What to Do Before You Move into Your New Home

What to Do Before You Move into Your New Home

Moving house is always an exciting experience, but it can also be the cause of great stress. Whether you hire a removalist or whether you are moving your furniture into self storage, you still need to plan carefully to make certain that your move is a smooth one.

With a little planning, there is no reason why moving day cannot be a fun time. After all, you are moving into a new location, there will be new friends to meet and new places to visit.

In the planning stage, the move can totally dominate your life. You have to plan your packing, work out where the furniture will be placed in your new house, and then arrange for your old place to be cleaned.

Faced with these many challenges it’s important to have a plan of attack so that moving day can be as efficient as possible. Let’s take a look at how to go about setting up a plan.

• Start your planning as many months in advance as you possibly can. This gives you time to choose a removalist by obtaining as many quotes as you can muster, and it also gives you the chance to keep costs under control.
• Start packing your least used items a few weeks in advance so that you aren’t left having to pack everything on the night before you move. This also gives you a good opportunity to think about where the furniture will be placed once you arrive in your new residence.
• Label your boxes according to where they will be unpacked. This means you will have to plan the layout of your new house and make sure the boxes for each room are labelled properly so it is easier to unpack at the other end.
• If time allows, have your new house properly cleaned before you move in. Don’t rely on the old tenants or owners doing this for you. Check with the agent and try to get access to the house at least a week before you move in so you can be sure it is spick and span. It is also a good time to think about replacing any worn or old floor coverings, especially carpets.
• Take advantage of any time delays by doing some touch up paintwork. If necessary, you can have the inside of the house completely repainted in the colours you like so that you when you move in, it will feel like new.
• For safety’s sake you might want to consider changing the locks in your new house. Do it all before you move in and it will be one less thing to worry about.

If you don’t have sufficient time to perform all the preparatory work before you move into your new house, you might want to move some of your furniture into self storage. This will give you sufficient time to get all the painting and redecorating done before you finally move in.

The toughest storage job around: nuclear waste!

The toughest storage job around: nuclear waste!

People put things into storage for many reasons, usually it’s things we might want to see again or else why are we keeping it? Nuclear waste is not one of those things. It’s something we hope to never see again when we lock it away. For this reason very complicated steps are involved in the long term storage of such wastes. In most instances the intention is that these items will remain safely locked away for thousands of years.

On a small scale getting rid of something forever can be fairly simple. Just drop it into an icy crevice or a trench deep in the ocean. Many a treasure has been lost buried in unmarked holes or sealed deep in caves long forgotten and never to be seen again. Unfortunately for scientists the dangers presented simply by the presence of nuclear waste in open air or water or even buried securely far from human habitation are too great to be handled without the utmost caution. Nuclear waste presents an unprecedented scientific dilemma, since this radioactive material can remain dangerous long, long into the future, beyond perhaps even this era into a time when records may have been lost and warnings and locations of dangerous materials lost to the ravages of time.

The first approach scientists take in ensuring the highest security in radioactive waste storage is the careful design of incredibly long-lasting storage containers that sealed the material against even the most destructive of accidents. These storage containers or “casks” are made from the most sturdy of metals. Externally they are designed to withstand the most brutal punishment and tested to this effect. Even the earliest and most crude designs for containers built for the storage and transport of radioactive materials proved hardy enough to withstand the impact of a speeding diesel locomotive and still remain tightly sealed. This was 20 years ago and the technology has only improved.

Modern casks have multiple layers of protection for the dangerous material kept inside. Usually multiple layers of high-impact steel are separated by layers of concrete inches thick. The construction of the cask is usually so highly protective of its dangerous contents that be container itself is 5 to 10 times larger than the innermost storage compartment.

Safety is augmented by the suspension of radioactive material in glass. Wastes are mixed with molten glass before being form poured into the innermost storage container of the multi ton cask. This ensures that even if the cask itself cracked open in the most unlikely circumstances the dangerous radioactive material would still be stored in a solid form, unable to flow out of the broken cask.

Unfortunately public opinion is currently extremely negative on the issue of transporting radioactive material across borders for long-term secure storage. As a result the expense of casking radioactive waste is often not undertaken as temporary storage while less secure requires less space and expense. People do not realize in large numbers how much safer the transportation of radioactive waste is then to simply leave it in temporary storage at the location where it is generated. Eventually however the need to store permanently and therefore transport safely radioactive waste material will become undeniable – fortunately the tools to do so are readily at hand.

Top Tips On Moving Across Town

Top Tips On Moving Across Town

Moving across town is the most common move, and it can be quite easy. A bit of organization can save you a lot of money, time and hard labor. It can also make the move a lot more fun, and you can even use self storage as a “secret weapon” against disorganization. The fact is, moving across town can be a great opportunity to really improve your quality of life and your peace of mind.

