8 Tips For Renting Storage Units

Blaine Cruse, REALTOR Extraordinaire gives you 8 Tips for Selecting a Storage Unit to Rent.

Storage Unit Size Guide: What Size Unit Do You Need?

In his video, Grady will tell you about all the different storage unit sizes and which one will best fit your needs. You'll learn some basic tips, like the difference between and 5x5 and a 10x10, as well as what items can fit into each of the 6 most common storage unit size.

How To Pack Your Items In To Storage

Showing how to pack a storage unit, getting the right boxes and packing materials are crucial things when making things simple during a move.

Packing Heavy Items Into The Correct Boxes

In this video, a mover explains what size items belong in what size boxes.

Organized Moving Tips: Low Stress Packing & Moving

My best moving tips to show you how to have an organized move!

What Are The Many Benefits of Using Self Storage For Home Owners and Business Owners?

There are many reasons homeowners and business owners make use of self-storage facilities. Self-storage offers numerous benefits and in this article, I will talk about some of the main benefits of using self-storage facilities.

Benefits Of Self Storage For Home Owners

Hoarding - when we have the desire to hold on to things, we want to create some space for those things so we can use them later on in our lives. Many people have this fear of throwing things which they think may be useful for them in the future. There are numerous examples of people in the self-storage industry of renting a storage space which they can use to collect items which they cannot store in their homes anymore. In most families, hoarding can cause a real problem because it creates an actual reduction in the living space. When we make use of self-storage facilities, we can clear that space in our homes and at the same time retain those items.

Reduce Clutter - whether it is home or office, storage space can help reduce clutter and free up the much-needed space.

Security - there is more security offered by self-storage facilities than we can find in homes. Apart from a simple lock, there are security fences, gated entry, surveillance cameras, exterior lighting, limited after-hours entry and security guards. If you have valuable items in the house which you are going to use, later on, it is best to put them in self-storage facilities.

Safety - the safety of your family is important and for this reason, it is not a good idea to have tools and other renovation-related equipment in the home. This is especially true if there are small children in the house. If you have tools such as drills, saws, ladders and other power tools lying around, consider keeping them in a storage facility. This will reduce the risks of accidents and injuries.

Space For Large Items - most people like the idea of owning ski boats, vintage cars, canoes, etc. If you do not have enough room for these items or if you are looking to provide protection against the weather conditions, then renting a self-storage unit can be the best choice for you.

A self-storage facility which is professionally run will allow you free access to your belongings at any time. They will provide you a code to enter the facility gates and your own key to the storage unit you have rented. Homeowners often use these self-storage facilities for peace of mind that their valuable or sentimental belongings are stored securely and safely. In a storage facility, you will find a secure environment which is clean and dry. The storage facility will be protected with various security systems ranging from 24-hour guard protection to CCTV security.

Benefits of Self Storage For Businesses

Before looking at the benefits, let us check out some of the main business uses for self-storage. These include:

- product and sample storage
- archive storage
- home office storage
- office relocation furniture and stock storage
- emergency storage such as in case of a storm, flooding, smoke damage, and fire
- seasonal stock storage such as Christmas stock during the festive season
- business stock overflow storage

Self-storage gives businesses increased flexibility. Whether it is a small business or a large business, they all need some kind of storage. There are many reasons for this which range from creating a mini-warehouse to take care of trade supplies to create a distribution point for a sales team.
Some of the main reasons why businesses need self-storage include:

Making the most of office space

Office spaces are quite costly these days and when you pay so much money on office space rental, you must ensure that space is being used to achieve maximum benefit. Offices which are filled up with less frequently used paperwork, excessive equipment, and unused furniture items or archive files can make work difficult. Moreover, a survey has revealed that an average company may end up paying about 1,200 a year to maintain space that is occupied by a medium sized filing cabinet. When you compare this amount with the cost of renting a self-storage unit to store that unnecessary or rarely used a filing cabinet, you will see that you can save close to 600 on just one filing cabinet. Today most companies have recognized the benefits of storing paperwork, rarely used furniture and equipment offsite by making use of self-storage facilities.

Easy expansion

Are you looking to relocate just because you think that the current office space is not adequate to meet your needs? If so, why not consider freeing up some space by removing those unnecessary file cabinets, unused equipment and loads of paperwork which are rarely referenced. If you make use of self-storage facilities to store these rarely used items, there will be no need for an expensive relocation. Instead, you will be able to free up the much-needed space that will provide for easy expansion.

