Category — Garages & Storage

Who are your best storage rental customers? Is it the customers that only rent for a short period or the long term renters? The answer should be clear. If you have more long term renters, then you do not need to worry about trying to fill up your units every month and trying to make your quota. So how do you attract the long term rental customers? What can your storage property do differently in order to attain and keep long term renters? Usually storage renters plan on staying anywhere from 2 to 3 months, up to a year, depending upon what they actually need it for. Most storage companies out there will offer a move in special. This is great because that appeals to everyone. The move in special will certainly attract storage seekers to your property that will want to rent with you, but after they get the initial move-in special is there anything that you can do to keep those long term renters?

How about a long term prepay rental special? Long term prepay rental specials attract those businesses out there who do not want to move their items to another storage facility. They usually want to stay where they are at. However, like any business there is a yearly budget that they need to entertain in order to appease the owners of that company. If your storage facility is not currently offering any type of long term rental specials, then you may find your customers shopping around. Again, a lot of facilities out there are offering a move in special and many do offer long term prepay rental specials.

However, not all facilities routinely ask their callers if they are planning on a long term rental stay. This needs to be discussed when the caller makes their first contact with you. They have their calculators in hand and are getting to the bottom of things to see which place will benefit them the most. Yes, security and cleanliness are musts when it comes to renting a storage unit. However, you still need to think about the overall picture and not just the face value of someone coming in for the first time to rent storage. Sure your property is clean and lovely and you have a great move in special that is equal to what everyone else is offering. Ask each of your callers whether they are storing for personal or for business and how long they plan on renting for. So what if the majority only plan on staying for a short period. If you are able to get those long term renters to give you that valuable information than you can offer them a valuable long term prepay rental special. For one, that long term prepay rental special will most likely guarantee that their unit will not be on the market again for at least 6 months or even better, a year or longer. That gives you one less rental unit to worry about having to fill during that time period. So what if you lose a little at that moment for the 12th month when you have given it away for free. If the rental unit were empty, it could be empty for much more than just a month or two. You have to think ahead of the next storage facility and what will bring in the most profits. Sometimes in order to gain more you have to be willing to lose a little. But in the long run you will have gained much more than a long term renter. You can gain more business by word of mouth from the current customer or even more rentals from the current customer. And you took one more unit off of the market for a nice stretch of time.

The original article is located at Storage Rentals

Self Storage Podcast

Portable storage units are a great way to transport your belongings during a move, whether that move is between states, or just down the street. However, these containers can come in handy in numerous other ways.

Tools:

Portable storage containers can be used to store your own household tools, and when you need them, they can be delivered to your home. For construction and similar businesses, this can be an ideal solution to transporting equipment from one job site to another. They can be used to store and transport specialty tools, lawn and yard equipment, and project supplies.

Seasonal Decorations:

Every year, you have to pull out holiday and/or seasonal decorations and furnishings out of storage. For some people, these items may be packed somewhere at home, taking up valuable storage space. For others, they may store their seasonal belongings at a self-storage facility. This means having to drive to the facility and bring back all the items in their vehicle.

Portable storage containers, while most commonly used for moving, can be a great solution to the yearly task of having to unpack holiday gear. The containers provide a secure, protected place to store these seasonal items, and also provide the added benefit of being able to be delivered to your home whenever the time comes back around to use them.

Business Uses:

Many businesses are finding that portable storage units are an efficient and innovative way to store excess inventory. When these businesses find that they have too much of a particular good, portable self storage units are an excellent way to store these products safely and securely. When the products are needed again, they can be delivered right back to the point of purchase, making the whole process a little easier for the businesses. When excess inventory can be controlled in a manner such as this, it means higher efficiency and productivity for the business, and less waste.

Many businesses can make use of portable storage units by using them to store promotional tools. For many businesses, promotional material is rotated frequently, requiring an appropriate place to store such items when they are out of rotation. Signs, banners, displays, and other point-of-purchase materials can be safely stored away inside one of the containers, and delivered back to the business when it is time to use it again. Some good examples of these types of promotional tools may include seasonal, holiday, and now hiring items.

Trade Show Events:

Today’s business environment is growing ever more competitive. Businesses must make use of new and innovative ideas and technologies to remain competitive in the modern market. One example of this innovative thinking is illustrated by businesses that make use of portable storage units to store materials used for trade shows and other similar events.

Construction Sites:

Whether it is a new build, a renovation, or a remodeling, these storage units are an ideal way to store and transport construction equipment. Businesses find that the portable containers are a feasible means to transport specialty equipment and building materials safely, securely, and quickly from job site to job site.

Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of SmartBox USA. The mobile and self storage company provides mobile storage units and self storage services throughout the nation. For more information on their Portable Storage please visit their website.

Garden sheds can make an excellent storage facility for a person who simply has no extra room inside his or her house. You can buy cheap, plastic-sided ones from major garden supply retailers if you don’t already have one. It’s relatively easy to set up, looks nice, and can withstand moderate amounts of rain, heat, snow, etc.

You should remember that there are many models of garden sheds, as well as lots of different manufacturers. Some are better than others. Prior to purchasing one, review the information on the box, and look at the price. Although it isn’t always this way, generally I have found that the old adage “it’s worth what you paid for it” is usually true.

The only other alternative to pre-built garden sheds is the do it yourself method. If you are new to construction, I wouldn’t recommend this hammer and nail option. If you are a person who has experience with construction work, it may work for you. But, investing in a new pre-built garden shed eliminates error and frees up your time. I highly suggest it.

