker at one of our 14 locations around Vancouver and Calgary.