Getting set up for a move across town

A combination of scheduling and basic tricks will get your move over almost before you know it’s happening.

Note: Your time frame for moving in starts from the day you get the key. At this point you can get quite a lot of things done before the big move.

Start with your scheduling:

• Give yourself a time frame of about a month at least to get set up before your move.
• Categorize your move into these areas:
• The heavy stuff that needs to be moved when you move. This can stay.
• The heavy stuff that may not be needed in the new place, or may be suitable for storage.
• Domestic materials (kitchen and bathroom, etc.)
• Personal tools like kids toys, sporting materials, gardening and home tools, etc.
• Appliances and electronics
• The easy to move and special materials that you can move simply with your own car or even as hand luggage. Anything like bric a brac, family heirlooms, clothes, the lightweight things that take up a lot of space during a move and seem to take to forever to find after you’ve moved.

These categories help you organize your move simply and keep these materials together for better organization.

Moving by stages

Start packing all the easy to move stuff first. Move that in the minute you’ve got the keys to the new place and have a chance to run it over there. This saves a lot more space for the actual move as well, and simplifies unloading.

portable storage units can be used for the domestic materials. Get a few big containers, preferably good strong heavy duty type, and progressively pack the domestic materials and personal tools.

Any difficult pieces that can’t be immediately placed in the new home should be put in storage until you’ve got things sorted out. This is actually quite cheap, and much easier to live with than the sort of tangle it’s possible to create trying to place pieces of furniture and other large objects right in the middle of moving.

Domestic materials and useful things like the bathroom and bedroom stuff should be packed separately (preferably in their own storage containers) so you can find them easily when you make the move.

The heavy furniture and other causes of major hard labor should be organized the day before movement into groups. That will help the movers handle them and organize loading.

Moving across town isn’t difficult. It’s as easy as you can make it for yourself.

Self storage auctions – what you need to know – part 2

Self storage auctions – what you need to know – part 2

Now let’s say you’ve done your best during the bidding process to pick and win clean and well-maintained units. Now is when the real work begins. It should go without saying that comfortable work clothes, sturdy shoes and work gloves are the uniform of any responsible self storage auction Hunter. After you’ve won the auction you and you alone are responsible for your own safety and the safety of any items you may discover. A cautious attitude will go a long way toward keeping you from having any accidents which might damage your newly acquired items.

Proceed slowly and methodically through your unit making quick decisions as to what needs immediate disposal and what deserves a closer look. Most items that are better off thrown away are immediately self-evident. Now is not the time for imagination or nostalgia, they may be someone’s forgotten photographs or documents, but they are no value to you. Old clothing is another frequently uncovered self storage item but except for those floats which are immediately recognizable as valuable or vintage People’s everyday clothing is of little monetary value. Separate clothes for donation to a charitable organization, but then do not spend too much time going through it.

Once you have separated the contents of your self storage auction unit into those items to be immediately disposed of and those items requiring more careful consideration take a quick break and casually survey your selections. Trust your good sense and taste to make any last-minute selection changes, but don’t spend too much time. It is at this point that you begin to go through those items requiring more careful consideration. You will likely find many of these things which you held out quiet hope for will not be worth your effort to sell or store. Do not hesitate to move these disappointing items to your disposal pile. There may be items of questionable value which require closer examination by an expert. Keep these in a section by themselves which you will load last in your vehicle so as they will be easily accessible when the time comes for them to be examined.

When it comes to appliances and furniture not only is it important that you are in good shape and able to move large items yourself or with the help of a partner or friend is equally important that you have a resource for disposing of or selling such items. Many auction hunters do not have a plan for items they find in the storage units they buy much past discovery. Unless you are familiar with the best local outlets for the sale of used appliances and furniture you might end up spending more time and gasoline that you intended searching out a place to give you a good price for your new found treasures. This is why many auction attendees are also the owners of businesses specializing in the resale of used items.

Make sure you keep in the good graces of the self storage facility by adhering to the rules of their options. The primary rule to remember and live by is that the storage unit must be empty and clean when you are done. Do not end up on an auction blacklist for something as easily preventable as leaving your storage unit in a mess. Part of the agreement the self storage facility has with bidders on its auctions is that they will do their utmost to keep the facility clean and tidy.

Preparing clothing items for long term self storage.

Preparing clothing items for long term self storage.

People place items in storage for a wide variety of reasons. Occasionally it becomes necessary to store common household goods for an extended period of time. People can find themselves needing storage for household items for long periods should they be required to travel far for work or pleasure. Sometimes a large amount of household goods can be inherited, or gifted from a friend with the recipient finds that they have not enough space in their own home to keep these cherished items. These are just a few of the many reasons why you may find yourself in a situation needing to store household items for a long period of time.

