Self Storage

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  • How High is Your Ceiling Height?
    By joel on January 9, 2012 | No Comments  Comments
    When shopping around for self storage, one thing you should think about is that most self storage facility are the same. What we mean by the same is that the all give you the option of putting your belongings into a space at the facility. That is what self storage is, you taking your belongings and storing them at the facility, yourself. There will be subtle differences that will separate one facility from another, but for the most part, they all have the same standards. One standard is ceiling height. Unless otherwise noted, the ceiling of a self storage unit will be eight feet.
    The typical ceiling height in a storage unit is at least eight feet tall so consider the items that you need to store to make sure they fit. Many customers try to stack their unit full so they do not have to pay more than they need to pay for. There are others that will just decide to get a bigger unit just so that everything is in there and they have access to it. Not many people try to stack their unit to the brim to save money. It would be the best idea, but not many people do it even though the property managers and other storage professionals recommend it.
    So when you are shopping around for self storage and a facility says that they have ceiling heights of ten feet and higher, not many customers stop and say wow. They don’t say that because they know they won’t stack their belongings than high. Some will think, how can I stack my belongings that high? Will they fall on me? Most storage facilities are created equal but most customers won’t flinch or choose this one facility because of their ceiling height.

    When shopping around for self storage, one thing you should think about is that most self storage facility are the same. What we mean by the same is that the all give you the option of putting your belongings into a space at the facility. That is what self storage is, you taking your belongings and storing them at the facility, yourself. There will be subtle differences that will separate one facility from another, but for the most part, they all have the same standards. One standard is ceiling height. Unless otherwise noted, the ceiling of a self storage unit will be eight feet.

    The typical ceiling height in a storage unit is at least eight feet tall so consider the items that you need to store to make sure they fit. Many customers try to stack their unit full so they do not have to pay more than they need to pay for. There are others that will just decide to get a bigger unit just so that everything is in there and they have access to it. Not many people try to stack their unit to the brim to save money. It would be the best idea, but not many people do it even though the property managers and other storage professionals recommend it.

    So when you are shopping around for self storage and a facility says that they have ceiling heights of ten feet and higher, not many customers stop and say wow. They don’t say that because they know they won’t stack their belongings than high. Some will think, how can I stack my belongings that high? Will they fall on me? Most storage facilities are created equal but most customers won’t flinch or choose this one facility because of their ceiling height.

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  • More Than Just Price
    By joel on November 28, 2011 | No Comments  Comments
    Just like everything that you shop for, people also shop for self storage. Of course you can try self storage on like new boots, but you always check out the facility to see what they have to offer. It is hard not to look at the price tag of self storage facilities when you are shopping around because in the long term, that will be one of the deciding factors. Other factors that you can look into should be security, cleanliness, and how current tenants view the facility.
    Shopping around for storage seems to be pretty popular. There are choices to be made along the way. When people call around, they seem to kind of gravitate towards the price. They do not want to know anything else about the space except for the price. This is not really the way to go if you are looking for quality. You should try to find the site that is going to be able to offer you the best value. Value does not always come in the form of price.
    As stated earlier it would be good if you can bump into some current tenants that can help you figure out what kind of facility you are going to rent from. Now that might be harder than you think. The reality is that you can only stop by so many times into the self storage facility before you had to decide which one you want to rent from. You can’t grab the master list of tenants an start calling them asking for their opinion. So you have to either get reviews or get lucky enough to bump into someone. Sometimes you are able to go into a self storage facility and possibly overhear a customer dealing with the property manager. That would be ideal.
    You are paying for self storage because you feel that your belongings are special enough to you that you want to keep them. You just are using self storage because you don’t have room for them at your home. So when shopping around, you really have to feel comfortable about the place your belongings are staying at. Do you feel that this place can protect your belongings at a fair price? Do you feel that you can leave your belongings there and security the facility has will make sure all is well until you come to pick them up? You have some decision to make so make sure that you are not just looking for price. You could make the wrong decision when shopping around.

