What Self-Storage is Best for You?

If you have a cluttered home or office and need space you just don’t have, self-storage could be the answer for you. There are multiple options available for self-storage, whether you’re looking for business storage or domestic and here at Beehive, we can help you decide what is best for you.

Domestic Storage

Every house has some mess and disorder, but if your home is getting out of control, you may need the help from a self-storage. You can choose whether you want to store a few personal possessions to the contents of your whole house, decluttering your home as you go. Perhaps you are having building work or decorating done to your home and are unsure where to keep your belongings? Domestic self-storage could be your answer.

With domestic self-storage from Beehive, there are multiple sizes from 25 square foot right up to 175 square foot, so you are able to choose exactly how much space you want or need. We also offer loading bays, large corridors and handling equipment completely free of charge, giving you a stress free experience going to and from your storage space.

The best thing about having your own domestic self-storage unit is that you have free of charge access as frequently as suits you. No appointment is necessary, and only you hold the key.

Business Storage

If you’re a business owner and find that you have a lot of stock creating a mess in your premises, or you have important paperwork that seems to be filling up your office more than it should be, perhaps a business self-storage unit is the secure and flexible answer for you.

At Beehive, self-storage is not just for large businesses or cluttered homes. If you’re a start-up business and simply don’t have the spare space, you can find storage units suited to you, starting at only 12 square foot. If you’re a larger industrial business with more items to store, our space range up to 5000 square foot.

If you find your business’ stock intake increases and decreases over time, you are able to increase or reduce your storage unit’s space at any point- free of charge. Like domestic self-storage, you are able to access your units free of charge and has frequently as you deem necessary, perfect for any busy business owner.

If you’re still unsure of what self-storage unit to go for, or if you have any further questions, please get in touch with a member of the Beehive Self Storage team here- we’d love to help!

Top Tips for Ultimate Wardrobe Organisation

Having a wardrobe that is a confusing and chaotic mess of a mountain of clothes can often mean you can’t find things when you need them. Ensuring you have a spotless, tidy and well-organised wardrobe means you’ll be able to make the most out of all your purchases whilst keeping a clear bedroom and mind, too! Here’s our top tips on how to achieve and maintain an organised wardrobe.

1. Do you wear it? Have you gone more than a year without wearing some clothing items in your wardrobe? If you have, it’s time to say an overdue goodbye. As much as you think you may want to wear them one day, it’s best to get rid. Using the space for something you’ll definitely wear is better than letting unnecessary items clutter your closet.

2. Retire Items If you have clothes that you love but are tired of wearing, pack them away into your attic for a few months. Not only will it save space in your wardrobe, but you’ll love them again when you remember you have them. The same can also be done with seasonal wear; when it gets to summer, pack away all your winter clothes until the season comes back around.

3. Sell or Donate If you have clothes that are in a good condition but you no longer want to wear, you could make some extra money by selling them on. There are multiple websites you can use as a platform for selling, including eBay and Depop. Alternatively, you could do a great deed and donate your old clothes to a charity shop.

4. Categorise It may take some time, but categorising your clothing items into sections can make everything easier to find. Place all items in their relevant sections (tops, skirts, trousers, dresses). You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes when it comes to picking your outfits- not to mention keeping everything extremely organised!

5. Use a Self-Storage Unit
If you have a lot of clothes that, although you don’t often wear, you just can’t get rid of, perhaps a small, domestic self- storage unit could be the answer to your unorganised wardrobe woes. Beehive Self-Storage have a huge range of multiple sized units available at a great price!

Organising your wardrobe can be a hefty task, but it needn’t be if you follow our top tips. If you’d like more information on domestic self-storage units, we’d love to help. Please get in touch with a member of our team via our website, here.

5 Clever Uses for Self Storage Units

Storage units can be for more than just housing junk. You can make clever use of the additional space they offer and to prove it we’ve come up with five ways! 

1. Document & Valuables Storage

If you have important documents or valuables that need to be kept safe, a storage unit is the best way. The security on the premise means your items will be well protected, so you don’t have to worry about them whatsoever. Then, when you are ready, you can pick them up at a later date. For storing documents and precious items, why not try one of our mini storage lockers?

2. Rotating Stock

If you own a physical store or an online shop, you can use a storage unit to rotate your stock. You could put seasonal items in a storage unit until it’s time for those items to sell. Or if you have an online shop but don’t have space in your home to store all your products, keep some in the storage unit. It will keep your house free and make it easier to manage your stock when it’s in a separate space. It also protects your items, so they don’t get damaged before they are sold.

3. Storing Hobby Equipment

If you don’t have space at home, you can keep your hobby equipment in a storage unit. This is particularly useful for people who don’t have enough space on their property, or their hobby is quite seasonal, like skiing, which means the equipment isn’t needed all year round. If your hobby is quite creative, then you could also store your creations, such as big pieces or art. With a storage unit, you can keep your pieces in the best possible condition, which you can’t necessarily do at home.

