Top 3 Things to watch out for when choosing a Storage Facility.

storage faciliySelf storage facilities offer services to their clients to store personal properties and business inventory. Self storage is ideal for residential use for people de-cluttering, staging prior to a sale, or moving. As well, businesses use storage when they do not have enough space to store their inventory, files, documents and miscellaneous items that are taking space in their offices or showroom. Additionally, people who live in rental apartments or condominiums may not have enough space to store or park boats, cars or RV, and must find an alternative. Self storage offers an that alternative option where business and personal vehicles can be parked in a well lit and secure environment.

The units offered by the self storage services are found in varying sizes. Some facilities are designed to store essential documents and data. Some are as small as 5′ x 5′, big enough to store a number of standard sized boxes. There are some bigger units that are designed to store goods and furnishings from two, three or even five bedroom homes. Therefore, ensure that you contact the facility manager to determine the different units available to cater to your storage need.

Top 3 things to watch out for when choosing self storage space;

Items to be stored
Determine the items you would like to store in the self storage facility. The quantity, size and amount of items will determine the size of the storage space you will need to rent. After ascertaining the size and amount of items, shop for an ideal storage space that will fit in all yours items comfortably. Ensure that you consider both the floor space and the vertical space to ensure that you gain maximum value for the money you pay. This is where height of the unit makes a difference.

Features offered
It is also essential to consider the unique features at the storage facility. Nonetheless, the goods to be stored determine the features and kind of storage facility to be used. For example, items like paintings, books, essential documents and computers require a climate controlled storage facility, which includes heating and air condition spaces. Such features are considered so as to protect your items from damage that may result from high or low temperatures. A climate controlled storage facility also prevents the accumulation of mold and dust.

Storage facility location
If the goods or items to be stored will be accessed frequently, then it would be advisable to consider a storage space that is near your work place or residence. Nonetheless, if the goods will not require immediate use, then the storage location may not be a crucial factor to consider. Additionally, considering the security of items and goods in the storage area is essential. Well managed self storage facilities ought to have defined security arrangements like; video surveillance and individual alarmed units in the facilities. Maximum security of your goods is of paramount importance.

A self storage facility often provides a unique service that its customers can enjoy.
You might not think you need a self storage space but you might be surprised at how simple they can make things for you. If you are having part of your home painted or remodeled, you rent a storage room provided by a self storage company to store the stuff temporarily. There is no long term obligation, you can rent month to month, and in some circumstances by the day.

Be sure you create an inventory of all the stuff you choose to store. Label all the boxes you store so you can determine where everything is. Avoid stacking items too high so you do not get hurt by falling items. Go through your contract to make sure you are not surprised by anything later. Keep a list of emergency numbers with the storage place so they can contact you if something happens to your space. Keep close control of your keys to prevent someone else from accessing your space.

In conclusion, call your local self storage company and have a conversation with the manager. All the features and benefits will be highlighted by a professional manager and all specials will also be presented. We always recommend visiting the location before renting because the quality of the product differs greatly from one location to the next. Never make a choice based on price, since in most circumstances the cheapest option is not the best solution for your storage needs or goods. Always look for a clean, air conditioned, heated, secure and well lit self storage location.

How can Self Storage Help Sell Your Home?

Sell Home Faster with Self StorageIf you are trying to sell your home, one of the best tools you can use is self storage. There are several reasons for this, and you may not have considered them, but they will become quite obvious once you think about them for a while.

First of all, when potential buyers are viewing your home, if you have a lot of personal items such as family pictures on the walls, it is difficult for them to picture themselves in the home. By having a great deal of personal items throughout your home, you are defining ownership of the home, making the home very unique to you and your family.
Removing your personal items allows buyers to picture their own items throughout the home. They can start to imagine themselves and their family living in the home and making it their own.

If you are using a Realtor  they may have already advised you that you should remove about 65% of your items from the home. By doing this, you are freeing up a lot of space within your home and making the home seem a lot larger. Clutter is a big turn off for many people, and when you eliminate any clutter, you make your home more inviting to potential buyers.

Self storage is a good option for home sellers to store their extra items while they are trying to close a house deal. Short term storage is a very affordable option, and when you pack up and store your items in a storage unit, you are removing them from the home, instead of simply packing them up and stuffing them into another area, such as the garage. By removing items completely from your home and surrounding out buildings, you are making your home much more appealing to potential buyers.

Many self storage units are open to the idea of short term storage, rather than making you sign a contract for a specific term such as one year. There are many different sizes of storage units available for self storage, and you may find that you need a smaller unit or a larger one, depending upon the amount of household items that you have packed up for storage.

By pre-packing and storing your extra household items, you are giving yourself an advantage when it comes to moving day. What kinds of items should you pre-pack and store? Starting in your basement, remove all items that you do not use on a regular basis, including seasonal items used for camping, sports equipment, any exercise equipment you do not use all of the time and winter clothing (if it is not winter).

Extra footwear can take up a lot of space and add a cluttered look. Bag up all boots and extra shoes and ready them for your storage unit. Some storage units offer a rental truck which can help you to move your items from your house over to the unit with ease.

While you are sorting through your extra items, if you come across any belongings that you rarely use, it may be time to box those up for donation. Only pack items that you will use in the future. There is no point in storing a lot of items that you never use.

Self storage is a handy option for people who want to sell a home quickly. Staging your home is important, and removing the extra items can improve your chances of selling your home at a higher price in a timely fashion.

Since you do not know how long it will take to sell your home, short term storage is a good option on a month to month rental basis. With this option, you can rent a storage unit for as long as you need to, without having to be concerned about moving your items again. You will also have the convenience of being able to access your self storage unit if you need to add more items or find something that has been stored.

Your Realtor may suggest a staging professional for your home. If this is the case, the staging professional may want a lot of your items removed so that they can bring in some of their own pieces. It is always important to follow the advice and remove any items quickly off site to your short term storage unit.

Introducing – Self Storage Auctions in Mississauga

Self Storage Auctions in Mississauga If you’re in the Mississuaga, Ontario area and would like to get on the  action and money-making opportunities of self storage auctions, then iStorSelfstorage.ca is the place for you. We track and handle all types of regional self storage auctions and public storage auctions in the Toronto and Ontario locale.

 

Auctioned storage units essentially involved rented units and their contents that have gone into default without the renter making timely payment. To recover lost rents and clear out the unit for a new customer, storage unit managers auction off the contents after allowing enough time for renters to pay up. Eventually the unit and all inside gets auctioned to the highest bidder to clear it out. The bidder keeps whatever was in the unit but has to empty it out. Many find this process rewarding in that a number of the stored items can catch high prices in resale later on, either in private transactions or selling the items to used equipment or antique dealers.

Public Self storage auctions can be quite lucrative depending which units are won and the items left behind in them by previous owners. However, just like on the television shows such as Storage Wars and Auction Hunters, only the highest bidder gets to enjoy the fruits of the labor. That said, iStorSelfstorage.ca makes it easier to bid with auctions available online for visitors to see and view, good tracking of the time frame of pending auctions, videos showing the contents in auctioned storage units, and clear bidding instructions for all participants.

One of our very own auctions were featured in a commercial for ibid4storage here:

So if you want to get in on the Ontario action and the lucrative possibilities and not lose out on good storage units being unable to bid, iStoreSelfstorage.ca can solve the challenges and get your bid right up front with the rest.

Have a look at our most recent auctions by clicking here