    Just like everything that you shop for, people also shop for self storage. Of course you can try self storage on like new boots, but you always check out the facility to see what they have to offer. It is hard not to look at the price tag of self storage facilities when you are shopping around because in the long term, that will be one of the deciding factors. Other factors that you can look into should be security, cleanliness, and how current tenants view the facility.

    Shopping around for storage seems to be pretty popular. There are choices to be made along the way. When people call around, they seem to kind of gravitate towards the price. They do not want to know anything else about the space except for the price. This is not really the way to go if you are looking for quality. You should try to find the site that is going to be able to offer you the best value. Value does not always come in the form of price.

    As stated earlier it would be good if you can bump into some current tenants that can help you figure out what kind of facility you are going to rent from. Now that might be harder than you think. The reality is that you can only stop by so many times into the self storage facility before you had to decide which one you want to rent from. You can’t grab the master list of tenants an start calling them asking for their opinion. So you have to either get reviews or get lucky enough to bump into someone. Sometimes you are able to go into a self storage facility and possibly overhear a customer dealing with the property manager. That would be ideal.

    You are paying for self storage because you feel that your belongings are special enough to you that you want to keep them. You just are using self storage because you don’t have room for them at your home. So when shopping around, you really have to feel comfortable about the place your belongings are staying at. Do you feel that this place can protect your belongings at a fair price? Do you feel that you can leave your belongings there and security the facility has will make sure all is well until you come to pick them up? You have some decision to make so make sure that you are not just looking for price. You could make the wrong decision when shopping around.

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  • Second Floor Storage Doesn’t Mean Second Class
    By jeff on February 7, 2011 | No Comments  Comments

    A lot of the time you will find that customers are not that willing to store in a storage unit that is anywhere else but the first floor. What they want to do is they want to be able to drive right up to their storage unit and unload their belongings. That will make it easiest and most convenient for them. The do not realize that if the Saint Lambert self storage space has a second floor then they can take advantage of that. It is not like the storage facility is going to make you walk up the stairs to your storage unit.

    The common misconception is that the second floor or higher at a Saint Lambert self storage facility is very inconvenient to get to. That is not true. In some areas of Quebec the storage facility had to build up in order to achieve more square footage of storage. What this means is that they cannot build out like some facilities can. So in order to get more people to rent there, they build up. What they do in order make storing there more attractive, they make the prices on the upper units cost less money. So customers actually begin to think about it a little harder because of that.

    What customers also do not realize is that the facility has an elevator in order to get you to a higher floor. You have the opportunity to use hand carts and dollies free of charge from the facility. This will help you to maneuver your belongings up to the upper levels. If you have a little bit of help you will have no problem getting your belongings up there. Now of course if you are the kind of person that will not need to get to your unit, you will not have worry about moving your belongings back and forth. That is the only part that can be tedious. If you are going to take your belongings in and leave it, then you are good to go.

    Managers will always offer the first floor or drive up unit in order to get more money out of their storage units. Now a smart Saint Lambert self storage manager will try to get their upper units full first and then have everyone else come in on the main level. What ends up happening is that the customers will not want to go upstairs because the managers made the lower levels sound so great. They can end up hurting their selves by doing that. A manager should always give the customer an option whether to store upstairs or downstairs. In order to get the customer to go upstairs, the manager needs to make the price difference worth the customer’s while. Depending on which Saint Lambert self storage they might be able to get away with just a ten dollar difference or have to push it to over that point.

    When marketing the store and the units it would make more sense to tell the customers that you have many units, drive up, first floor and upper levels. When you get the customers to come down to the facility, you can show them how easy it is to get to the upper levels. The facility will have very wide hallways in order to get their furniture all the way down the row.

