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Experts agree that when preparing a home to sell you must declutter. However most homeowners do not see their homes as being cluttered. There’s a difference however between sprucing up a home and staging it. When you remove excess items from your home you’re making it look more spacious to buyers. With a little planning and using storage, like Box-n-Go, you can make your home sell faster and for more money.

Using Self Storage

Self storage units are a relatively new business. The first self storage chain in the United States opened in Texas in the 1960s. Since then, this industry has exploded. One in ten American families now utilize storage units. Recently the minimalist home design has gained popularity. This, combined with the average American family’s busy life style has created a very cluttered lifestyle. It is easy to see why the self storage industry and the decluttering movement have both grown substantially.

In recent year a portable self storage concept has gain popularity. With companies like Box-n-Go, all it take is one phone call or online reservation and you are well on your way to declutter your home. thus creating a more attractive and valuable listing. After the home is sold and you have a new home to move to, simply order the return of your storage units, so you can get your belongings and settle in the new place.

Decluttering your home

Look around the room you are sitting in. What do you feel? Do you feel happy and relaxed? Or do you see a mess that overwhelms you?

Decluttering your home is a necessary part of making your home your oasis from your busy life. Also to making the most of your free time. Clutter is expensive to obtain. Then takes Saturdays away from you by slowing down your cleaning and requiring time to manage and organize the extra items.

Decluttering your home can also result in making some extra money. By having a yard sale and/or listing your personal property on eBay, you might get paid for clearing out the clutter.

Parents of children who are going to college or traveling do not have to put their plans of downsizing to a smaller house on hold. Because of their children’s remaining belongings. These parents may consider renting a storage unit to store their children’s belongings while they continue their education. This is to allow them to ability to move to wherever they choose. A storage unit is less expensive than maintaining a mortgage and utilities on a home that is larger than necessary.

If you are ready to declutter your home, but there are certain items that you cannot sell. Do not let go of the dream of a neat minimalist home. There is a solution for your situation: renting a self storage unit.

Where should you start?

If you love the idea of transforming your house into a minimalist style but cannot seem to escape clutter no matter how many times you comb through your belongings, consider changing your strategy.

Go through every room in your house and select the items that you use daily or weekly. Also furnishings that are crucial to the function of the room. Then rent a storage unit and move everything that did not get onto the crucial items list to the storage unit.

Wait for a month and see what items, if any, that you miss. If you do not miss the items you stored, you could sell them or donate them to charity. If there are items that you do not want to keep in your home but you cannot sell or donate, continue utilizing your storage unit. That is for as long as you need to maintain ownership of them.

De-Cluttering Tips:

• Help potential buyers visualize how their furniture will look in your home.
• Clear off kitchen counter tops, take down those refrigerator magnets.
• Re-arrange furniture or bring in new décor.
• Empty out the garage by removing all non-essential items.
• Clean up the yard by removing all excess furniture, pots, and children’s toys.
• Clean& stage every room. Don’t forget the bedrooms, pantry, or walk-in closets.
• Empty out closets, always attempt to maximize space by opening up small areas.
• Keep your personal items to a minimum. That means family photos, sports trophies, or awards.
• It is important to keep the aroma in your home clean and fresh for example: Apple Cider, Baked Goods, Vanilla, or Potpourri.
• Place mirrors to expand a room or accent a fixture. Also add extra lighting to help make the house appear brighter. Remember to minimize the artwork.

Why should you rent a self storage unit?

Many people use their basements or sheds to store items as they start their mission of decluttering their homes. While these options are inexpensive, you risk damaging the items that you store. This is done by subjecting them to temperature changes and moisture. By using a temperature controlled, indoor self storage unit, you have a dedicated area where your belongings will be safely kept.

As you declutter your home, you may come across family heirlooms that are not your style but cannot be sold due to their emotional value. If you want to keep these items in the family but other family members cannot take possession of them, consider using a self storage unit. This way you can keep the heirlooms safe until another family member can take them.

Some people are hesitant to rent a self storage unit because they want to be able to access their belongings at anytime. Some self storage facilities offer their renters access to their units twenty-four hours day. Making your access to your belongings a non-issue. However, not all storage facilities offer access at all hours for security purposes. As such, be sure to check the rules of access before entering into a rental contract.