Costs benefits

- rental is paid on a month to month basis which means that no yearly lease is required
- when compared to the cost of office space, self-storage rental rate is competitive
- businesses also get assistance when they need to move their items for free
- to make the best use of the storage unit, shelving can also be made available
- you can also receive discounts
- it is better to use office space to generate income rather than use it for storage

Security

- keeping valuable documents offsite protects against natural environmental damages such as fire
- only you have access to your individual space
- you get 24-hour security for your valuable items

Convenience

- Trolleys and pallet jacks making it easy to move your items
- It is easy to receive pallet deliveries
- You can access your items 7 days a week
- Packaging materials are available on site

Flexibility

- provides a flexible storage option for businesses which are stock-based
- flexible in terms of space as well as facilities
- there are a number of self-storage facilities which require just a day or 7 days notice to reduce or expand your storage space depending on your requirement
- flexible rentals
- no long term lease
- flexible facilities such as bulk storage, forklifts, loading bays, drive up units, etc
- short term commitment

However, before you choose a self-storage facility, consider the following eight essential questions.

1. What security measures are in place?
2. Does the facility offer 24/7 access?
3. Are there differently sized units available?
4. If the self-storage facility close to my home?
5. Can shippers drop off or pick up shipments?
6. Are there any kinds of discounts available?
7. Are the management professional and the facility clean?
8. Are there any hidden costs apart from the monthly rental?



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6556396

How to Pack Kitchen Part 2

In the first part of this series, we reviewed the basics of packing up your kitchen, plus the advantages of using a dish barrel for breakables. Here we talk in more detail about layering items according to weight, packing extremely fragile items, and knowing when your dish pack is full.

Weight
A good rule to keep in mind (not only when packing kitchen goods, but any item) is: heaviest things on the bottom, lighter things on top. It’s useful to label such boxes with “Top Load”, meaning the items at the top of the box are the most delicate.

Special Considerations

1) Cutting Boards:
We recommend packing almost everything in paper, but if you have things like a wooden cutting board with existing gouges and cuts, you can save yourself some work by putting it directly in the moving box.

2) Champagne Flutes:
If you have champagne flutes or other light glassware, try to pack them all in one box, rather than assorted boxes. This way extra care can be taken when handling these especially fragile goods.

Pack Cutlery Last
The nice thing about cutlery is you can wrap it up in its own container - the cutlery drawer organizer. Simply take paper and wrap up the whole organizer, fixing it in place with tape. This will usually fit nicely at the top of your box.

Before Closing - Check Capacity
When your box or dish pack is nearly ready to be sealed, there shouldn’t be much space left. Try folding the flaps of the box closed and see if it sinks down when you push gently on it. If it does, add more paper filler until there’s no give left. Your box is ready to be closed and taped.

How to Pack Kitchen Part 1

When packing your kitchen for moving, a dish barrel (also known as a dish pack) is a great item to have on hand. Of course, you don’t necessarily have to put dishes in it. You can put anything breakable in these packs because they’re double-walled, and durable.

Packing a Dish Barrel
First grab several sheets packing paper and build a filler barrier, on the bottom. Each layer of dishes that you pack, you’re going to add another layer of paper filler in between.

Avoid Empty Spaces
A good rule of thumb is to avoid a lot of empty space, which causes things to crack. It’s helpful to pack smaller items, wrapped in paper, inside larger items - nesting them inside each other.

A Note on Knives
With sharp items like knives, be very careful to cover the tip of the blades. Fold it over with several sheets of paper, and cover it with a piece of tape so it’s secure. Take your marker and label the paper "sharp - knives". Place the knife standing upright, with the tip of the knife down.

Too Much Stuff? Store It With Us!

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Friendly - Affordable - Well-Secured

Too much stuff? Store it safely with Railroad Avenue Self Storage in Fairfield, California. With gated access, multiple unit sizes, and onsite managers, they are sure to have the storage solution that's right for you. And every unit is ground level making drive-up access easier so you can get your belongings when you need them. Contact them today.

Must-Have Packing Supplies

You’ve probably heard that the key to a job well-done lies in having the proper tools. The job of moving is no different. Here are our favorite packing supplies that get things done, not just quickly, but effectively.