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  • Storage Makes Enjoying the Holidays Easier
    By jeff on January 31, 2011 | No Comments  Comments

    When I was a kid my family was always one of those that really got into the holidays.  Our tree would go up the day after Thanksgiving.  We would put together a miniature wintry village on the dining room table, and we lived in a neighbourhood where decorating your yard was a friendly competition that bordered just a bit on the obsessive.  Every year got just a little bit brighter and a quite a bit bigger.

    The only real problem is that stuff all had to go somewhere for 10 or 11 months out of the year.  For us that somewhere was always the garage.  So for most of the year our garage was packed full of lights, wreaths, inflatable Santas and all other manner of holiday decorations.  I can tell you from personal experience that wandering into a darkened garage looking for your baseball glove and being greeted by a life-sized statue of Santa Claus can be a scary situation for a kid.

    On top of that we had to make space for all our cold weather gear, and growing up in Minnesota meant we had a lot of cold weather gear.  So joining the decorations were our skis, skates, sleds, snow blower, snow shovels, ice melt, snow suits, heavy boots and snow chains.  Add it all up and we were left without any room in our garage for anything else.

    Now I realize how much more convenient everything would have been had we rented our own Glen Cove, Ontario storage unit.  Then all our holiday and winter gear could have been safely stored and our garage would have been a lot less cluttered.

    Having a Glen Cove storage unit would have also helped inside the house during the holidays.  The extended family would use the holidays as a reunion, rotating whose house everyone would end up at each year.  When it was our turn to play host things would always get just a bit too cramped to be cozy.  If we had rented a Glen Cove storage unit, we could have moved a few things out of the house to make more room for the cots, sleeping bags and luggage that went along with all the overnight guests.

    Not that we wouldn’t have gotten plenty of use out of the storage unit year round.  Camping gear, dad’s golf clubs, baseball equipment and even our fishing boat could have made the move from the garage or the basement to the storage unit, freeing up space that might have meant getting my own bedroom years sooner or being able to avoid the daily ritual of scraping ice from the windshields of my parents’ cars.

    Self storage units are more than big boxes you can put things in.  They can help make your holidays a little more festive.  They can help keep family gatherings a little less hectic.  They can make day to day chores more convenient.  Overall, Glen Cove storage units can streamline your world and make life just a little bit easier.  I think that’s something we’re all looking for around the holidays (and just about any other day).

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  • Doing Business with Self Storage
    By jeff on January 13, 2011 | No Comments  Comments

    Many people have dreams of operating their own business and few succeed. They are driven by the desire to make their own hours and to earn the money they have always wanted. Most of all each person wants to be his/her own boss and not be forced to answer to anyone. There is something about waking up in the morning when you want to and not having anyone tell you what to do. At the same time you know you have to do business and do it well in order for you to stay in operation. It is one thing to own a business, but it is another thing for you to be successful.

    Not everyone is able to get their own real estate or their own special office in order to conduct business. They still want to make sure that they are out there just as much as the other people in their same field of expertise. How can a small business be as good and produce just as much as a larger company that is doing something similar? It is all about making sure that you do not spend money in places that are unnecessary and you get the right people on your team. In most cases they will tell you that it is about who you know in the business world and the connections that you have. It is more than about the office space, it is about finding a way to get your name out there for everyone who is interested in what you do to be able to get your services to them. That means finding a marketing plan, distribution methods and a place to hold on to your product until people need it.

    You will find that some small business owners will use Lower Mount Royal storage facilities to hold their product until they need them. Some Lower Mount Royal storage managers will even allow a business to have their product sent to the facility on a scheduled basis. They will even put the product in their storage unit for them. If t his is what you are looking for, then ask around when you are looking for a Lower Mount Royal storage facility. The facility will work out a deal with the business owner and the business owner will end up paying a lot less for the storage space then they would for a huge warehouse.

