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. 

The Chamber of Secrets

Individuals from all walks of life use self storage, from normal families to the world’s most famous celebrities; many people are intrigued by the mystery of what is behind each door. Obviously we like to keep our customers' storage confidential here at Beehive Self Storage, so we have decided to share some of the strangest things found in storage units from around the world:

Rare Cars

In 2009, at a storage garage in the UK a Bugatti 57S was found by the nephew of a reclusive doctor. The car was one of just seventeen made and later sold at auction in Paris for £6 million. Also stored in the UK, was a copy of the famous K.I.T.T, the famous Knight Rider car.

The Million-Dollar Comic Book

After a break in at his home, Nicholas Cage filed a police report that his Action Comic #1 was missing from his home. Over ten years later, it was discovered in an abandoned storage unit and Cage was finally reunited with his prized comic book valued at over a million dollars.

A Treasure Chest

At a storage auction in San Jose, a man paid $1,100 dollars for what he thought was a storage unit full of furniture and boxes. After sorting through his new purchase he found a blue container filled with rare coins plus gold and silver ingots. He made a great return on his investment as his treasure was valued at over half a million dollars.

Michael Jackson’s Unreleased Songs

After purchasing the contents of Michael’s father, Joe Jackson’s storage unit, one lucky buyer found over 250 unreleased songs by the singer some of which were recorded with Tina Turner. As the singer was between contracts when the songs were recorded, no record company had legal claim to the songs which were worth millions of dollars.

Aretha Franklin’s Wardrobe

After a fire in her own home, Franklin apparently began using a storage unit to keep her clothes and hats safe. However, she stopped paying for the unit and her fabulous and famous wardrobe was placed under the hammer for the highest bidder.

As you can see self storage is used for all kinds of items, units have been used as offices, party venues and even used as a home for a woman and her young child for five years. This shows just how imaginative people can be with their own storage and how flexible and adaptable self storage can be for anyone! What is the strangest thing you have ever heard of being placed into storage?

For details of what items are prohibited from storage, speak to one of our advisors at each of our branches or visit our website: www.beehiveselfstorage.co.uk

Your friend's cousin's mate, who's called Dave...

As you may be aware there are many different types of storage. We’ve decided to give our blog readers a brief overview of all of the possible storage options available out there.

·         Container storage

This type of storage is usually in metal shipping containers. Often your storage unit/container is based in a secure outside compound so customers can drive beside their container and access their goods. Some companies may also deliver these containers to a customer’s business or home, where they can be filled and left on site or removed and stored by the storage company.

Advantages: A cheaper option of self storage.

Disadvantages: Due to their outside location and lack of insulation, these containers can suffer from frequent temperature fluctuations leading to the risk of damp throughout the year. Additionally, you may be charged considerable access fees to enter your container. Security is not as comprehensive as indoor, purpose built storage facilities.

Peter Griffin

·         Wooden Crate Storage

Usually this kind of storage is used by removal companies for storing clients’ furniture between moves or on a long term basis. The removal company will fill your crate with your belongings and take it to their warehouse where crates are usually stored above or next to each other.

Advantages: Another relatively cheaper option of storage; the crate may also be packed for you.

Disadvantages: You are most likely allowed quite restricted access to your crate, if access is even allowed at all. If you wish to access your crate or finish storing in your crate there is usually a hefty fee (usually around £50) for this as they have to move other crates to access yours. They are also usually in rural areas with restricted public access.

Petr Kratochvil

·         Lock-up Garage/Barn Storage

You’ve mentioned to your friends and family that you are looking into self storage for some extra space. Your friend’s cousin’s has a mate called Dave. Would you know it, he's got an empty barn which he says is available for you to store your belongings in.

Advantages:  It’s considerably cheaper than any other storage option.

Disadvantages: The barn has holes in the roof and it has flooded a couple of times. Plus, the ‘comprehensive’ security is a cockrel that sometimes cries when someone walks past. There’s no access fees but you need a sturdy 4x4, heavy duty wellingtons and a pretty powerful torch to get to your goods. When you finally get to them you soon discover you could wring water out of your precious childhood books and you need to buy a brand new sofa because it has grown a new life form on the arm rests.

Petr Kratochvil

·         Beehive Self Storage

We offer individual, private units in a secure, purpose built facility. The units are insulated in such a way to prevent steep temperature fluctuations that ensure they stay clean and dry without the risk of damp. Access is unlimited throughout our opening hours and there are no access fees or hidden charges.

Advantages:  

• Our units are clean, dry and secure. 
• Modern purpose built storage facilities.
• Well lit with automatic lighting - no need for a torch when you come and visit!
• We have professional, friendly and experienced staff to help you find a solution for your requirements. 
• We offer unlimited and free access to your unit. 
• There are no hidden charges – you only pay for the storage space you require. 
• There is  plenty of free parking at each of our sites
• Convenient loading bays, sack trucks and trolleys ensure your visit to your unit is as pleasant and straightforward as possible. 
• We offer competitive ‘New for Old’ insurance so if anything should happen to your goods you won’t have to pay to replace them. 
• We also offer the flexibility of moving to larger or smaller units if your storage needs change.
• Ideal for clients who want peace of mind that their valued belongings are clean, dry and safe whilst offering a personal service with a friendly smile. 

Disadvantages: We don’t offer 24/7 access and this is to ensure our security is never compromised, but do you really need to access your unit at 3am on a Sunday morning?

You can find our much, much more about Beehive Self Storage by clicking here

Here we are!

So, here it is - the Beehive Self Storage blog. Welcome along and thanks for taking a look.  Beehive Self Storage offers secure and purpose built storage across Somerset and Dorset and through our blog we'd like to tell you more about us, our teams and what we do.

What springs to mind when you hear the term 'self-storage'? If you've never used storage before it might all seem a little mysterious, or conjure up mental images of dark, cold warehouses. You might think storage only for banishing unwanted items into an abyss never to be seen again, but you couldn't be further from the truth!

Storage space can be found in many guises these days, but reputable storage companies like Beehive have facilities offering clean, vibrant and contemporary surroundings with secure storage units in different sizes.

 

As for what can be stored - the opportunities are (almost) limited only by your imagination! There are a few things which are prohibited for safety and legal reasons but otherwise the list is endless, and probably a blog in itself.

 

What would you store?