Tips for Storing Items Safely

As you look around the house, you may notice that it is full of stuff you don't need. This could be because of changing trends and shopping sprees that result in accumulated stuff. Storage and organisation go hand in hand. But what if it turns out to be an unmanageable clutter. 

Besides, finding dedicated hacks to store your valuables like your wedding china, party dresses, art pieces, and furniture can save these items from deterioration. Storing items that you no longer require on a daily basis makes space for the new stuff and helps in decluttering. A lot of times, keeping things in the attic or basement may not be the best idea. 

But these places are home to pest activities, mold, and mildew, which can be disastrous for your valuable items. Let's take a look at how you can make sure your belongings stay in good condition when untouched for a long time. 

Declutter and Spring Clean

Your closet may be filled with clothes that you don't fit into anymore but still save them for later. This calls for a decluttering and finding workable storage solutions to maximise the space in your closet. The first thing is to make a pile of things that you use daily and occasionally. 

This includes your daily wear items that should be stored in the most accessible places. For your winter wear, you can get dust bags and large zippered pouches. You will require your winter coats and boats in one half of the year. So, they can be kept in storage compartments under your furniture or at the top shelf of your closet.

When packing these items, make sure they are clean and dry-cleaned to remain fresh until the next season. You can add fresheners, dryer sheets, and insect repellent cubes inside the packages to prevent any pests. 

The best storage solution for your valuable wedding dresses and formal dresses to keep them in an acid-free box. You can get this done by a professional to make sure the fabric of the dresses stays intact. It is advisable not to store these dresses in plastic packaging that they come in. Also, make sure that you have cleaned these according to the instruction labels of the fabrics. 

Appliances and Machinery

Maybe you invested in a new technologically advanced appliance, but your old one still works. These appliances can be in good condition yet make the space look clutter if you don't use them. Storing them safely is a better solution as they can still be used in case a family member moves someplace else. 

Before storing these items, remove any spare parts, waterlogging, tapes, and batteries. This will prevent the insides of the machinery from deterioration and corrosion. You can get a temperature-controlled self-storage unit that charges on a monthly or annual basis. These dedicated units are worldwide in the US, Europe, London, Hobart, and Tasmania. 

Storage in Hobart or US works on the same principle of keeping the items safe in secure places. This is an optimum way to ensure your belongings will remain untouched and free from any weather deterioration. 

Also, check out our tips for toy storage in the kids’ room.

Self-Storage for Documents 

Documents and files have valuable data in them that can be confidential. The paperwork is susceptible to fires, water damages, mould, and mildew. Proper care needs to be taken when storing essential documents and files. Even a little amount of moisture can ruin the paperwork; hence should be considered. 

A self-storage unit may be the best storage solution to get rid of document clutter. Besides, you can store important contracts and documents in the safe units that have 24x7 security. Along with the security of cameras, fencing and guards, the paperwork needs weatherproofing. 

Look for a unit that has temperature and humidity control to keep these documents free from growing mold and mildew. Also, consider places that have adequate pest control and no signs of weeds. The units should be solid in construction and free from any cracks. 

For storage in Hobart, you should consider temperature and mildew control units to protect it from changing weather and humidity. 

Strategic Organization

This is mainly for the people on the go and students who move a lot to study and work. Differentiate between the stuff you need to have to feel comfortable at a place and store the extra in a self-storage unit. This could be in an institutional facility, or you may pick a private facility for extra security. 

You may need to store your dorm bedding, books, and extra clothing temporarily until your next semester. So, pick a storage facility with affordable rates, ample security, and where possible, the convenience of movable storage units that can be transported from one location to the next. 

When looking for long term storage in areas with moisture and oceanic temperatures like Tasmania, find a ventilated storage unit. Make sure you follow the proper precautions to protect your belongings from mold damage. 

Fragile Items Checklist

Delicate items like antiques, glassware, or mirrors carry an enormous risk of damage, after all, who can afford to damage such beauties. The best way one can save and store them is to wrap them in a plastic bubble.

Take proper time to wrap them and keep them separated from all other articles to avoid even minor risks. Bubble wrap will not only save them from breaking but will also maintain the lustre and value of the item. So whenever you open it next, you will find it as new as it was before packing. 