    As the business grows they might not need to use their Lower Mount Royal storage facility in Alberta.  They might decide to use a warehouse when their business grows past the need of a storage unit. That is something that they will think about when it gets there. Until then, the Lower Mount Royal storage facility will be more than happy to help this small business out while it is trying to discover what their future holds.

    For these small business owners, they want to do what is best for them and their company. It is for sure that these business owners want to do whatever they can to survive in an unsure market place and with competition just around the corner. They are focused on harnessing their skills and abilities in order to get their selves known and getting their selves noticed.

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  • Why You Should Use Climate Controlled Storage
    By jeff on December 2, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

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    You can ask anyone in Edmonton, Alberta, the temperatures vary. It gets very hot there but you better believe that the temperatures can drop below a point that you want to imagine. With that said how will you know that your belongings will be safe in those conditions when using Edmonton storage solutions? We all know when it is cold outside we like to stay inside and stay warm. When we storage our belongings somewhere other than our homes, we should expect the same, right? For that reason we should look at getting a climate controlled unit at our local Edmonton storage facility.

    For those who are not sure what a climate controlled storage space is, it is a space in which the temperatures do not reach the extremes of outside. So when the temperature is very hot outside, the temperature inside the storage unit keeps the temperature down. When the temperature is cold outside, the storage space heats up just enough to keep your belongings comfortable.  Not everyone knows that this feature is available at your local Edmonton storage facility. If this is a feature that you think you will need, ask your local facility manager.

    The thing is that not everyone thinks or knows they will need climate control. So there are a couple of things that those in the self storage industry would recommend you inquire about climate controlled spaces. You should ask for climate control if you are storing leather, paintings, or anything else you feel is temperature sensitive. The worst thing that can happen is that you get a standard space that is susceptible to the weather outside, and your belongings are ruined. That would really put a damper on your day. In fact you might even be slightly miffed.

    The reason you are using self storage could be a number of different reasons. The reasons to use a climate controlled space are very few but well known. Some people feel that those who really want their belongings to stay in a space similar to that of their home they will go with a climate controlled space. That means they should inquire about the space when they are looking around for Edmonton storage. Not every facility will mention they have climate controlled space as part of their selling point, but if you ask people, they believe that is a good thing to know. Once they know that information, they can make a decision to see if a climate controlled space is right for them.

    It is the job of the facility manager to inform the customer about climate controlled spaces vs. standard spaces. The managers can make climate controlled spaces sound so great and beneficial to the customers before they tell them that the climate controlled spaces are more money. If the managers at the Edmonton storage facilities create enough value, it will not matter how much more money it is, the customer will want it. They will feel that their belongings are more important than the cost difference of climate controlled vs. standard. The difference in cost is not that great to where a person would freak out about the cost. If a customer truly cares about their belongings they will ensure they stay safe while it is in storage. No matter if the weather outside is frightful, no need to worry, your belongings will be nice and toasty inside.

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  • Preserve Your Memories with Aylmer Storage
    By jeff on October 21, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    I went to my Aylmer storage place because my friend wanted to see my extensive collection of hockey cards.  I have had them since I was a little kid and was proud to show them off any time I could.  I have stacks of them in boxes and even some of them are in display cases.  He was impressed as we sat in two chairs that folded out and drank a brew.

    I really do not know how many cards I have, they have never been counted before.  I still buy them too always adding to the collection.  I almost know all the players on each card and some cards have the entire team on them.  Some cards are worn and frayed and the special cards, the ones worth money I hope, can not be touched by anybody.  It is fun to have the old ones thinking back on my childhood and such.

    I have had this storage space not too long but Aylmer storage is pretty safe and I feel OK about them being in here.  I had them in my house but my wife was sick of loosing space in our bedroom and for years, our bedroom has become a hockey den.  I understand I told her, and hence the storage space.  It has worked out well to say the least.  We store Christmas stuff in here too, and I can buy all the cards I want and stick them in here.  I do not know if any of the new ones will be worth anything, but they are impressive once in awhile.