Others are afraid of their belongings being stolen. Many storage units offer security features, such as gates and entrances with unique access codes provided only to renters.

Size Matters

There are many different sizes of self storage units available to be rented. Whether you are decluttering your entire house or just one room, there will be several options available for you to choose from.

Rates of self storage units

Many self storage facilities offer sign up bonuses, such as a $1 rate for the first month’s rent. Rates for small storage units may cost under $100 per month, and large units may cost under $300 per month.

As you search for a self storage unit, compare rates and features. Do you need a high security, climate controlled unit? Or could you use an economy unit that is lower security and is not climate controlled? Also consider how long you will need the storage unit Some facilities offer lower rates for longer term rentals.

Benefits of Self Storage Units

Self storage units come in a variety of sizes. The storage companies provide carts for transporting items to your unit and have large elevators to help transport items up multiple levels.

These benefits cannot be matched when storing items in residential basements or sheds. If you have a large room available for storage and not enough items to fill the room, you are wasting space. Then the decluttering that you performed in one section of your house is simply moved to another. If a cart is purchased it must be stored as well, and there are generally no elevators, forcing you to move awkward items up and down stairs.

Packing your storage unit

As you are decluttering your home, keep in mind that a cluttered storage unit is not any more ideal than a cluttered home. Try to consolidate moving items to the unit into one or two trips. This way you have the opportunity to organize and plan how your belongings will be packed into the unit. Be sure to carefully pack your belongings into your self storage unit, as carelessly storing items can result in them becoming damaged and make it difficult for you to remove certain items at a later date.

As you pack your storage unit, keep in mind that certain items should not be stored in self storage units, such as:

• Live animals: it is not humane to keep live animals in self storage units, and this may be considered a crime.
• Live plants: plants may rot and attract rodents and other pests.
• Perishable items: food items should not be in storage units. Rodents and insects like food and may get inside your unit.
• Combustible items: any substance or item that is explosive or can easily cause fires should not be stored in a self storage unit. Examples of combustible items are ammunition, alcohol, gasoline, cleaning products, and paint thinner.

Conclusion

Decluttering your home offers many benefits and is a much less daunting task than you may think. When you decide what items should go into storage off site from your residence, there will be a variety of storage units available to fit your budget and your needs. Take the first step in the journey of decluttering your home today by doing an online search of storage units near your home.

Call Box-n-Go 1-877-269-6461

Box-n-Go offers services that go far beyond self storage. Call us or reserve online and we will help you with your decluttering process.

People may need storage rentals for a variety of different reasons. Usually it isn’t just individuals renting storage spaces. For the homeowner, however, one of the most common is needing storage while remodeling the home. From tearing down walls to adding a new bathroom. A remodel can become a messy affair. It is good to have a safe place in which to put all of your valuables.

Storage While Remodeling

Home remodeling is an exciting but daunting prospect. Knowing what your home will look like at the end of the process is the exciting part. But reaching that end goal will have its share of concerns and potential headaches. There will be plenty of decisions concerning what you’ll have changed during the remodel. Will you be having a separate tub and shower installed in the bathroom. Or a combined shower and tub? In the event of a kitchen remodel. Will you be getting granite or wood countertops? These could be considered the fun decisions when undergoing a home remodel.

There are also planning steps you need to consider before the remodeling starts. One of these will be storage while remodeling. Depending on how many rooms and what rooms you’re having redone, options will vary. You’re going to have plenty of possessions you’ll need to get out of the contractor’s way for the duration of the project.

The more rooms in your home you’re having worked on at one time, the more daunting storage while remodeling will be. Don’t let it be too big a worry though. After all, that’s why you’re reading this article. The following are a few helpful options for temporarily storing your belongings while the contractors transform your home into what you’ve always wanted it to be.