Heavy Duty Items

This is for those who own classic, antique and vintage cars, sports cars, and racing cars. You cannot possibly keep these in a normal garage risking their life and appearance. Finding a proper self-storage unit with security will help in prolonging the life of these vehicles. Before storage, make sure the servicing and insurance of your vehicle are done. 

Besides, check them for any existing damage to get it fixed and keep these in running conditions. Find a storage unit with adequate security, an alarm system, and security guards. Also, see that the unit's location is accessible from your home to keep a check on your precious cars. 

Hopefully, these tips for storing items safely will help you stay more organised and free of worries for your prized possessions.  

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If you need any help with an easy and convenient Mobile Self-Storage solutions while you renovate, feel free to email us or phone us on 1300 223 000 for a quote. Alternatively, you can get an instant quote and book online here.

8 Foolproof Steps for Decluttering & Creating Space in Your Home

source: festoonhouse

It happens more than often that what we think as cute or cheap ends up making our homes a dumping ground. But this clutter is nothing but a sign of indecision. 

Decluttering means getting rid of what is unwanted or unnecessary, and reorganising what is useful so that you can get them when needed. But that's easier said than done. 

However, the finest way to get ahead is to get started. So check out these fantastic tips on how you can declutter your Home and see how it unwinds the complexities in your daily routine.

1. Create a Decluttering Checklist

Start with a pen and paper and tour around all the rooms, bathrooms and closets of your house. While you do this, look at every nook and cranny and make a list of the items you need to sort out or unclutter. 

Use this list to sit and figure out what is essential and what is not, before you take the plunge. Also, pick out the areas you wish to work on first and then start with your prioritized regions one by one.

Besides, since decluttering may take hours of your time, schedule your time for each section of your Home. For instance, three hours for the closet, another for the drawer chest, and another couple of hours for the bathroom and so forth will do. 

2. Hit one Spot at a Time

Since even Rome was not built in a day, do not burden yourself with the expectation of decluttering your Home in one go. The decluttering list you made above will come to your rescue for making this decision. Despite taking help, decision making takes time, and so shall your decluttering. 

Moreover, when you work on one space at a time, the results will inspire you to work on the rest of the spaces. It will be even better if you start with a smaller area or the most manageable Spot in your Home. And it will be neat and chic before you'll know. 

3. Follow the Three Bin Strategy

The three-bin strategy is plain and simple. Before you start with the process, grab three boxes, and label or designate them as useful, waste, and storage. As the names suggest, keep the valuable items that you may regularly need in the first box, and these will be the only items that you will be organizing back into your spaces. 

The second bin, for the waste items, is for the things you must let go of. You may either dispose of them in the garbage, donate to the needy, or put them on a garage sale. The third one shall be for the items that you may need but not on a routine basis. It could be your winter jackets in the summer season, or rain boats in the dry season. And this will be your first step at sorting the clutter. 

4. Clear. Organise. Repeat

Once you are ready with the list and the choice of priority areas, it's time to clear out. And believe us, it's the easiest and fun part. You may come across a lot of items that you might have forgotten you are the owner of. Besides, you will unravel the beauty of the empty spaces as well. 

Before organizing, sort your things into different clusters. For example, if you are working on your closet, keep all the socks on one side, scarves on the other, and the same for the tops, bottoms, belts, and other items. Besides, one stack must be for the things that you don't need anymore and another for items that can be stored outside the closet. 

Now you have empty spaces to fill in and stacks of items outside. So brainstorm yourself as to what will fit where, and organize your closet with only the essential items. If you wonder what about the rest, hang on, we'll cover that soon.

5. Choose Spots for Similar Items

Similar items must be stored together so that there is only one place you need to look in when you need them. For instance, all your tools, sewing kits, craft supplies, socks, cosmetics and stuff must be placed in designated spots. 

Even if you need to separate them, it must be done meaningfully. Like separate your summer and winter socks, and keep only the summer socks in the drawers if it's the summertime. Your winter socks may meanwhile reside in the storeroom or an old suitcase with other winter clothes. 

