Keeping Storage Rental Safe in the Long Term

If you're planning to use storage rental in the long term, there a couple of things you should consider to keep your storage items safe and well maintained.

The first and most obvious step is to pack them well. If you're storing smaller objects, wrap everything carefully and keep them in boxes. Pack boxes with packing material or bubble wrap, so if anything falls or is moved during the storage rental, your things will still be safe.

It's also a good idea to give the storage unit a clean out once in a while during your storage rental. It may seem silly to be dusting out your storage unit, when the furniture in it is just going to stay in storage rental, but it will help to keep the furniture in good condition.

Keep in mind that certain items may not survive well in a storage rental environment, especially in the long term. Computers shouldn't really be stored for longer than six months. Clothes, if they haven't been packed carefully in a clothes box, may come out of storage rental a little worse for wear.

As long as you check on your things fairly frequently, long-term storage rental should work out fine. At Access Self Storage, our storage units are well maintained and very clean. Just remember to follow these few steps, and to check up on your storage unit every once in a while, and your long-term storage rental should definitely work out successfully.

Emptying Your Storage Unit Back Into the House

If you've used a storage unit to house things temporarily while you moved houses, there are a few helpful tips to make moving it all into your new home much easier.

Planning ahead is key. When you pack up your storage unit, write out a plan. Note where everything belongs, what you've packed first, which room each box has come from. Be thoughtful about your labelling - make it very clear what each box contains, and where it should go when you unpack again. Your storage unit should be full of boxes with very detailed labels, and you should keep a plan of your storage unit, to give a basic idea of where everything is inside the storage unit.

When you unpack the storage unit, do it in an organised fashion. Keep boxes from the same rooms together, and when you unload them into the house, put them straight in those rooms. Refer back to your plan, so you know which boxes should be unpacked first. You could keep some of the unnecessary boxes in the storage unit while you unpack the essentials, which will also help to keep the house less cluttered.

Above all, make sure you've set a deadline for completely emptying the storage unit. Otherwise, unpacking could carry on indefinitely while you leave various boxes in your storage unit while you deal with other things. Setting a deadline will help to ensure the unpacking of your storage unit will eventually get done in good time.

Access Self Storage Presents: The March of the Pedestal Fan

It looks like we may have finally hit summer. Melbourne’s temperatures have been steadily rising, and although we’ve been mired in rain for the past week, times are probably about to change.

It’s around this time that an amazing parade starts happening at Access Self Storage. It travels along Montague Street, around to Normanby Road, and into the storage facility itself, before circling into each storage unit and parading back out again.

It’s quite a thing to see. And it’s pretty easy to get involved. It will probably make your life much easier. We call it “the march of the pedestal fans”.

Those pedestal fans stayed in their storage units throughout the winter months, biding their time, and waiting it out. Because come Spring, when it’s time for the march, the storage unit doors will creak open, heaters will be wheeled in, and the fan’s time will come.

Held up high on shoulders in the shining sun, waving gently in the breeze – the pedestal fans march out of their units, and out of Access Self Storage, for the next six months of warm weather and sunshine.

It doesn’t take much to get involved in the march. Just come on down to Access Self Storage, and you too can have your own storage unit, in which you can keep your pedestal fans. Don’t leave them in your houses, unused, while their heating counterparts smugly whir in the lounge room.

Give the fans their march next summer. Hire a storage unit. You won’t regret it. 

Packing Efficiently for Self Storage Units

When you’re looking at hiring storage units, one thing you want is to keep costs low. Hiring a smaller storage unit, rather than a large one, is one way to do this. The simple solution is to pack your storage unit efficiently.

Although using plastic bags may seem cheaper, packing into boxes is the best way to go. Not only will it stop your items getting dusty while they remain in the storage unit, it will also make it much easier to save space (and will therefore save you money in the long run). Fill them to capacity, and remember to get boxes of similar shape and size, to easily stack inside the storage unit. Use the inside of wardrobes, furniture drawers, stoves – anywhere with space inside, to fit more boxes.

When it comes to packing the storage unit, make sure you plan ahead. Put all the larger items in first, so you can fit the smaller boxes in and around them. Remove the legs from furniture where possible, and lamps from lampshades, so there are fewer odd shaped items in the storage unit. Fill the hollow spaces as much as you can, but remember, if you’re planning to keep the storage unit for a long period of time, it’s a good idea to keep some space to move around inside.

With careful thought, and by planning ahead, storage units can be packed efficiently, which will help keep costs low in the long run.

Accessing Items in Your Storage Unit

Whether you're using self storage for personal or commercial needs, it's inevitable that you're going to access your storage unit at least once after your items have been stored. If your items aren't labeled properly, or aren't easily accessible in your storage unit, this could be tricky.

The first step is to make sure every box is clearly labeled in the storage unit. To make this process easier, it's best to pack similar items in the same box. labels like "kitchen items" might seem clear when you're writing them, but when it comes down to searching your storage unit for a salad bowl in amongst five boxes labeled "kitchen items", it might not be so helpful. Packing clothes in clothes boxes – so they can hang inside – is also a good idea. This way you don't have to go through boxes of folded up clothes in the storage unit, trying to find the cardigan you just realised you needed.

The other important step is organising the storage unit. It's best to keep aisle space, so you can easily move around inside. This will not only make it easier to access your items in the storage unit, it will also help prevent odors and mildew. Planning ahead is an important step – make sure items you might need are stored at the front, and things like furniture should be at the back of the storage unit.

As long as the items in the storage unit are labeled carefully and clearly, and are easily accessible, you can have a relatively stress-free storage experience.