Rent a Self-Storage Unit

A quick search will yield a plethora of self-storage companies in your area. This option will probably be better for storing larger items such as furniture or appliances. As well as any belongings you don’t need to get to on a regular basis. There are storage facilities that will pick your things up and bring them to your storage unit for you. Others that will lend you a truck or van to do it yourself. This option will be best for a fairly long-term, extensive remodel of your home. Depending on what’s being stored, most companies should have climate-controlled or non-climate-controlled storage units available. A self-storage unit will also be an excellent option if you think you might have an ongoing need for the unit after the remodel.

Storage While Remodeling – Renting a Portable Storage Container

There are companies that, in essence, bring a storage unit to you. These are portable containers that they will drop off in your driveway. When exploring solutions for storage while remodeling, a portable storage container is generally a better option than a storage unit. The primary reason, of course, is convenience. You’ll have ready and immediate access to your belongings. Remember, though, when packing your items in a container, leave a space to walk in. As well as to look for particular belongings so you don’t end up curtailing this advantage.

Unless you live in a very sparsely populated area, a search for portable storage container companies should yield plenty of results. Be sure to get quotes from several companies.So you’re not paying any more than you have to. Planning is also important. If you’re not positive about how big a container you’ll need, err on the side of going a size bigger. You don’t want to run out of room after getting three-quarters of your stuff in it. And then find yourself scrambling to locate another place for the excess.

While a portable container is generally a superior option to off-site storage, the problem is that it’s not available to everyone. If you live in your own house with a driveway, then it should be fine. You may be living in a condominium or a townhouse, however. Which means you’ll need permission from the homeowners association or the condo board to have a portable storage unit parked in your parking lot or driveway. Make sure you get this permission ahead of time to prevent wasting money on something that you may end up not being able to use.

Use Another Room in Your Home for Storage While Remodeling

One factor that can open up your options for storage while remodeling is the amount of unused space you currently have in your home. If you have a basement with an unused corner available or an unoccupied guest room, you can use these to store your belongings. Perhaps you’re only having your kitchen remodeled or another single room renovated. This leaves the whole rest of your house available to stash stuff that was in the room being renovated. Even if it makes things a little cramped. You need to keep in mind that the remodeling project won’t last too long. Also, you are probably already spending a pretty penny on the remodel. If you’ve got the space in your home or garage, this does have the advantage of being a free storage option.

As with a storage unit or container, be sure to pack things away so that you’re still able to have access to anything you may need. Also, make sure this extra space is out of the way. Even if it’s not in the room the contractors will be working on. Make sure they’re not tripping over it on the way to this room. What if you don’t have enough space in your home to fit everything that has to be relocated? The next tip might prove useful.

Storing Your Belongings With Friends or Family

If you’ve got a friend or family member with extra space in their home or garage, asking them for permission to temporarily store your things there can be an option. This will be even better if they live in your neighborhood. It will come close to giving you the relatively easy access to your belongings that you would have from storing them in a corner of your basement. Or in a portable storage container.

This has the allure of being a free option, which puts it above that of a storage unit or container. That being said, you don’t want to strain your relationships with friends or family. So make sure they know ahead of time how long you’ll need the extra space in their home or garage. If your remodeling project takes significantly longer than originally estimated, you may want to consider employing another storage option to avoid fraying nerves.

Other Considerations for Storage While Remodeling

Let’s say you’ve evaluated your situation and figured out the best storage option for you. There’s still the real-world issue of packing your items and getting them to the storage unit, storage container, or corner of your house or a friend’s house. The following are a few helpful tips for this part of your remodeling adventure.

It is just as handy for other, smaller jobs you are doing on the house. If you are going to take out the carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, or if you are repainting, you may want to use storage rentals to secure your belongings while you work. You will need to call the storage company and tell them the date on which you want the container delivered. Depending on the amount of material that you need to move into the container, you may want to have it delivered a few days ahead of time. This ensures that you won’t have to rush the procedure.

Get Help if You Need It

When starting a home remodel, you’re trying to get your dream home, not a hernia. In the event that the belongings you need to move include furniture or boxes of heavy items, don’t try to handle it all by yourself. Ask friends or family to give you a helping hand. Buy them all pizza when it’s over as a thank you. If you don’t have anyone close enough or in good enough shape that you can ask for help, then hire professional movers who are licensed and insured. This way you’ll be covered for any damage to your possessions while avoiding any injury to yourself. Contact several moving companies to get quotes for moving your items. You can also check with friends or coworkers for any movers they’ve used and had a good experience with.