6. Make Use of Adequate Storage Furniture

The storage furniture you have in your home makes a lot of difference in the decluttering process. If possible, you must replace old furniture with versatile furnishing options. Examples may include beds with storage boxes or ottomans which double as stools as well as a box with a lid for blankets. 

There are a lot more items out there that are versatile in use yet provide excellent Self-storage and while consuming minimal space. 

7. Store Extras in the Garage or in a Self-Storage unit

If you run out of storage spaces in your home, no worries! There are plenty of service providers that allow you to use their storage units for safekeeping your items for minimal rental. Here are more tips on how to convert your garage into usable space.

Especially if you live in cities like Hobart, or other regions in Tasmania, you will get access to many such quality service providers. You will have options like private access, lockable storage solution, among others, which you may choose depending on the kind of items you need to store.

8. Preschedule the Next Declutter Date

While it is always advisable to maintain the house regularly, there could be circumstances where this might not be possible for you. So taking into account your probably busy schedule, Assign at least an hour a week for decluttering. This could be on the weekend, or otherwise, but making it a habit will go a long way of keeping your calm.

And once you make it a regular ritual, you will get all the benefits of a decluttered home, which will surely reflect on your mindset as well. 

During the process of decluttering, when you come across long-forgotten items, and when you choose to keep or dispose of them, you will also ease your emotional baggage. 

If you need any help with an easy and convenient Mobile Self-Storage solutions, feel free to email us or phone us on 1300 223 000 for a quote. Alternatively, you can get an instant quote and book online here.

Working from home? Set up your home office

A Step by Step Guide for Creating a Home Office

There was a time when working from home was a luxury; only a handful of people could afford. But, today many large scale organisations across Australia and even smaller businesses throughout Hobart and Tasmania, have made WFH permanent. The research says that working from home increases employee productivity (something which companies are digging right now). 

However, to establish a permanent routine and sustain that higher levels of productivity, you may need to build a home office. Such a measure is essential to compensate for a psychological need and build continuity with the daily routine. 

Even though you are moving from room to a dedicated table, it brings some kind of satisfaction that you are working. More importantly, a home office helps maintain a work-life balance. 

But, how to build a productive, soothing, and good looking home office, follow this guide. You will find pointers to build effective storage solutions, desk set up, making up for the office space, and clearing some space.

Choose a dedicated area

Do you like to change the seats in your office every hour? No, right? Similarly, working from home means that you do have the option to sit in any corner of the house and start working. 

But that is not the most productive thing to do. Having a dedicated space (preferably with a lock and door) is one of the first and foremost things about setting up a home office. 

More importantly, setting up a dedicated space also depends on your work profile. If you expect to meet several clients during the day, it is best to set up the office near to the main door. 

If you have a lot of meetings and calls, it is best to be in a room that has the best internet connectivity. Similarly, different job profiles have a niche set up requirements. Try to imitate the work conditions of your corporate office and imitate them at your home. 

Create your own space

Not everybody plans to build a home office before buying a house. For some of us, this is something new necessitated by a global crisis that has led to an alteration in the work culture. 

However, creating a home office is somewhat necessary now as your own space to work with full concentration. Since you are at home, the urge to adapt to a laid back attitude is common. That is why it is essential to have your own dedicated space (more on this later). 

For now, you must focus on preparing an area on the house. Figure out what space is best to be used as a make-shift office while keeping a few things in mind. It can be light, concentration, proximity to the other more happening areas of the house and so on. 

Setting up an office in an already congested space can be painstaking. But there is always a solution. When it comes to clearing out some stuff, you can try to look for a self-storage unit to store your stuff for the time being. You will find many affordable self-storage units in Hobart that are guarded with e-surveillance systems 24/7. Mobile Storage provides an easy, cost effective solution to clearing out your home office space.

Comfort is your best friend

One of the work from home advice accorded by the local government of Tasmania is to build a comfortable workspace. Since you are not in the office, a reclining chair might replace the office chair. Or a chaise lounge can replace the office table. 

But these kinds of desking options are not conducive to a 40 hour week. Sooner or later, you will be at the mercy of your lounge chair to give you a comfortable seating position without causing a strain on the back. 