4. Hide Gifts

If you live with people who like to search for their presents ahead of time, using a storage unit could be the best solution. They’ll never be able to discover their gift while you’re not looking, which means it can stay a surprise. This would be an excellent idea for hiding Christmas presents or big gestures, like a proposal for example. There are only so many places in the house you can hide a ring box, and you definitely wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise ahead of time!

5. When You’re Redecorating

When you’re redecorating your home, you could cover everything to keep your items from getting ruined, but that isn’t a fool-proof solution. Putting your belongings in a storage unit, however, will give you more space to work in, and you won’t have to worry about getting any of your furniture messy, which could be expensive to fix!

We hope this has given you some ideas about how you can use a storage unit. If you’d like to find out more about our self-storage units, please get in touch.

How to Keep Your Valuables Safe at Glastonbury

Festival season is well under way, and we know you might be concerned about how to keep your valuables safe at events like Glastonbury. That’s why we’ve written this post – so you’re well-informed about your options.

Dangers of carrying your valuables

There’s a lot of risk with carrying your valuables with you at Glastonbury. It’s the largest greenfield festival in the world, so you can imagine the masses of people and things on the site. It’s imperative you keep your valuables safe in the midst of all the festival’s activities.  

The danger of not keeping your stuff safe is that you might lose track of them while you’re caught up in the festival fever, they could fall into the mud and because of the music you won’t hear it drop, or it could get stolen if you don’t keep a watchful eye on it. It could even be hours before you realise some of your things have been misplaced, which would make the task of finding them almost impossible. 

Losing one of your belongings during a festival could seriously dampen your mood. On the other hand, you don’t want to be on high alert trying to guard your things either. You need an easy, stress-free solution to keep your valuables safe.

Glastonbury lock-ups

Glastonbury offers property lock-ups onsite – you can find their locations on a festival map, marked by a keyhole logo. You can leave your belongings for as long as you need and they’re open 24 hours with no charge. However, if you have been to Glastonbury before you will know how long these errands can take – who wants to be stood in the queue for a lock-up, when you could be exploring the more exciting parts of Glastonbury? 

The Beehive solution 

Alternatively, you could use one of our Beehive mini storage lockers. They’re an indoor storage solution, which means your belongings will be safe and secure, away from the Glastonbury crowds and rain clouds. Our lockers are stored in Taunton, Somerset, just a short drive from the Glastonbury site. 

If you don’t want to risk losing your precious items in the hustle and bustle of the festival, this is a perfect solution to consider. You can rest assured that your valuables are in a permanent, secure location; you know you won’t have to scour the massive campsite looking for your belongings. You could drop your important items off on your way to the campsite and pick them up on your way home, it’s as easy as that! 

At Beehive Self Storage, we’re all about offering you convenient ways to store your belongings. We know how important your valuables are, which is why we encourage you to keep them safe and secure. You can do that with one of our mini storage lockers. 

To find out more, you can email us at taunton@beehiveselfstorage.co.uk or call us on 01823 323575. 

Top Tips for Organizing Your Storage Space

It's an inevitability, that the day will come when the item you need the most is in a box, beneath a box, in a wardrobe...at the back of your storage unit. Organizing your belongings within your storage unit is an important step to help you locate items within your unit but also ensure you are using your storage space efficiently, therefore, potentially saving you money. 

Take a look at these 5 simple steps to ensure your storage unit is organised for the weeks, months and years you may be storing your belongings.

Step 1: It's all about size.

Assemble a list of the items that you need to store, have you anything particularly large or of an awkward size? Do all of your items need to be stored together? It may be beneficial to have two smaller units, one for furniture and one for boxes and items you may access regularly. Speak to the team at your storage facility, they are experienced and well trained and know what sizes and what options suit your specific requirements. 

Step 2: Perfect Planning.

Consider what items you will need to access frequently, every so often or you will not need during your stay and pack them respectively. It may be worth investigating what racking options your storage facility can offer you, should you require shelving for boxes etc. 

Store larger and bulky items at the back of the unit and dismantle any flat-pack furniture you may have. To maximize space, you can store sofas on their side. To protect sofas and mattresses from dust and any damage whilst in transit, cover with plastic furniture sheets. 

Step 3: And Perfect Packing.

If you require packing boxes, use double walled boxes that are strong and sturdy, they can also be reused. Pack books and heavy items in small boxes to ensure you can lift them when required. Medium boxes suit everyday household items and utilise large boxes for curtains, duvets and clothing. 

Stick to your plan and pack items in boxes related to how often you will need to access them. For those are meticulous, you can create a box inventory with details of what each box contains. You can colour code, number code or simply write on each box it's contents. Wrap valuable and fragile items in bubble wrap or packing paper to keep them safe whilst moving. 

Pack your moving van in the opposite way to your storage unit, you then can pack your storage unit from the van rather than unloading everything out of the van at the facility to then pack into your unit. 

Step 4: Moving In.

Once again, stick to your plan and arrange the items as you have decided. As items are being moved in, double check the labels and/or inventory to your plan.