Storage While Remodeling – Stay Organized

If you’ll need to access some of these stored items during the remodel, you have to pack and store them in an organized fashion, so you can find them quickly when needed. This means clearly labeling your boxes and packing them so that these labels are visible. It also means moving the boxes that contain more frequently used items last, so they’ll be at the front of the storage unit or corner of your basement when you need them. You’ll also want to leave a path down the middle of your boxes and other items to help you reach everything.

Storage While Remodeling – Don’t Forget to Keep the End Goal in Mind

Home remodeling can seem daunting at times. Choosing between countertop materials, cabinet styles, plumbing fixtures, flooring and who knows what else seems complicated enough. On top of all this, side issues arise that need to be dealt with. If it’s your kitchen that’s being remodeled, where do you prepare food in the meantime? If your master bath is being redone and it has the only shower in the house, you’ll have to temporarily make other arrangements.

As if these types of things weren’t complicated enough, now you have to figure out where to keep all the stuff in one or more rooms while they’re being remodeled. Hopefully, the above pointers will help you decide which option will work best for you when addressing this question.

Just keep in mind that this is a happy time because, at the end of all this turmoil, you’ll have the kitchen, bathroom or entire home you’ve been looking forward to. You’ll be enjoying your remodeled home for years to come, and it’s amazing how quickly any hassles during the remodeling process will seem like a distant memory.

Call Box-n-Go at 1-877-269-6461

Box-n-Go is one of the companies offering storage containers. our services do not stop there however. We can also arrange for the loading labor, packing materials, etc. Please feel FREE to call us and our consultants will be happy to answer all your questions and make all the needed arrangements for you.

College life is exciting. Memorable. Super swift. Hectic. But the college life itself is all of these things. Hence, moving out of the dorm is even more so. At least you had a whole semester to make sense of new subjects. Master new skills, make new friends and schedule ahead for the next go-round. When you are ready to move out of your housing at the end of the school year, if you want an easy move out, follow some basic dorm storage tips below.

Moving out of the dorm offers no such luxuries. As fast as you moved in, you are expected to move out again. Only this time you may find you somehow have a lot more to move!

Whether your dorm move is just for the summer or for all time. These tips will help you keep move-out day short and sweet, low-stress and affordable so you can be on to bigger and better things.

Dorm storage tip #1 – Enlist help!

First things first: even if you feel perfectly confident and competent to heft shopping bags full of binders and stacks of textbooks. Eventually you are going to confront that one item you cannot lift all by yourself.

So plan for that in advance and enlist some help to get the job done. Remember, if you wait until the last second to figure out what to do. You may not be able to count on your friends to do this. Since they will likely have their hands full with their own dorm moves.

So ask for your friends’ help in advance. Try to coordinate so you will help your friends and then they can help you. It more fun to tackle move-out together. But it will help the actual moving day chores speed by when you know help is already at hand.

2. Secure your packing materials.

It can be hard to save packing materials and supplies from your move-in. Likely because you don’t have a lot of storage space in your dorm room as it is. But then when it is time for your dorm move-out, you and everyone else on campus are all vying for the same packing materials!

So start early thinking about where you can find low-cost or free packing boxes, bubble wrap or old newspapers. Also durable bags and similar packing materials. Often grocery stores have extra boxes they will just give away. Garbage bags make durable packing materials for soft items. Sometimes student organizations collect packing materials students can pick up for free and use. But don’t wait as these free items tend to run out in a hurry.

You can also wrap more fragile items in your towels or clothes to reduce the amount of packing supplies you need to scavenge or purchase. Be sure to set these items aside for special handling so they don’t get damaged during your move. Also remember that the packing supplies you choose need to fit in your car somehow. A bunch of angular cardboard boxes might work well for bigger items, but you can only fit so many in your car.

Bagged possessions will fit handily in the spaces between boxes. Also they will help to secure and bolster the boxes so they won’t move about while you are traveling.

Dorm storage tip #3 – Line up move-day transportation.

