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

The Reality of Bereavement

Every storage story is different here at Beehive Self Storage. Each item put into storage is unique and some stories of why people need to store are happier than others. We experience storage stories ranging from new babies, weddings and exotic travel plans, to house moves due to flooding, house moves that have fallen through, relationship breakdowns and of course, family deaths.

Picture courtesy of Anna Langova

As much as we would like to always have people wishing to store goods due to happier reasons unfortunately we do have to regularly help people who require storage due to the loss of a loved one.

Relatives are often left to manage the personal effects of the deceased person, which can be the most emotional and traumatic part of all. Items may have priceless sentimental value to each individual relative and it can be difficult to determine what items to keep and what items to sell or donate, particularly when you may have the pressure of a notice period or selling the property.

It can be an extremely emotional and stressful time for relatives, therefore more and more people are considering using self storage in these circumstances. Usually, customers who have lost a loved one use a storage unit to use as a space to gradually sort and determine what items they would like to keep in their own homes, sell, donate, dispose of or keep in storage on a timescale that suits them.

Picture courtesy of Anne Lowe

At Beehive Self Storage, we don’t have any long term contractual agreements. We simply have a four week minimum term and we ask for just two weeks notice to leave your unit. You can have peace of mind knowing that the priceless possessions you have inherited are safe and secure in our clean and dry individual units. At each of our branches, our experienced and friendly team members are happy to support you to find the storage solution that would suit your requirements from our Mini Stores to our largest units. We also stock a variety of packing materials and furniture covers to help you sort and protect your loved one’s belongings.

Starting today is Dying Matters Awareness Week, which raises awareness of talking and making arrangements for the end of life before it is too late.  So perhaps take time this week to discuss with your loved one’s what belongings they would wish to be kept after they have passed away.

The Dying Matters Coalition is working to encourage people to talk about their wishes towards the end of their lives, including where they want to die and their funeral plans with friends, family and loved ones. Dying Matters

May has arrived.

Finally, May is here! The showers have begun, just as you’ve finished cutting the grass it reappears at the same height, the trees are beginning to sprout green in familiar places and we’ve even spotted a few of our favourite bumblebees around the Beehive. 

Summer is on it's way and so is wedding season. Yes, the season of big hats, dad dancing, drunk uncles and indecent grooms being tied to lampposts is looming.

Currently, the average period in which couples spend planning their wedding is more than twelve months. Furthermore, many brides are choosing a DIY approach to their wedding such as making their own centrepieces, place names, favours or even their own dress. Your spare room will most likely turn into an Aladdin’s Cave of wedding merchandise; filled to the brim with invitations, envelopes, lace tape, fairy lights, mason jars and giant cocktail glass centrepieces. The spare room is now officially renamed the ‘Wedding Room’. Your fiancé then decides to invite his parents to stay for the weekend just weeks before the big day, in your ‘Wedding Room’…enter Bridezilla.

Unsurprisingly, many brides face a bit of a dilemma in where they should store all of their wedding collectables. Particularly, some brides may ask, where should I store my wedding dress? For example, your husband-to-be rooting through the spare room wardrobe only to find the one thing he should never discover – your wedding dress. 

We have a solution. Rather than using your spare room to store all of your goods, perhaps a private, clean and dry storage unit could solve the problem? You also control who has access to your unit as only you have a key, so you can have peace of mind knowing that no nosey grooms will stumble upon your dress. We also stock wardrobe boxes and white acid free tissue paper to protect your dress. Additionally, our facilities are ideal for those who are purchasing their own wine or beer for their evening reception as our insulated buildings maintain a steady temperature with minimal temperature fluctuations. It is suggested that you shouldn’t store your wine in sunlight or at a temperature higher than 21˚C as this can cause the wine to age more quickly than usual so particularly in the summer months avoid storing your wine at home. 

Self storage can also work very well for couples who ask their guests to them buy gifts. Gifts can start being delivered to your home up to a month before the wedding so ensure they are safe and dry in a storage unit. We also offer unlimited and free access to our storage facilities within our office hours so you can keep the gifts in the unit whilst you are away on honeymoon and collect them when you are ready and slowly integrate them into your home.

Finally, perhaps one thing to avoid is storing the groom himself in the storage unit. After buying the contents of an abandoned storage unit for just $20 at auction in 1999, a Californian woman discovered that amongst her newly acquired wedding pictures and champagne glasses lay the body of a groom. The bride was later charged with murder. Obviously, we don’t suggest storing the body of your future husband in our or any storage units!

