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Tips For Better Self Storage

There are many storage facilities all over the town. You have your own attic even. So, why do people still go for Self Storage? The best reasons would be they are safe and temperature-controlled, and also, they provide a lot more space than what may be available at home.

Tips For Better Use Of Self Storage Places

While selecting and placing your goods in a Self Storage, there are some important points to keep in mind. They may be considered as tips for gainful utilization of these facilities.

* Check out the different options available in the city. If there are no Self Storage places in the locality, scout for them in the neighboring locality.

* Check out the online sites and see the various stores available.

* Go and see the storage facility before making a deposit. Make sure that the unit space advertized is as mentioned. There are chances that when it’s the time to actually place the items, the unit is too small. Therefore, personally go and see the storage unit and pick the one that suits your requirement.

* Ask precise questions about the rent and make sure that there are no hidden costs involved.

* Check out the security facilities available in the premises. Though the customer is ultimately responsible for the items stored in the units, it always helps to get a place where the security system is sound.

* If the store boasts of climate-controlled environment, check that out too. See if there are proper ventilation and air-conditioning and humidification systems in the storage unit. See if the unit is properly sealable.

* Make sure that the items are packed in similar-sized boxes (if small items are being stored). Mark the boxes properly and try to keep the heavier boxes on the bottom.

* In case of electronic equipments, follow the instructions on their manuals regarding storage, for example, refrigerators need to be stored with their doors slightly ajar.

* Similarly, if the items stored are vehicles like cars, boats, bikes, motorbikes or RVs, make sure they are well covered and also that they do not have any inflammable substance in them. They can also be placed after being well oiled so as to avoid rust.

* When placing items in the unit, keep an inventory. The store authorities usually do not look into what is stored in the units. So make sure there is a list. This may come in handy if there is a theft or missing items.

* Check the lock of the unit. If possible put in your own lock (some storage stores let the users use their own locks for additional security).

* Finally, in case of doubt ask, ask and ask!

Self storage units are really great. They provide spaces like mini storage, furniture storage, RV storage, car storage and boat storage. Whatever may be the goods stored, the basic tips provided above comes handy and need to be kept in mind.…

Shopping Around For Self Storage Units

Despite the tough economic times, the self storage industry is growing at a massive rate with more people than ever searching for extra room to store cars, furniture and general possessions. The problem with this is that there are many potential places to store your property, and a plethora of choices to make in regards to whether or not your goods are in the safest place possible.

Check the business out online

The first sign of quality is to look into the website that the provider operates. Usually you can see their credentials and customer testimonials and the standards that they operate under. This is usually a good way to gauge whether or not this is a professional operation. Look for regulation compliance and accreditations.

Inspect the property

Before going in to pay for your services, it might be a good idea to inspect the lots yourself for primarily ease of access via car. If you are planning on using this facility at odd hours, it is essential that you have regular access to the facility and can find it easily from the street. Beyond that it is important to have a quick look for any signs of moisture leaking out or into the storage units.

Look into the units

Another important aspect when planning on investing in self storage facilities is that whether or not the unit fits your needs. As all units vary in size it’s important when getting a quote to look at precisely how much space you will be getting for the price agreed upon.

This would be a perfect point to look into the security and insurance measures put in place to protect your property, this is especially essential in inner city storage facilities. CCTV and security guards are pretty much the minimum that you should expect when looking to protect your property.

Pricing and approaching contracts

A lot of self storage facilities will ask a minimum contract when it comes to signing up, as you couldn’t example simply use them for only a week. Shopping around is essential at this point when comparing prices as the points involved differ massively from source to source. It can also be advantageous to estimate how long you will need to use the storage facility for, as over long term period’s costs will increase or decrease depending on the type of contracts that you have agreed upon with your storage provider.…

10 Ways That Self Storage Units Are Valuable

We all have a tendency to accumulate too much stuff. If that’s you, there’s no need to feel guilty about it – especially when there’s a perfect solution that doesn’t involve getting rid of your prized possessions. Maybe you just need to find somewhere else to keep the things that are special, but don’t need to be on display. A self storage unit is the perfect way to make your life less stressful. Here are 10 ways that self storage units can be valuable:

1. You can use a self storage unit to keep that extra furniture that you just can’t bear to part with. You never know when you or someone else might need it and you know how expensive it will be to buy more. Maybe you’ve downsized your home and you don’t need so many beds, tables and chairs. A self storage unit is a great place to keep your spare furniture until you are ready to decide what to do with it.

2. If you’re lucky to be going overseas on a long-term holiday, you don’t want to sell everything and have to start again when you return. It’s much more sensible to rent a self storage unit for the duration of your time away. When you return, you’ll be able to set up house and get back to normal more quickly than you expected.

