Optimizing Your Self Storage Space

Let’s face it, self storage costs money. It may also help you save money by allowing you to rent or live in a smaller place than you would have to if you didn’t have the storage unit, but it still constitutes a monthly bill. The cost of storage varies according to the size of the unit you rent; therefore using your rental space to its maximum is very important. It will save you from the extra costs of the next size up. Follow these tips to help get the most out of your space.

• Stack your items as high you safely can. By packing items in boxes and listing what is in them you will be able to do this much more effectively. It will greatly help if you know which boxes contain books and other heavy items to put on the bottom of the pile. Make sure that breakables are up higher and that boxes above them contain nothing that would crush the ones below.
• Fill all empty spaces. If you are storing dressers, fill the drawers with smaller items. If you have ovens, dishwashers or refrigerators in storage, put kitchenware inside them. The same goes for washers, dryers, trunks, chests, coolers and anything that has a space inside it.
• If storing linens, quilts, clothing or any type of material, use vacuum storage bags. These bags provide an airtight enclosure for such items. Your vacuum sucks air out of the bag after you have put your items inside, protecting them from moisture, mold, insects, dust, odor and germs. It also makes bulky items much more compact therefore allowing them to be stored more easily, taking up much less room.

Keep your self storage costs down by opting for the smallest size unit you can get away with, by putting these valuable tips to good use.

Compare Atlanta self storage facilities easily.

Find the Best Self Storage Unit for You

As many as one in ten Americans use self storage units for a variety of reasons. However, whether you are using one for a transition in your life, because you are moving, to hold excess business records or inventory or just because you have too much stuff, it is important to find the right unit for you.

• Visit several self storage facilities in your immediate are. Proximity and easy accessibility are very important to your choice.
• By visiting such facilities, you can also get an idea of the level of cleanliness that is kept there. This may save you from having an unpleasant infestation of who-knows-what in your stored items.
• Make sure the facility has humidity control in order to prevent mold growth on your items.
• Weigh the pros and cons of the accessibility of each self storage facility. Ones that are single-story and have a door that opens to the outside for each individual unit offer the easiest access for loading and unloading. People who live in urban areas may not have this option and may need to use a multi-story building with units accessed from inside.

Choosing a self storage unit that best fits your needs will ensure that your mind is at rest concerning the housing of your belongings. Never choose a facility sight unseen. Your stored items may never be the same again.

The Best Online Storage Sites

Online storage sites have become more and more popular as we have more of our important personal, work and financial documents on our personal computers. The invention and popularity of digital cameras has also meant that we often have a large amount of unprinted digital photos on our hard drive that can be devastating to lose. Having such data backed up at an external site that is completely safe in case the worst were to happen and we lost all computer data has become very important. Online storage sites do just that, they provide a totally secure site for all your electronic files, so even if your home is completely destroyed, you will still have access to those precious documents.

Much competition has sprung up in terms of online storage sites, however there are several which have definitely risen to the forefront as being amongst the best. Each offers something different and is worth checking out.

Mozy: This site offers an impressive 2GB of secure encrypted free online storage to home users. Unlimited storage is also available for a small monthly fee. Mozy also offers a Pro version for businesses. Mozy is such a great program because you can preset backup times and dates and all the work will be done for you. It does require downloading the Mozy software onto your computer.

Carbonite: This website is completely free of charge for the first 15 days and offers unlimited free storage. However, there are limitations on the size of files you can store there. It continuously backs up new data on your PC. The data is then encrypted and stored at their remote backup center. Others can also access your files if you give them this option and allow them to share your files. There are more enhanced versions that have fees for use, but the basic Carbonite service is an uncharted diamond in terms of useful websites.

Box: Box.net is an online storage site that specializes in offering freedom of access and easy manipulation of files from anywhere. Only 1 GB of information can be stored free of charge and after that there are multiple levels of pricing. The flexibility in the use and manipulation of your online documents is what makes Box stand out amongst other companies of its type.

Dropbox: This storage site has a unique feature that other similar services do not. You can use your account on multiple computers and they update simultaneously. Whenever you use the downloaded dropbox to update a file all the other dropboxes on your account automatically update because they are in sync. This is one of the easiest online storage services to use

In a world where years of work can be wiped out by a hard drive crashing or a virus infecting your computer, online backup can mean the difference between disaster and slight delay. Take the time to research the options available for online storage and save yourself lots of potential headaches.