How to make your Mother’s Day

Winter is now behind us and Easter is just on the horizon. Daffodils are in bloom, lambs are in the fields and the days are looking just that little bit sunnier and are slowly getting longer.

March brings us Mothering Sunday, on the 30^th just in case you need a little reminder! 

Although it may not seem like a day to associate with self storage, it is a day devoted to your mother and we are always finding new ways to show the ones we love that we care. It’s usually shown through a beautiful card or a big bunch of Spring flowers, but what about something different this year?

For those of you that already have a storage unit, what better way to show your mother or grandmother that you care by taking a trip down memory lane. Get out those old photos and home videos and reminisce on old times. It can be great fun and gets everyone in the family involved. You could collect your old photos and scan them to make a digital memory or find your old bits of school artwork and get them framed for her.

Alternatively, perhaps a good declutter and tidy might make your mother’s day? You did move out of her house years ago but there are still the odd bits and bobs you left behind that you knew you would come and pick up eventually. You’ve been using her spare bedroom as a storage unit and now it is perhaps time to get a storage unit of your own. Our smaller units, such as a 35 sq ft unit, would easily fit those bits of furniture left in her garage and those boxes of CDs under her spare bed that you just can’t throw away. You may even have a little extra room to put those extra priceless belongings that are still in her attic.

So, we would like to know how will you make your Mother’s Day this year?

So what has love got to do with it?

Valentine’s Day is just a couple of days away – is it really one of the most romantic days of the year?

 

Each year in Britain we spend around £503,000,000 on cards, chocolates, flowers and other valentine’s gifts. Wow. That’s a massive amount of money – and for what? What is the ‘Bah – humbug’ equivalent for love?

  

Don’t get me wrong, I like a bit of romance as much as the next person, but seriously, are we getting this out of proportion? Let’s put things into perspective:

Some believe that that February 14^th was the day that the birds would choose their mates, whilst the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

 Regardless of the historical origins, the modern day interpretation is that Valentine’s Day is the day you would affirm your love for your chosen one, or if you if you are still searching for ‘the one’, you would anonymously send declarations of love and admiration. 

 

So what are you hoping for on Valentine’s Day? Are you hoping for a mysterious black velveteen box concealing a carat or two’s worth of bling? Maybe you are hoping to be whisked off for a weekend of romance in Paris, Venice or New York? Others will no doubt be happy with less flamboyant gestures, such as a bunch of handpicked flowers, a handmade card, or a cosy dinner for two.

 

Surely though, we should show people how much we care every day, rather than on just one certain day? I love getting home from work on any day of the year to find the vacuuming done, the dishwasher empty and the fire roaring. The very fact that my loved one has thought about me through the day, and made an effort to help keep our home clean, tidy and warm means a lot to me.

 

The only thing that would make it better would be the clutter disappearing. By clutter I mean the tools, the odd glove, random chargers, work boots, golf clubs, old newspapers and magazines, a tape measure, a remote control, a lone AA battery and that box of things. You know the things I mean don’t you? How on earth is that bit of metal, the old spring, half a set of Allen keys and a 2 Peseta piece ever going to be useful again? Pesetas haven’t been legal tender for 12 years... But my loved one has his clutter.

 
Maybe I should suggest that he takes out a storage unit? He could store the ‘stuff’ in a unit and free up drawers and cupboards in the house, which would mean the world to me.

Think about it: The price storage units start from is pretty much the cost of a bunch of flowers and far more reasonable than the cost of a table for the both of us at Chez Expensive (with prices expressly hiked up for this one night of the year).

Maybe I should get him a storage unit as a Valentines present?

www.beehiveselfstorage.co.uk

 

 

When you get itchy feet…

When you get itchy feet, consider storing in our square feet…

 I don’t know if you have looked out of the window recently, but it is pretty miserable here in the UK at the moment. We are all dreaming of sunnier, warmer climates and sipping on mojitos in a hammock under a palm tree. Many of us at some point feel like packing up and getting the next flight to Havana but unfortunately the reality of mortgages and rooms of furniture can bring us back down to earth fairly quickly. So, perhaps when you get itchy feet you should consider storing in our square feet to enable your travelling dreams to become a reality.