3. Perhaps your kids have left home but they haven’t taken all their worldly possessions. You want the house to yourself at last, but you don’t want to get rid of their stuff. It’s hard to know what they’ll need and what they’ll be happy to part with – and it’s hard to pin your kids down to make a decision. Instead of fretting about all that, a self storage unit is a great value for money way of solving the problem. The kids’ gear will be there when they need it and you’ll have the house to yourself. Perfect!

4. If you are a sports lover, your garage is probably full to the brim with sporting equipment. If it means you can’t fit the car in the garage, you might need to have a rethink. A self storage unit is a great solution. Your sports equipment will be safe, secure and kept at the right temperature. You can even set the unit up so it’s all stacked and shelved to make life really easy. Just drive in, pick up the gear and off you go.

5. Maybe you have a hobby that needs its own space. It might be fixing an old car, making model airplanes or any number of other activities. If that’s you, then you know what it’s like when other people move your stuff. To make sure everything is left exactly the way you want it, rent a self storage unit for your hobby gear and you’ll never have to worry about it again.

6. Life can generate a …

Storage Units For All Your Storage Needs

Moving is tough. You have to pack, get everything loaded up, clean both houses to make sure that they are inhabitable, unpack, arrange, set up, and just do a lot of work in general. It’s pretty stressful. However, there are a few alternative ideas.

One pretty important one is based on how soon you need to move. Say that you were going to move in about six months. Now say that you were looking at everything and you found a few things that you really didn’t need any time immediately-like Christmas decorations or ten sets of bed linens. In this case, you could rent one or two storage units nearby where you are moving to and transfer them there early. Then, as the months go by, you can transfer more and more as you go in order to make moving that much easier. It may seem a bit farfetched, but it certainly is an option. It may mean a few long trips back and forth, but you can also do the same thing when you go to get things. Obviously, you’ll need beds and sheets for the beds. You will need your refrigerator (although that should be one of the first things transferred to the house) and a freezer if it isn’t attached.

However, you may be a bit wary about moving your things so far away while you wait to make the big move-which is a very rational fear. After all, you don’t have the money to replace a whole bunch of stuff. You’re moving and renting storage units and that means security deposits and new bills and just everything you could imagine that takes money out of your pockets.

But, most storage units have the added bonus of they are extremely safe. How? Well, almost all of them have cameras. These cameras run all day long and all night long in order to provide your belongings with the best security. There are also security codes to get anywhere inside the facility. You practically can’t use the restroom without a security code! (This is of course an exaggeration.) Needless to say-if you don’t have a code, you can’t get in.

This may bring you to worry about whether or not your “neighbors” in the storage facility would be the kind to sneak into your unit. It isn’t possible, however. They don’t have the same key as you do and certainly cannot enter into your unit.

After hours, there are motion detectors and security guards who patrol at all hours. These extra security measures help to ensure the safety of your belongings and to prevent any potential theft. If one thing doesn’t catch the crook, then there are at least four others that will.

Another plus is that you are able to choose what size unit you would like to rent. If you do decide to follow the method and have quite a lot of stuff to move, your best bet is to …

The High Cost of Self-Storage Units

The radio host who interviewed me recently wanted to know why self-storage units seem to be popping up on every corner. I did some quick research and discovered that the off-site storage industry has experienced an 81% growth over the last decade. Is it hard to believe that it is a 22 billion dollar industry? Not really. People have a hard time getting rid of their stuff; now more than ever, we have a lot of stuff! And moving it out of our home seems to give us the freedom to buy new stuff. It’s a vicious and expensive cycle.

Don’t get me wrong – I think these facilities are a god-sent for people who need short-term or seasonal storage; for example, when relocating to another city for a short time or storing your winter tires when you live in a small apartment. But I don’t see the wisdom in storing items simply because we can’t bear to toss them. Many people who rent self-storage units in fact have a large home and want to declutter it quickly, so they move all the things they’ve accumulated into their ‘second home’ because they “might need it some day”. But the problem is that out of sight is out of mind; besides, it’s usually easier to buy a replacement than drive to the facility and dig through the boxes to try to find what you need.

The average unheated unit rents for about $80 a month; over 2 years, that’s almost $2,000! The items are usually worth less than what we pay to store them in the long run. We are better off selling or giving away the items now (before they lose their value) than paying to store them indefinitely. And all those ‘just in case’ items – it would likely be less expensive to go out and replace them if (and when) you needed them. Eventually, most of those items will end up being tossed or going to charity anyway (if not by you, then by your grown children when they inherit it). Many items in storage have been inherited, so people keep them out of guilt or obligation. Would your deceased loved ones really want you to keep something that has become a burden or would they be happier to have you donate it to someone who will treasure it? I know you can’t put a price on sentimental items, but if they mean that much to you, why are they sitting in a storage space miles away from your home? Renting these units can become addictive; once the storage unit is full, many people just rent another one. No wonder this is a booming business!