There are so many ways you can utilize these little structures. Clearly they are designed for serving as storage sheds for lawn garden reasons. They are perfect for storing and protecting all your lawn implements, your snow blower, and your sports equipment since they keep out the rain and snow. Some configurations of garden sun houses sheds lend themselves to use as greenhouses for the plantings you plan to put in the ground when springtime comes.

There are other ways to use these structures that may be less obvious. One of the options that you may consider is a child’s playhouse, after all what kid doesn’t want to have their own clubhouse in their own yard? While it may be a little bit on the expensive side for a clubhouse, the upside is that you can rest assured that the structure is safe and soundly constructed. This is so much better and more reliable than those wobbly, unstable clubhouses that we all built in the backyard tree when we were kids.

A second potential use is basic storage. Are you preparing for a garage sale? Are you planning to move and have no where to put all those boxes? A garden shed will meet your needs: it keeps things safe, dry, and out of sight. You can even lock the door for extra peace of mind. Basically, the uses of garden sheds are limited only by your own imagination.

Need storage space outdoors? Garden sheds are the answer. They are attractive, durable, easy to assemble, and are available at any major garden supply store. There are many different brands and makes, and not all sheds are created equal. They are typically designed to be storage sheds for lawn garden purposes. They are perfect for storing and protecting all your yard implements and gardening tools year-round. Some configurations of garden sun houses sheds even lend themselves to becoming greenhouses or children’s playhouses in the warmer months! There are a limitless number of ways to use your garden shed.

Garage Doors Give The Impression Of Being Worth:

The most usual types of garage doors popularly used in residential and commercial garages are the retractable, canopy, the side hinged, and the sectional retractable doors. Compared to old-fashioned garage doors, modern garage doors are much more enduring, comfortable and safe. Even one garage door can draw attention away from the outer houses other features. When two of these are these garage doors are placed side by side it seems to take up at least half of the house. Going on three it’s easy to see how the houses otherwise beautiful look can be swallowed up–unless the doors are thought through carefully.

Residential garage doors are designed to look handsome and offer high-tech features like automatic door openers and built-in safety features. Canopy garage doors are great alternatives to automatic doors, and can be uncomplicated to use when kept in good condition. If a traditional look is important to your house, the side-hinged, double doors are an attractive option.

Purpose

The garage door is the first and most important ‘contact’ your garage makes with the world. If you want full confidence in your garage, this ‘contact’ should be 100% safe and secure. The door also says a lot about you and of your taste. You may have a beautiful house, but if your garage door is an old, wooden, plain, white one that makes an awful sound when it is opened or closed, it says a lot about you and your negligence regarding safety and style.

An aging garage door and garage door opener can be a real threat to your children and pets. With the new openers and garage doors, injuries and accidental death are a thing of the past. If you plan to remodel your garage, one of the first steps you should take should be changing your doors and openers.

Maintenance:

If you want a maintenance-free, durable, warp-free garage door, you need steel. Steel doors also provide good insulation, as they are made of two or more sheets of steel alternating with a variety of insulating materials. They also come in a variety of styles, textures, shapes and colors to suit your needs. Moreover, you can add windows including the reflective type that obscure the view into the garage.

Remote controls have been upgraded as well. You can find a remote control that has enough buttons to control the lightening and/or appliances in your home and garage. Another option for the remote-control buttons are the child-safe lock-out and rolling security codes which automatically change every time the garage door opens, in order to prevent someone from stealing your openers code.

Even with all these changes added to your garage, security and safety are not 100% guaranteed. The installation of a new garage door and opener should be done by a professional team who can make the proper adjustments that will allow the sensitive equipment to operate with the maximum amount of safety in your garage.

We always seem to outgrow our space. We get more space only to outgrow that space. The problem is we always collect more things to fill each space. The space gets cluttered. Now we are back to wanting more space. This seems to be a vicious cycle. With a few simple closet organizer ideas you can stop the madness by getting organized.

Here are some great closet organizer ideas you can do any time. They work in any available closet in your home. You can even use some of these tips in the garage.

One of the first things you can do is raise your clothing rod. This simple closet organizer idea can add extra hanging space. You now have the space to add another rod about 36″ off the floor. This is perfect for hanging blouses, shirts, or jackets. In essence you have doubled your space.

We all have those little accessories we just flip onto a hanger or over the rod. Things like belts and scarves wind up all over the floor because they keep falling from wherever we put them. This little closet organizer idea is great. Buy an inexpensive over-the-door shoe organizer. The one with clear plastic pockets are great. You can now slip your belts and scarves into the pockets. You can find what you need at a glance.

The shoe organizers which hang on the rod can be great for organizing purses. You have seen these. They look like small shoe boxes with the opening in the front. This closet organizer idea lets you pop those unused handbags right into their own space.

There are so many closet organizer ideas the pros use every day. You can use these same tips to make your closets clutter free. An organized closet frees up so much space. You can easily find what you need to wear. Color coordinating your clothes as you hang them is a professional closet organizer idea. This is so you can find at a glance the shirt or dress you need.

You can store your bulky sweaters in linen lined laundry baskets. Adding a dryer sheet between each one keeps them fresh longer. This is a great closet organizer idea for blankets as well. Lined baskets add a touch of elegance to an otherwise drab area.

You can come up with some wonderful closet organizer ideas just by looking at the things around you. What you store things in now can easily be used in the closet. Crates can be stacked against a wall of the closet to add more space for folded articles. Shallow baskets can be used to store hair ties and other hair accessories.

Before you tear out walls to find more space, organize what you do have. Come up with your own creative closet organizer ideas.