Most people would consider storing their valuables within self storage but what about your sentimental valuables? One anonymous member of our team here at Beehive has an irreplaceable ‘Yellow Ellie’, a yellow toy elephant given to her as a Christening present many years ago that she simply would not want to be without. Yellow Ellie may have lost some of her stuffing, an ear and is a little bit rough around the edges but it is these irrecoverable items that you may wish to store with us.

You may also feel that it is necessary to use a house sitter, now we aren’t the type of people who suspect everyone is a serial killer, but what if the house sitter’s dog took a particular liking to ‘Yellow Ellie’? You may arrive home to find just a lonely beady eye left. House exchanges are also becoming increasingly popular with those experiencing ‘Wanderlust’ which must involve a mutual feeling of trust between the two parties, but for peace of mind perhaps you would feel more comfortable storing some priceless or treasured belongings.

Imagine arriving off your long haul flight at Heathrow to find that your beloved Mona Lisa has ended up with a moustache and glasses at the unartistic hands of one of your teenager’s friends or your wardrobe has been raided and your designer dress has a suspicious stain that smells quite distinctly of cider and your daughter’s perfume. That just-off-holiday feeling has gone and I’m sure one thing would come immediately to mind – I wish we used self storage!

Our purpose built facility is clean, dry and insulated in such a way to prevent fluctuations in temperature which can lead to damp and humidity. You will have your own private unit that is easily accessible with trolleys and sack trucks available free of charge. We have a sophisticated alarm and monitored CCTV system to ensure your belongings are secure and we also offer insurance at competitive prices.

So why wait? If your travels last for one month or three years, we have various sizes of units to suit your storage requirements. You can store just about anything with us so whether you are renting your house for a long term trip and need to store a house full of furniture or whether it is your very own Mona Lisa or Yellow Ellie, you can store your items with at Beehive Self Storage in the confidence that they are safe and secure.

www.beehiveselfstorage.co.uk

 

Photographs 1 & 2 are courtesy of George Hodan & Karen Arnold respectively.

Milk on a houseplant’s leaves – who knew?

The daffodils and crocuses are starting to peek from beneath the ground and there have been a few glimpses of sunshine across the South West these last few weeks. It’s staying light longer in the afternoons so it’s reassuring to know that Spring is on the way.

Are you a ‘Spring Cleaner’? Some people love an opportunity to give their home a really good ‘bottoming’ as my Grandmother used to call it, whilst for others it’s a case of doing what needs doing.

According to Wikipedia, the origins of Spring Cleaning may date back to Iranian Norouz which is the Persian New Year, falling on the first day of Spring. Iranians continue the practice of khooneh tekouni which translates literally into ‘shaking the house’. Whether you love or hate housework, nothing is more valuable than tips and hints passed down from generation to generation, or shared amongst friends so the Beehive girls have compiled a list of some of our favorites to share with you:

 

1.       Nothing is more frustrating than a smear when cleaning windows. To locate the smear more easily simply wipe horizontally when cleaning the outside of a window, but vertically when cleaning the inside and that way you will be able to tell at a glance whether the smear is inside or outside!

2.       If you mix 20 drops of lavender oil (or lemongrass oil) in 100ml of water and use from a spray bottle, it’s a great way to wipe grime from window frames and it leaves the house smelling fresh. As an added bonus, lemongrass and lavender are also known for their fly repellent properties!

3.       Limescale can easily be removed from shower heads – just remove the showerhead and leave in a bowl of white vinegar overnight.

4.     WD-40 is great for removing sticky marks or adhesive residue left by labels on items such as plastic.

5.      Brass and copper has a real shine if rubbed with a cotton wool ball that has been dipped in ketchup and then buffed with a soft cloth.

6.       Stained toilet bowl? Leave fizzy cola in the bowl overnight and then flush for a gleaming loo!

7.       Diluted or neat lemon juice can be used to remove stains (or rust) on plastic.

8.      Eliminate water marks from wooden surfaces with a small amount of mayonnaise or toothpaste on a damp cloth – test a small area first!

9.      Rubbing the leaves of houseplants with a small of amount of milk on a soft cloth will make sure that they shine for weeks!

10.   Glass bottles and vases can become grimy in the bottom with use and are often difficult to clean. Place uncooked rice in those hard to reach receptacles with a water and vinegar solution. Leave to soak for 10 minutes and then (with your hand firmly over the opening) shake heartily, finish by giving them a rinse with cold water.

We really hope that some of these ideas are useful to you and we’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestion if you have any you’d like to share.

Milk on a houseplant’s leaves – who knew?

Photographs courtesy of Petr Kratochvil