As you can probably tell, I’m not a big fan of using off-site storage as a long-term solution for decluttering your home. If you are currently renting one for this purpose, I encourage you to do a major sort and purge. If you can’t wean yourself off …

Before You Store It – Think About It – Self Storage Made Easy

You are running out of space and you don’t know what to do with all of your stuff. Your options are limited and your things have no where to go. This is the perfect situation for using a self storage facility.

A self storage facility is a location where you can store your personal belongings and keep them safe while doing so. Self storage facilities are typically easy to find in your area and are at most times, reasonably affordable. There are many benefits to having a self storage facility, but choosing the right one for you may not look easy. After reading this short article you will have no problem finding the right place for you.

The first thing you will want to think about is location. You have heard it before; Location, Location, Location! Do you need frequent access to your storage facility or will you not need your items on a day to day or week to week basis? Selecting a storage facility that is close by may be nice but the price might be a little steep. Places that are on the outskirts of town are typically a little cheaper. Also, choosing a location that allows you 24 hour access might cost you more as well. If you are trying to find a place on the cheap, then a place that has limited hours might offer better rates. This is not always true, results will vary.

Another thing you might want to consider is whether or not you will need a climate controlled environment or your standard garage unit. If you are planning on storing furniture in your unit then you may want to opt for the climate controlled environment. By choosing the climate controlled option, it will prevent your furniture warping from humidity or by forming mildew from moisture. If you are not storing furniture or any sensitive materials in your storage unit, then choosing the typical garage unit may be best, and it is also much cheaper. A climate or temperature controlled unit may run as much as $80.00 per month where as a standard garage unit may only be $20.00 per month.

So you think you know all there is to self storage now, huh? Well there are some more tricks and tips that will be very beneficial to you when choosing the right self storage facility. If you ever plan on storing a refrigerator, make sure that you allow it to defrost and then wipe it out. Also, you will want to leave the door of the refrigerator open so that it does not collect mildew on the inside. If you plan on storing any metal objects such as lawn mowers, then you may want to think about treated the metal with a rust preventative. This will help to ensure your metal does not rust while in storage. Another great way to prevent mildew is to law a plastic …

Organize With a K-Cup Rack

Single serve coffee makers are quickly becoming more and more popular, because of how convenient and easy to use they are. That’s not the only great part though, because they also prevent you from wasting any coffee. How many times have you made a large pot not knowing how many people will drink from it and then ended up having to throw it down the sink later that day? However, with the Keurig single cup makers, that’s no longer a problem. Of course, you can make the area much neater with a K-Cup Rack to hold all the individual pods too.

Another great part about the single cup coffee makers is the fact that you can brew a cup of French Vanilla while another person can brew a cup of English Toffee right after you. If you have a K-Cup Rack to organize the flavors, this is much easier, because the other option is to have a large box that they have to rifle through. It doesn’t look nearly as nice, either. So consider getting one, because they come in several different styles, meaning you will be able to find one for an office or a home kitchen.

One of the most popular types of K-Cup Rack is the carousel. It is a nice rotating tree that conveniently displays all the different flavors by spinning around when you need it to. Another type is the large rack that holds boxes of the different flavors. They are usually black, and they look great up against a wall. Of course, if you want to just be able to display about 20 of the cups at a time, that is an option as well. Either way, you’ll have an easy time finding the exact flavor you’re after and knowing which type to get will be easy as well.

Being organized is great for being able to quickly and easily brew coffee, and a K-Cup Rack is about the most convenient way to make that happen. They don’t cost more than $30, so most people will agree that it’s well worth not having to constantly dig through a box to find the right flavors.…

Data Storage and Backups – Innovative Modern Solutions

Maintaining complete and accurate backups of corporate data and protecting that data against loss or failure are absolute necessities and crucial elements in any integrated information technology plan. Whether this data is maintained on or off-site, choosing the right kind of network attached storage for corporate servers is vital in order to avoid extended downtime and to protect important data against loss due to natural disasters, equipment failure and other unexpected hazards that can shut down operations for days or weeks. Especially for small businesses, the loss of revenues due to server failure can be catastrophic if complete and secure backups are not maintained on all company data.

Low-Cost Solutions

One way to protect and manage data more effectively is by using freeware products to create virtual server space on the company’s existing equipment. One useful product designed specifically for small business needs is VMware Server, which works with Linux and Windows-based systems to create isolated virtualized servers within the physical server array to allow backups and to provide redundancy for data and applications resident on the servers. Because these virtual servers are isolated from each other and can run simultaneously on the same physical computing equipment, any data loss due to corruption or malware infections cannot spread beyond the initial virtual server and can be easily remedied while maintaining operations on other virtual servers on the same machine.