    A rookie card can become a star player sometimes.  Some were sure things too.  Bobby Orr was a sure thing.  His rookie card is cool to have.  I must have a hundred Gordie Howe cards and a hundred Wayne Gretzky cards.  Bobby Hull is in here too and a lot of the classic players.  There are even Olympics cards in here too.  Some are of Russian stars who used to dominate international play.  The world has caught up, even in America.

    We spent hours sitting and looking and drinking at my Aylmer storage locker.  We got up several times for more brews and laughed away at our attempts to be hockey players when we were young.  We did not make it to say the least, but we did have some glory days.  We were not so bad compared to other kids we played.  I was a left winger, Bobby here was a right winger.  I chased the puck and threw it in the slot where other more gifted players would score.  I once had fifteen assists in one game.  I will never forget that.  You will never see that in a real hockey game I am sure.  There are not many games where fifteen goals are scored by one team.  I do not put the ice skates on anymore these days.  I am too out of shape and too married and too busy.  I sit here once in awhile though and look at the cards.  It is heartwarming in a way and I wish I were a kid again just to play hockey with all my friends.  We can not go back in time ever again.  Every moment is precious as the saying goes.  I believe it mate.

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  • Key Terms for Maple Storage Units
    By admin on August 6, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    There are some key terms that will want to become familiar with in order to be an expert on Maple storage units and what it takes to bring the best possible storage experience to the public. Some storage properties have their act together in terms of quality and some do not. All you have to do is a quick internet search and you can see some of the horror stories about sites that do not care about safety and cleanliness. You will want to make sure that you end up at a good site when you store.

    The first term to know in when looking at Maple storage units is the administration fee, or admin fee for brevity. The admin fee is very common and almost every single facility will have one. The admin fee is usually around twenty dollars and gets added to the first month only. Do not worry, it is not a recurring cost. You pay it once and you never have to worry about it again. The second term is security deposit. The deposit is hard to find these days. It used to be that most every place had a deposit just like the admin fee. Anymore, it is only at a few places. However, the sites that do require a deposit may require one that is equal to an entire months rent. This is usually refunded at the end of the stay provided that there is no damage to the unit in any way. Although, it will seriously increase the initial cost for you and that is worth something.

    The next term to become familiar with is climate controlled. Some Maple storage units are climate controlled and some are not. You may find some that are heated only since there is more of a demand for the heated spaces. After all, it does not get that warm in the summer so having the space be cooled is not entirely necessary. At any rate, the heated or climate controlled spaces are going to cost a few extra dollars each month, but there are some items that will require it. If you have electronics of any kind, you should really consider getting a climate controlled space. This is especially true if you have any type of newer electronics, such as a flat screen tv or computer stuff. Standard Maple storage units will tend to get hot or cold depending on the temperature outside. You do tend to save some money on these units so if nothing will be damaged in there while you store then you should really consider this as a good option.

    Some Maple storage units require a lock from pretty much anywhere and some will require a very specific type of lock. If the door to the unit requires a cylinder lock, you would probably be best advised to just get the lock when you get to the site just so there is no confusion. After all, the site will offer pretty much the best deal that you will find as far as prices on locks. The cylinder locks actually go into the door and are a very secure lock for your unit. There are also padlocks which are just standard locks with keys or there are disc locks. Disc locks are very secure and are highly recommended.

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  • Variety of Beauport Storage Units
    By admin on July 16, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    When looking online for which of the many Beauport storage units there are too chose from, they can be a little confusing to most. The good thing is that you have some resources to find out which type of space you will need in order to store. When talking about the different Beauport storage units that are available, you will see or hear such spaces as standard, climate controlled, interior, drive up, or parking spaces. You might even see a combination of two of the terms.

