Home Storage Ideas

You are in need of home storage ideas if you are finding yourself worrying less about your dirty carpets now that you can’t even see them under all the clutter. Surely there are cost-effective ways to utilize the space we have without needing a bulldozer or a second home. For those organizationally challenged in the world, the following paragraphs offer suggestions for getting the best use out of your space and organizing your clutter.

Each individual home owner has the “room from hell.” Try as we might, we can’t figure a way to organize the bathroom. Or, is it the kitchen? Looking at each room of the home, here are a few home storage ideas to try out. They are affordable, so if they don’t fit the bill, not much time and money were lost.

Bathroom
• There are now towel racks that hook onto cabinet doors. This will save the wall from the dreaded screws but will also lower the profile of the towels, giving the room a larger feel.
• Secondly, there are many affordable storage units that fit over or beside the toilet, not to mention the shower caddies that come in enough varieties as to suit any shower size and design.
• Stackable units are available to group soap, tooth brushes and tooth paste. In this way, the counter space is increase and has a more streamlined appearance.

Kitchen
Apart from the typical stacking containers and hanging pans, there are many ways to organize a kitchen.
• Rolling pantry shelves really help in the modern kitchens built with limited cabinetry and no pantry. These shelving units can be spun sideways when unused and tucked in between a counter and a table or slid out of view.
• Within the cabinets, there are expandable “steps” for cans and spices and also shelves that fold out like rollaway beds. These inventions and many like them can almost double the usable space in an average cabinet.
• Recycling = good. Pesky plastic grocery store bags = clutter. A wall-mounted plastic bag holder/dispenser frees up the drawer or cabinet space that the ever-growing mountain of grocery store bags presents in the modern kitchen.

Closets
• Space saving hangers allow the user to hang clothes vertically, as well as using the horizontal bar. In this way, they provide room for twice to three times as many articles of clothing.
• Wall-mounted trouser racks can accommodate up to 10 pair of slacks without taking up any closet bar space!
• There are various shoe racks on the market. Look to see what works best for your space. There are free standing, wall-mounted and ones that hang on the back of the door.

There are home storage ideas and devices for every room in the house. There are even heavy duty wall racks specially made to hold the weight of laundry detergent bottles without hurting your walls. For the bedroom, there are jewelry racks and containment boxes made to fit easily under a standard bed. Employing even a few of these home storage ideas should go a long way to cleaning the clutter and presenting a usable, enjoyable space to the occupants.

Find a self storage unit at http://www.EasyStorageSearch.com, where you can also quickly locate moving companies and truck rentals near you.

Tips For Using Storage Pods

The first thing you need to know about PODS may be exactly what are they? A POD (Portable On-Demand Storage) is a storage and moving system where the POD is dropped off at your home or office and you fill it up with stuff. Once you have the POD filled, you call the company back and they come and pick up the POD and put it in storage for you.

PODS aren’t just for moving from one location to another and there are a number of ways you can utilize this ingenious system for other needs. Some of the benefits of using PODS versus a typical moving company are that you can take all the time you need to fill your POD and you can get it back when you are ready. Essentially, for moving purposes, this allows you to move your belongings back into your house at your own pace.

Here are some tips on using PODS to make your life a little easier:

1) Moving: Instead of having a moving truck show up and having to fill it all up at once, you can rent PODS weeks or months before your move and get the process started slowly and at your own pace and then bring everything back room by room. It sounds a lot better than having a house full of boxes for a few weeks.

2) Storage: These are not just for moving, if you have a lot of stuff that you want to keep but don’t have the room for them in your current space, you can rent a POD and just use it for storage. This is particularly useful if you have a growing family and are running out of room in your house. You can store old clothes and toys until they are needed again as well as summer items like above ground pools, bicycles and other yard equipment.

3) Visitors: If you have a big extended family and they are all coming over to you house for the holidays you may need to get rid of some of your clutter for a few days or even weeks. PODS are a great way to put all that stuff in storage without you having to haul it all back and forth to the storage center. This way, you can take a week or weekend to choose what you want stored and move it all in at your own pace and they will bring it back when your guests are all gone.

4) Remodeling: Are you remodeling your house? Maybe doing a lot of painting and you don’t want to get paint on some of you furniture? Using a POD you can store these items outside the house and know they are protected from the remodeling process. PODS all have locks on them so your belongings are safe. Once the remodel is done, simply move the items back in and the company will remove the empty POD from your driveway.

PODS allow for a number of uses and all you have to do is search online for the PODS Company nearest you and get a free quote online.

Bonus Tip: You can use a current pods promotional code to save 5-10% off the cost of a Pods portable storage unit. Find self storage near you.

Boat Storage Tips

Most people would love to own a boat. Those who do not sigh with envy when they see that truck pulling a boat behind it are living in denial. They long for a warm afternoon in the sun spent cruising around the waves. Unless you own a boat yourself, you may not realize that it is not as easy to store as your car.

If you're considering fulfilling a long-awaited dream of buying a boat, you should consider where you will store it first. Chances are that if you own a home in a modern subdivision, there will be rules prohibiting you from storing your boat in your driveway. What would your alternatives be?

Obviously, you have to have a trailer to take your boat anywhere. Your trailer can double as a storage unit for your boat if your subdivision allows you to keep it in the driveway or in the backyard. If your garage is big enough, you may be able to store the boat in the garage as well. The nice thing about storing your boat on your own property is that you don't have to pay any rental storage expenses.