Dependable Results

For larger companies and small businesses that require more features in their backup and server solution software, Symantec’s Backup Exec is one of the best and provides solid server virtualization along with automated and optimized storage through its unified archiving capability that actually allows more data storage in the same amount of disk space. Symantec’s integrated suite of backup applications includes cutting-edge data protection systems and deduplication features that help conserve valuable server space. The powerful Symantec software engine allows backups within minutes, reducing downtime and increasing productivity while protecting the company’s financial bottom line.

Hardware Solutions

Regardless of which software solution is chosen, companies should invest in reliable hardware in order to get the best results from their data storage servers. By choosing name-brand data storage, hardware companies can ensure that vital corporate data is protected against accidental loss. By maximizing available data storage and backup capacity with virtual server partitions, companies can reduce their initial hardware investment while providing comprehensive backup and storage capabilities for their entire data network.…

Major Benefits Of The Self Storage

Self storage is a business which owns and operates the facility which is subdivided into the self storage spaced that are rented out to the tenants on monthly basis in a completely safe and secure environment. Thus it easily provides you any time access to your belongings.

Actually “self storage” is a shorter form of “self-service storage”, also called a mini warehouse. These facilities usually lease the spaces to people, for storing their household items or to some small businesses for storing their inventory. The operator of a self storage is never in possession of your contents unless there is default in the payment of rent by the tenant. Items or goods stored here are generally uninsured.

Each of these units is easily accessed by opening the roll-up metal door which is of the same size as a single car garage door. You can only keep the non-toxic and non-hazardous items in these self storage units. There are some self storage units which are climate controlled and are used for storing special needs and wine.

Advantages Of Mini Storage Units

These mini storage units have many advantages. These are furniture storage facility for home relocation; facility to alter the space in self storage as per your requirements; assistance for moving your goods.

Here you get 24×7 access; easily drive up the roller door spaces; mini storage spaces and packaging materials available there; trolleys for moving your goods.

There is good security there with 24 hours surveillance with the help of CCTV cameras; a separate offsite facility for storing your documents to prevent fire related losses; facility of personal locking by using your own keypad.

These facilities come with an affordable monthly rent and there is no requirement of any type of bond for the space you get. Here you even get discount for the advance payment and free dispatch and receipt services.

Other Storage Units

Car storage is a kind of self storage which is specially designed for storing your car or some other vehicle and has emerged as an affordable and popular solution for keeping your vehicle protected from the environment and theft.

A warehouse is used for storing the goods which are used by exporters, manufacturers, customs, transport businesses, etc.

They are usually located in the industrial areas of towns and cities and consist of loading docks for loading and unloading of goods from the trucks or even directly from the airports, railways or some seaports.

Thus, self storage is indeed very beneficial in many ways.…

Security Features to Look For in Self Storage Units

When storing valuable personal belongings in a separate place other than the home, many people are very particular about security. It’s a natural instinct especially since those items were bought using hard-earned money or inherited from very important people such as grandparents and parents.

Fortunately, this is not a major problem when using self storage facilities. Operators of these rental units value their clients the reason why they have built and prepared their area well to ensure that the most advanced security features are in place. Most of these businesses allow only the renter to have exclusive access to his or her self storage unit to prevent any loss of items.

If you’re considering utilizing this type of facility any time soon, it may be to your benefit to be aware of the security measures to look for. By learning about this, you can then choose the right provider that will suit your needs.

Lock and key. An enclosed unit usually has a door and this should have a lock and key in place. The lock system can either utilize a key or access code. Some companies only give the key to the renter while some providers may provide one of their staff a duplicate key just for checking purposes.

Sound alarm system. This can be linked to the door so that the staff is alerted whenever it creates a sound. You may want to consider this feature as well.

Locked gate. Any self storage facility regardless of the area it covers should have a gate with a lock. This is to ensure that no outsiders can easily get inside the premises.

Fencing. The surrounding area should be well fenced. With this in place, nobody can just enter the place.

Security guards. Some self storage providers invest in hiring security guards to protect the premises of the facility. With guards manning the facility round the clock, burglars will be kept at bay and the items stored inside are protected.

Onsite manager. The presence of an onsite manager is another feature that you can consider. At least with somebody keeping watch of the premises most of the time, other people not doing business will not be allowed to get access to the facility.

Surveillance camera. Most self storage operators invest heavily on this tool. Called a CCTV or closed circuit television camera, this is very helpful in monitoring and recording the activities within the facility. This should be installed in every unit to keep track of the items stored and capture evidence should somebody gets access to a particular unit. The surveillance camera has been instrumental in solving many criminal acts that take place in department stores, banks and other institutions.

Don’t hesitate to ask about these features from the staff of the self storage facility you’re planning to approach. The staff should be well trained to answer questions regarding this issue to encourage potential customers to decide right there and then …