    A standard space basically refers to a space that is not having any sort of temperature control available to you. The standard space takes on the temperature of what is going on outside. There will be period of time in which the temperature outside is not what is going on inside the storage space. The space is just as basic as they come and most will find that it is also the cheaper ones. This is why this space is the most popular of all the spaces. Now you will also see standard drive up spaces. These are simply just spaces that are standard that you can drive your vehicle right up to, open the door and then begin to load your belongings into it. This unit out of all the different Beauport storage units you will come in contact with, is the most sought after. For most customers this is the space that gives them the easiest move available. One of the other standard spaces that is available is the inside standard space. This space is just as standard as the outside, drive up spaces but you have to open up a door and go down the hallway to it. These spaces are still convenient to the customer because the facility will allow you to use their dollies and whatever else you need to take your belongings down to your storage unit. The temperatures in these units are a little better than the ones outside because these Beauport storage units are inside of a building that has some sort of insulation. So the temperature cannot fluctuate as it would outside.

    With climate controlled spaces, you will find the same spaces available as you would in standard, but these Beauport storage units stay at constant temperature all year round. It keeps the temperature as if it were in your home. That is what most people are looking for out of the many Beauport storage units because they do not want moisture to cause any potential damage to their belongings. So you will see that some customers like the climate control option for when they are looking at storing long term. The question is are they ok with the price being the way it is set up? The price is higher because the facility needs to be able to keep the temperature regulated.

    Besides those units that are under lock and key, some local storage companies will have outside parking spaces for you to park your car, or other large vehicle. For the most part these spaces are the lowest in cost because there is not a cover on most space and it is just a space out there on the lot of the storage company. So they can set up many spaces for people to use if they want to park outside. So whatever your need is, rest assured your local facility will be able to accommodate you. It is for sure that not every facility will be able to have all those spaces available. The ones that have decided to have the variety of choices for you will be the ones that will be the talk of the town.

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  • Choosing One From Many Airdrie Storage Units
    By admin on July 14, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    It would be safe to stay that we all like to have options when it comes to making a decision. We want to ensure that we are making the right choice and have some time to do some research in order to make that right decision. In some cases, people want to have enough choices to where they can get the best solution for their needs. Other times too many options can make a person even more confused. There is such thing as spending too much time trying to make the right decision.

    Some would say choosing the right facility is not that big of a deal. For many they feel that they can store their belongings anywhere but being able to choose the right space from a number of Airdrie storage units. That can be the issue sometimes. The customer does not always know what size they are going to need for their belongings. It is sometimes a task that is not easy to figure out what size they will need at this time. For the most part, people will move whole households or rooms of furniture and will need to seek out Airdrie storage units to see which one they will rent. This is where the manager will be able to assist the customer the best.

    Naturally the manager of the facility is the one who is the storage expert. They will know what the sizes are and also what will fit comfortable in there. The hardest thing for some customers to do is to put their trust into the hands of another. Sometimes the customer feels that they are being sold to and that they know what is best for them and their needs. When it comes to spending their money, they want to ensure that their money is going towards something they feel comfortable purchasing. That is where the trust has been developed by the manager towards the customer. The manager is there to sell them one of their Airdrie storage units but they are also there to ensure they do not get into the wrong size, thus paying too much for self storage sometimes.

    Sometimes there are so many Airdrie storage units available at any given facility. There can be spaces from as small as a locker space all the way up to a warehouse space. Naturally people say they want the biggest space for what they need and that will not be the case most of the time. So this is where the manager has to ask what the customer will be storing and hopefully be specific enough to where the manager can narrow down the right size for the customer. Not all the time the size will be perfect and sometimes the customer and manager have to play the game of looking at multiple units in order to find the right one. For some managers, they tell the customer it is like a puzzle.

    The customer is the one that knows what they are storing so the manager is at a slight disadvantage because they really have to trust the customer knows exactly what they will be storing to get them into the right size. The customer has to trust that the manager is there to help them and to not steer them wrong from choosing one size from all the Airdrie storage units. This is a very important relationship that has to be made so both sides can be happy.

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