If you're your own property is not an option for storage, there are storage sheds that will store your boat on a rack when you're not using it. The boat is transported to and from the rack by means of a fork lift. Before you buy your boat, check with your dealer for the names of boat storage facilities.

One of the best ways to store your boat is at a boat marina. Imagine taking your fishing equipment and your food for a trip out on your boat. You don't have to load the boat on the trailer because it is already there on the water. This option can get pricey so it is best suited for those people who can afford it. Slip ownership is another possibility for those who do not wish to rent their boat slip. Prices and availability vary by locale.

Good marinas will have access to water, electricity, and showers. Are you concerned about the winter? Some marinas will service and store your boat during the off-season for an extra charge.

Storage units are one other option to consider. Many inland communities do not have access to a marina. Modern subdivisions in residential neighborhoods often prohibit the storage of boats or RVs on neighborhood properties. Storage facilities usually have covered parking or enclosed storage units that give boat owners an extra option for off-season storage. Check with local storage companies to see if they will allow boat storage.

Storage is one of the most important things that a potential owner has to consider before they ever set out to buy a boat. Your storage options include leaving your boat on the trailer including it in your driveway or in your backyard, buying or renting a boat slip at the local marina, or stowing your boat away at a storage facility.

Owning a boat is a big responsibility. Under the right conditions, boat recreation can leave a family with lasting memories for years to come.

Find boat storage facilities near you.

Keys to Having a Great Self Storage Experience

The concept of self storage is very simple. Pay the facility the required fee. Drop off your stuff, put a lock on the door and come back to get it when you want it. However, as with almost everything, there are problems that can occur. By following these keys to having a great self storage experience, you will ensure that you do not experience any of these problems.

• Make sure the location you choose is well-lit with adequate security, and has humidity control to ensure your items are not exposed to moisture and mildew.

• Pay your bill promptly. Set it up to be paid automatically because failing to pay your self-storage fee will result in late fees and eventual confiscation of your stored belongings.

• Place pest control traps and bait in your unit to ensure that your items do not become home to unwanted residents.

• Take out rental insurance on your items.

• Label your containers to make things easy to find.

• Place as many things as possible in plastic sealed containers to prevent water and moisture damage, as well as pests from getting at them.

• Cover all items that are not in boxes with plastic for protection.

• Consider using a shelving unit to make organizing easy.

• Place items in the unit in the reverse order you expect to need them.

By using these helpful hints, your items should leave the self storage unit in the same great condition they arrived in. Protect your belongings by planning ahead.

4 Tips For Using Storage Pods

The first thing you need to know about PODS may be exactly what are they? A POD (Portable On-Demand Storage) is a storage and moving system where the POD is dropped off at your home or office and you fill it up with stuff. Once you have the POD filled, you call the company back and they come and pick up the POD and put it in storage for you. Read more...

Why Use a Self Storage Unit

Self storage units may seem like an unusual thing to use for many people. Those with large homes, sheds, basements, garages and large, easily accessible attic space typically have the room to store extra items that they do not use on a regular basis. So why even bother paying for storage space?

• When homes are being put on the market, the first thing real estate agents recommend is to declutter. This opens up the home and frees the space within it, so prospective buyers can get an accurate idea of size and be able to imagine their own things in the home. Uncluttered homes look bigger and cleaner also.
• When people are moving from one location to another, especially if the move is temporary or the final destination is not ready, putting items in storage for a period of time is a great option instead of selling everything and starting over.
• For students away at college, putting belongings in storage between semesters saves time, cost and inconvenience.
• For those who are downsizing but do not want to get rid of certain belongings, a storage unit is a good option to safely keep items that they may want in the future or may want to leave to their heirs.
• Units are also used by those who inherit items that cannot be incorporated into their homes. While looking for a better destination for such items, a storage unit does the trick nicely.
• Businesspeople with excess stock on hand often use storage units to hold such items, until space becomes available in the business for them.
• Businesses that have tight quarters store non-essential items and old files in self storage units.

There are endless reasons that a person or a business might need a self storage unit. They fill a need that is created by today’s society. We all have too much stuff and need some place to put it.

How to Avoid Self Storage Late Fees & Losing Your Stored Stuff

All self storage facilities in North America have standard contracts that state that you must pay a certain amount monthly in order to keep your items in the unit that you have rented. If you are late with your payments, late fees will be charged and after a certain period of time with no payment, your items become the property of the landlord who in turn liquidates them to pay your bill. If the sale does not cover the amount you owe, you must pay the difference. Failure to do so may result in the debt being turned over to a collections agency.

All these steps can adversely affect your credit. However, there are ways to make sure this does not happen to you.

• Set up automated monthly payments from your bank account or your credit card account to the self storage facility. Alternatively you may be able to leave post-dated checks with the facility.
• Write down the contact information for the facility and keep the information about the location, cost and contract on the unit in a secure place. This should be somewhere that you check regularly, so that if you move you will be prompted to let the facility know of your new address.
• Let others know that you have items in storage, where they are stored and where to find the information about it. If something happens to you, others will be able to find your belongings and pay the fees or remove them from storage.

By following these tips you can be assured that your items will not be left behind or surrendered by accident. Secure your items by organization of your affairs.

Find a convenient self storage facility that fits your needs.