Do you have your own car or a willing family member who is happy to help you move? Then this section is probably a no-brainier for you. And you may even be able to make a buck or few helping friends move if you have your own ride.

But if you don’t have your own car as of yet, move-day transportation is going to be a critical planning item. An item for dorm move-out day that you want to take care of well in advance.

Here again, friends with cars may have their hands full with their own move-out process. So if you can, ask in advance and try to coordinate your move date around their moves. You may want to offer to help them move in exchange for use of their car for your move.

4. Shipping or storage is also an option.

If you are moving out of the dorm permanently because you are graduating, then congratulations! Perhaps you are en route to a new job or are looking forward to heading home. To see family first before you start your new life. Shipping some or all of your belongings to your next destination can take a lot of the pressure off. You just need to get things packed up and ready for your shipping service to pick up.

If you are planning to return after summer break and move back into the dorm or into an apartment, another option is to rent a storage container. This can be much more economical if you split the cost with an interested returning friend. But be sure to look into this in advance before all the storage containers get rented for the summer!

5. Move in stages.

It can seem like just bad timing that your move-out deadline comes just at the same time as your semester finals!

But if you tackle your move in stages, it won’t seem nearly as overwhelming. Also, taking a break from studying to do some packing and shipping can actually help you clear your head. As well as get the blood flowing – a little manual labor never hurt anybody.

When you move in stages, you also free up extra space for more packing materials to use for the next round of packing. If you have rented a storage unit, you can transport what is already packed over. Then return to pack up the next items.

For local moves, you may be able to just drive your belongings over to your family’s home for storage. Then return to your dorm to keep working.

Dorm storage tip #6 – Pre-sort your belongings.

One of the most potentially frustrating parts of moving is packing away essential items too soon. Then having to undo all that hard work to find them again. To avoid this type of frustration, it can be helpful to pre-sort your belongings. Moving everything you use regularly into the “no pack” zone until your actual moving day comes. The rest, including seasonal clothing, older textbooks and keepsakes, can be packed up with confidence.

7. Don’t forget about the less fortunate.

Moving out of the dorm is a great time downsize! You don’t have to go full-on minimalist, but you can do some strategic Kondo-izing. donate what no longer brings you joy to the less fortunate.

This can even mean connecting with swap or share organizations on campus to offer less fortunate students first pick of your overflow. Not only does committing to donate what you no longer want or need lighten your move day load, but it can also feel pretty great.

8. Break out the gloves and the mop.

There is no doubt that peering into those dark corners (you know where they are) can be a bit daunting at first. But you know you have to do it. So get ready with some sturdy rubber gloves, cleaning solution, a sponge, mop and dustpan and broom. Also keep some old yucky clothes handy that you can clean in.

Cleaning as you go is the best way to be sure you don’t overlook anything and get penalized for it. As you clear out one section, head right back in and clean it and then just move on to the next.

Dorm storage tip #9 – Plan ahead for full campus dumpsters.

There is nothing like move-out day to fill those campus dumpsters up quick. hence one of the key ips for moving out of your dorm room is to start your move process early. Start by trashing everything you know you won’t need, eat or use. this is to avoid having your last memories of campus life be schlepping your dorm trash from one dumpster to the next until you find a free spot somewhere.

10. Make some handy extra cash selling your stuff.

Another huge perk of starting your move-out process early is that you have more time to sell items you don’t want or need that other students do.

Great examples include old textbooks, used clothing and shoes, electronics, backpacks and book bags and similar items. Local resale stores or online stores are also great places to unload valuables that no longer hold value for you personally.

If you have on-campus book retailers, the earlier you can head in with last semester’s textbooks. The more likely you are to find a ready market while supplies are still low. Also remember that online options exist if your campus bookstore isn’t interested.

These 10 tips for moving out of the dorm will help make your move-day experience fast and easy. So you can get out and on with your summer or the rest of your brand new grown-up life!

Call Box-n-Go to solve all your storage needs.

Box-n-Go has been offering great student self-storage solutions to dorm students since 2006. All you need to do is to call us at 1-877-269-6461 or visit us online for a quote.