Five Mistakes Everyone Makes When Using Self Storage
More South Africans are making use of self storage as the industry grows and as people become aware of the benefits of using the product. Stor-Age serviced over 38 000 enquiries for self storage this year alone. Take a look at the Stor-Age 2015 Year in Review video for more statistics like discovering a R2 billion self storage property portfolio. With the vast number of people changing homes, storing business goods or moving in together, self storage is set to continue its growth into the everyday South African's lifestyle. We thought we would put together five common mistakes every self storage user makes and how to avoid them.
1. One Month
If we told you how many times we heard customers tell us they were only going to stay for one month and then find they stayed longer you probably wouldn't believe us. The fact is that self storage is convenient and an extension of your home. Once people make use self storage they realise how great it is to have a garage to park their car in or a home free from clutter. Now you can finally use that guest room for keeping guests and not stuff!
2. Plastic Covers
Are you storing a mattress or furniture? Wrap it in plastic to protect it. As per the point above, most customers will be storing for precious collections for longer than expected. This means you need to protect your goods from dust and scratches. A simple and cost effective way to do this is to cover it in plastic. Don't worry if you cannot find any, we've got you covered (see what we did there?!) You can purchase plastic covers directly from us, check out all our self storage packaging here.
3. Hiring Movers
You have a choice to make. Pay a small fortune for removals and packaging or do it yourself. One will be far easier but more expensive, while the other is definitely cheaper but a lot more effort. Here Five Ways To Get Your Friends To Help You Move and just in case Five Ways To Get Out OF Helping Your Friends Move. Did you know that Moving At Month End Is A Bad Idea?
4. Label boxes
Great, you have finally packed all of your possessions into a self storage unit, moved into your temporary living space and can only eat canned food for the next few days. Now you just need to get the can opener from the box with all the kitchen stuff. Problem... which box is it in? Labelling your boxes only takes a few seconds and will be a tremendous help when you are looking for a specific item. It will also assist you with unpacking as you drop the box in the room that it is needed for.
5. Playing Tetris
Packing your self storage unit shouldn't be throwing everything in as quickly as possible. By planning ahead of schedule how you want to pack your unit there are many advantages. Stacking your goods properly can mean you need less space and therefore pay less for a smaller size unit, that is cash back in your pocket. You also need to be aware of what you may need to get out in a hurry. These items should be left at the front so you do not have to unpack the entire unit to get the box you need. As a rule of thumb packing the bulkier, heavier items first is best practice. This will allow you to stack smaller and lighter items on top of them and in the gaps, saving you space.
Would you like to park your car in your garage tonight?
Do you need a spare room for the guest?
How about a quick unclutter of the house?
Take a look at our handy self storage space estimator and you could be making use of your space today.
1. One Month
If we told you how many times we heard customers tell us they were only going to stay for one month and then find they stayed longer you probably wouldn't believe us. The fact is that self storage is convenient and an extension of your home. Once people make use self storage they realise how great it is to have a garage to park their car in or a home free from clutter. Now you can finally use that guest room for keeping guests and not stuff!
2. Plastic Covers
Are you storing a mattress or furniture? Wrap it in plastic to protect it. As per the point above, most customers will be storing for precious collections for longer than expected. This means you need to protect your goods from dust and scratches. A simple and cost effective way to do this is to cover it in plastic. Don't worry if you cannot find any, we've got you covered (see what we did there?!) You can purchase plastic covers directly from us, check out all our self storage packaging here.
3. Hiring Movers
You have a choice to make. Pay a small fortune for removals and packaging or do it yourself. One will be far easier but more expensive, while the other is definitely cheaper but a lot more effort. Here Five Ways To Get Your Friends To Help You Move and just in case Five Ways To Get Out OF Helping Your Friends Move. Did you know that Moving At Month End Is A Bad Idea?
4. Label boxes
Great, you have finally packed all of your possessions into a self storage unit, moved into your temporary living space and can only eat canned food for the next few days. Now you just need to get the can opener from the box with all the kitchen stuff. Problem... which box is it in? Labelling your boxes only takes a few seconds and will be a tremendous help when you are looking for a specific item. It will also assist you with unpacking as you drop the box in the room that it is needed for.
5. Playing Tetris
Packing your self storage unit shouldn't be throwing everything in as quickly as possible. By planning ahead of schedule how you want to pack your unit there are many advantages. Stacking your goods properly can mean you need less space and therefore pay less for a smaller size unit, that is cash back in your pocket. You also need to be aware of what you may need to get out in a hurry. These items should be left at the front so you do not have to unpack the entire unit to get the box you need. As a rule of thumb packing the bulkier, heavier items first is best practice. This will allow you to stack smaller and lighter items on top of them and in the gaps, saving you space.
Would you like to park your car in your garage tonight?
Do you need a spare room for the guest?
How about a quick unclutter of the house?
Take a look at our handy self storage space estimator and you could be making use of your space today.
Posted by Stor-Age Self Storage - 26 June 2015 | Tips And Hints