HOW TO AVOID SELF STORAGE MISTAKES

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Yup, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do Self Storage. Most storage facilities have certain rules that you have to abide by, but there are also some general things to consider to make your experience as smooth as possible. Here are four things to keep in mind before storing at Amberley Self Storage.

Work with a plan

Don’t just haphazardly stuff your stuff into your Amberley Self Storage unit: work with a plan so that you can easily access what’s inside, and also protect it as best you can. Some tips:

  • Place your most expensive and precious items right at the back where, in the unlikely event of a robbery, they’ll be hard to get to – especially if the thieves are in a hurry.
  • Don’t put moisture sensitive items on the floor of your unit. Life is unpredictable, and you never know when a flash flood might happen. Raise these items off the floor using wooden pallets if they’re heavy and best stored at the bottom of your container, or store them higher up in protective boxes if they’re smaller and lighter.
  • Leave a little space or path for yourself in the container so that you can access things you might suddenly need.
  • Store the heaviest stuff at the bottom, and build a pyramid of lighter items on top of it.
  • If you’re storing huge cupboards or desks, maximise your use of space by storing lighter boxes and items inside them.
  • Label all your boxes clearly so that you know exactly what’s inside.

Keep it clean

Do yourself (and your neighbours-in-storage, and the facility employees) a big favour: before storing any items, make sure that they’re clean. This means washing or dry cleaning any and all soiled garments and fabric items before storing them, removing any perishable items from drawers and cupboards, and cleaning off grease, oil and dust off tools and furniture. Not only will this go a long way to keeping your stored items in good nick, it also gets rid of unwanted smells, and any pesky critters that might come running to this new food source, such as ants and rats.

Do unto others…

The facility rules are there for a reason – to protect you, other customers and the belongings you are storing. So make sure that you know what these rules are. In general, also follow the Golden Rule when on the premises. This includes:

  • Not bringing any pets to a storage facility. You don’t want to be harassed by somebody else’s dog, or have someone’s runaway gerbil suddenly pop up in your precious wedding gown box, so why would you risk doing so to others? Fido should stay at home.
  • Check the access times. Self Storage facility managers are people too – and they need sleep! Make sure that you know what the access hours for your Self Storage facility is, and try to stick to it. Suddenly needing your fishing rod at three in the morning is not a good enough excuse to phone and wake up Manager Bob…
  • Don’t tailgate! Avoid driving in right behind the person that just keyed in their own security code: you risk damage to your vehicle, triggering the facility’s alarm, and you just look like a shady character. There’s a reason why the security codes and alarms are in place – respect them. As an extra: if you do see any dodgy behavior going down, report it to management. Better safe than sorry!

Now get out!

We love you dearly, but at the end of your storage term, we’d very much appreciate it if you removed ALL of your items from your Self Storage unit. We cannot accept any gifts, and it’s a big hassle to clean out after people who were actually supposed to do the cleaning out. So yes, while we appreciate that you’re at your wits’ end regarding what to do with Grandma Beryl’s old collection of doilies, leaving them behind just spreads the problem around!

And if you still need advice on how to make the most from your Self Storage in Amberley, then call the team at Amberley Self Storage, and we’ll guide you along the way.

 

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