Large, bulky items should be arranged at the back and sides. Place heavier boxes on the floor and you can then easily stack lighter items and boxes on top. 

You can create an aisle in your unit if you have available space which can help access all areas of the unit. 

Step 5: Maximise and Maintain

Make the most of void space inside wardrobes, draws and even your fridge. Once again, label the doors to itemize what is inside. 

Maintain the organisation of your unit by keeping your inventory within the unit. Alternatively, draw a diagram to easily find your way around your unit. 

We hope these steps help you towards organising your unit! 

Our Smallest Storage Solution: Mini-Store

Most people when they are looking to store items are looking for units which can accommodate for furniture and larger household items. However, what about the people who are just looking to store a few boxes?

Well, that’s where our mini-store lockers come in handy. You can fit 12 small packing boxes into one of our Mini-Store lockers, with a bit of space for some other smaller bits and bobs.

Picture this, you’re decorating your lounge and need somewhere to put the boxes filled with small items. You put them in another room, but they keep getting in the way, you keep tripping over them, and they keep falling over. This is where our Mini-Store lockers come in handy – for just £6 a week, you can put these boxes in to a mini store locker. This way, the boxes are out of the way, in a safe, secure place. And if you’re looking to only store the boxes for a few days or weeks, we can offer a 7-day contract on our Mini-Store lockers, which means that you are not obligated to pay for our usual four-week period. 

Another issue that you  may have is that you have some items which are sentimental and precious to you. They may be hidden away, so that they can’t be broken or taken, or you may just be continuously worried about the safety of these items.  Here at Beehive Self Storage, we pride ourselves with having high quality facilities which are temperature controlled and completely safe and secure. A Mini-Store locker may well be the perfect solution for you, allowing you to store smaller items in the same quality and with the same security of our larger units.  

At the end of the day, at Beehive Self Storage our aim is to make sure that you have complete peace of mind when storing your goods. Whether you’re looking to store a few boxes for a couple of weeks or something sentimental to you for a longer period of time, we’re here to make your life easier. 

Moving House with Self Storage

Albert Einstein once said “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”. Now we are aware that the topic of self storage or moving house is not the most poetic, but Einstein’s thoughts make some sense and also when the statement is reversed. Moving house can be an extremely stressful time. Whether you’re just starting to sell your house or you’re deep into the process of moving, it’s a well known fact that moving house can be demanding and sometimes even traumatic. At Beehive Self Storage, we try to keep the easy balance that customers may be looking for when they are moving home.

Some customers use our storage facilities in order to declutter their homes to make their house look more appealing to viewers.  At Beehive Self Storage, we have smaller locker units which are useful for storing a few boxes that contain ‘bits and bobs’ which may be cluttering up your home.

 Some customers also use our storage facilities as a middle ground between their old home and their new home. Storing at Beehive Self Storage allows customers the opportunity to move out any items in their previous home, without the worry of then having to rush them in to their new home. This way, moving home can be a gradual and easy process without the pressures that come with the final moving day.

Whether you’re storing a few items of precious china or the dresser which holds the precious china, we have the facilities for you. With our units ranging from 10 sq ft to 175 sq ft, nothing is too small or big to store. You are welcome to visit the storage facilities at any time during opening hours without needing to book an appointment. We don’t charge entrance fees which means that you can visit us as little or as often as you like. At Beehive Self Storage we offer complete flexibility, we don’t see the point of making you pay for space that you are not utilising and if you need to transfer from your larger unit to a smaller unit while you gradually move into your house, we are more than happy for you to do this. Our aim at Beehive Self Storage is to make your stay with us as stress-free and as calm as possible whilst you’re moving. 

Keep Calm...It's Only A Blog Post!

Wednesday the 18^th of June will also be known as International Panic Day this year. We have all been there – your son returns home from University in his VW camper full to the roof and grunts that he must leave it ‘wherever’ in your house so he can still take his camper to Glastonbury Festival this year, just as your perfectionist mother-in-law comes to stay for a week.  That panicky feeling starts at the bottom of your stomach.  You begin to think of a solution to this problem and decide that self storage might be worth investigating. You speak with an advisor at Beehive Self Storage and that very same day your son is on his way to one of our branches to unload his belongings into a unit. You even persuade him to move some of those bits of clutter you’ve been meaning to sort out for a while. His belongings are kept safe and dry, plus out of the house, until the end of the summer until he heads back to University for another year.

Although this may seem like a humorous and trivial situation, we like to think that we are quite experienced in helping customers who are going through quite possibly the most stressful time of their lives. Whether it is a house move collapsing or the death of a loved one, we are here to ensure that your time at Beehive Self Storage is as easy and trouble free as possible. We aim to relieve at least some of the panic that you may be experiencing to make things simply easier for you. Whether you need long or short term storage space, from 10 sq ft to 175 sq ft, we offer a personal, friendly and confidential service whatever the situation.

International Panic Day also raises awareness of Panic Disorder which is a debilitating disorder for many sufferers. For more information please visit: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/panic-disorder/index.shtml