Looking for ideas on Pinterest or other such references can only work as long as you are keeping the ultimate comfort in mind. Also, how will you be productive without sitting on a comfortable chair that ensures an upright posture throughout the day? 

Therefore, where an ottoman or a sofa seat may seem fluffy and comfortable, they are not good for a home office. 

Set up your desk near natural light

The office cubicle systems have forced us to work under artificial light 24/7. Well, if you are a manager, you may get the corner office (good for you, but not for others). 

The good thing is that you need not develop a similar environment at your home. Instead, try setting up the desk near to a window from where you can enjoy natural light and fresh air. 

Light plays a vital role in enhancing work productivity, alertness, and relaxation. Ensure that you are sitting in an area that is blessed with both warm and cold light. 

Even better, natural light helps reduce the strains on the eyes that are always glued to the computer screen. 

Going one step forward, you can also try ideas to renovate the home office with some plants and greenery. A couple of plants in your office can bring freshness to the room. Research on these lines states that keeping plants in the office will increase your productivity and make you happier. 

Implement Smart Storage Solution

It does not matter that you have a tiny room or lesser space for your office in the home. Implementing innovative storage solutions is the key to creating a home office. 

Even though technology has allowed us to store and sort the files with precision, a home office can have plenty of files and loose paper everywhere. 

Even though we may not need everything, having all the stationery items already set up on the table does look good. If not the table, go for some wall-mounted racks or magazine racks. They are space-saving and also help organise the stuff accordingly. 

Ready to rip the charts with productivity?

Ok, let’s see. We have cleared out some space from a dedicated area in the house. You know that it is beneficial to place your desk near a window or someplace from where you can peep out occasionally and get some fresh air. 

Moving on, it is a good habit to work among the plants (they are amazing listeners) as they spread freshness in the room. Lastly, it is good to store some of the stuff that you do not use in self-storage units and declutter the home for your office. 

If you want to enjoy work and life together, creating a home office is rather essential. With it, you can maintain your work habits and have a separate area to think, innovate, work, and be productive. 

If you need any help with an easy and convenient Mobile Self-Storage solutions, feel free to email us or phone us on 1300 223 000 for a quote. Alternatively, you can get an instant quote and book online here.

Toss it or Store it?

Struggling to fit through the hallway? Can't fit the car in the car hole? starting to hear rustling under the pile of stuff in the spare room?

It's probably time to think about clearing out the clutter.

Inage source: Room Of The Week :: 3.13

A cluttered house can be difficult to keep clean, reduce airflow and play on your mental wellbeing.  But it's difficult to know what to do with all your stuff.  It's all there for a reason, so it's not going to be easy to sort through and decide on the best way to clear your space.

The good news is, you don't have to get rid of it all...

You can take advantage of some really clever home storage solutions, like under bed drawers, stackable tubs, modular wardrobes and converted attic spaces. Combine this with off site storage and you'll be well on the way to an easy breezy, clean and clear home. 

But how do you know if it's worth keeping? Here are some important questions to ask yourself:

1. How long have you had it?

2. When was the last time you used it?

3. Do you see yourself needing it in the next month?

4. Do you see yourself needing it in the next year?

   You may have bought that ab-rocker in 1996 with the best of intentions, but it's probably never going to get that great workout it deserves. If you don't see youre'f needing it in the next month, or year, maybe you should think about self storage? Can't see yourself ever using it? Maybe it will find a better home somewhere else...

5. How much is it worth to you?

   Sometimes you can’t put a numeric value on an object if it carries sentimental value.

6. Does it make you happy?

7. Is it sentimental?

   If it makes you happy, or reminds you of a loved one or a loved time, you'll probably want to keep that around.  Find a space for it where you can look at it or use it every day. 

8. How much is it worth to somebody else?

9. Would it make someone else happy?

   Think about a friend or family member who might get some good use for it. 

10. Is is an asset or a liability?

    Does it earn you money by hanging onto it? will it be worth more in future years than it is now?

Once you decide on these, here are some more cool tips for storage and organisation in your house.

If you need any help moving some of your hard to throw/give away possessions, feel free to email us or phone us on 1300 223 000 for a quote. Alternatively, you can get an instant quote and book online here.