When you find yourself in a situation such as this are most in your mind should be the proper storage of these precious items so as to keep them safe from the ravages of time. What may be commonplace today can be an antique in only a few years but without proper care, handling and storage the value of such things can diminish rapidly.

One category of common household items that people find themselves story for an extended period of time that requires special care when packing for storage is clothing. While modern self storage facilities are exemplary at controlling the climate and temperature of stored items clothing is an item that even under the best of care can deteriorate over time. However the small amounts of preparation it is possible to keep your cherished clothing safe and sound in long-term storage.

Interestingly enough it is probably one of the oldest methods of quality storage that still remains one of the best — mothballs. These potent odorific reminders of a bygone era are still one of the most effective ways to keep clothes safe from insects and even mildew when in long-term storage.

Combined with a newer, more modern method of storage they can be even more effective. Vacuum packed storage bags were once only used by professionals and businesses. Now, often marketed on television, vacuum packed storage bags for large items are commonplace in the consumer marketplace. They are simple to use and though some work best when used in conjunction with an electric vacuum cleaner many can be evacuated of excess air simply by sealing them and rolling the contents tightly to force air out of a one-way bladder at the end of the bag. Simply add one or two mothballs into each bag to assure the preservation of even the most delicate clothing items.

Of course there are some clothing items that require special consideration. Should you be fortunate enough to own luxury clothing items made from animal skins or furs special preparations will be required if you intend to store these items over a long period. Other items should be treated with specialty oils available from fine clothing outlets, the specifics of which will be determined by the nature and colour of your leather goods. Once treated these items can be gently secure in sealed vacuum packed bags much like regular clothing.

Those of you looking for long-term storage for fur items it is often recommended that such items are stored in special low temperature storage facilities to prevent their eventual degradation. The storage of fur is a highly technical science, far too broad to be covered in this article and too delicate for most people to do on their own. If you have fur items you wish to store for a long period of time it is best if you consult an expert in fur and clothing storage and not attempt to prepare such highly valuable items for long-term storage yourself.

Moving House Including The Toddlers Can Be A Handful

Moving House Including The Toddlers Can Be A Handful

Moving on your own is already a challenge. You have to schedule everything accordingly in order not to miss any items on your checklist. This is even becomes harder when you and your partner are both working professionals and take turns taking care of the child. But moving requires a timely planning as there are deadlines to meet from setting up your utilities up to the actual move itself. However, what should you so when you have toddlers, who have all the energy in the world, on hand while you are in the midst of moving? What should you do?

Here are a few tips that you can start with when moving with toddlers.

1)    Make a timely schedule of the various activities that would lead you until your moving day

Once you have set the date of your move, including the date that your need to put your items for temporary or long term storage, you work your schedule and plan backwards with the various activities involved including when you need to de-clutter your house, researching and making the final decision of the storage facility of choice, delivery of boxes for storage and loading these back for storage at the facility, cutting the electricity service at your current house and moving this to your next place, etc. With toddlers on hand, you may need to give some allowance in case any form of emergency comes up and your schedule is pushed back slightly.

2)     Seek help from friends or family nearby to babysit your kids

Once you have set your schedule, check with family or friends nearby who can take turns baby sitting your kids. A couple of hours of being toddler-free is precious and would allow you to be more productive.

3) Choose a storage facility that can provide you some premium services at a cheaper price

With toddlers and an impending move, it can actually break the bank, and for you to stretch your already stretched budget, you need to select a mover that also provides storage solutions. What about the premium services? What are these? These are packing, loading and re-delivery services that you can consider. Usually, these entail extra costs, but if you are already getting a few services from the mover / storage facility provider, add an additional criteria in your research and decision making process on how willing the mover/storage facility provider is going to give some premium services for a discounted price if they can’t give these for free. It helps on stretching your budget if this happens.

4) Sorting it smart

It is easier when you are sorting your own items by just putting these in two categories: to keep and to throw away. However, with kids, you may need also to consider if they need these in the next few months like books and some toys that are still in good condition. If yes, you may need mobile storage boxes to keep them for a while either in the storage facility or in the basement of your new home. In any case, have these boxes accessible so that when you move in your new home, you have a few items to keep them ‘busy’.

5) On the day of the move, get more help from family and friends

When the movers have moved your last few items to the self storage facility and moving some items with you, ensure to engage family members to keep watch of the kids. With the flurry of activities during the move, you might need them to keep watch of the kids until you have finalized everything. It might also help if they can watch them for a few days following the move, too.

Balancing Act With Mobile Storage Truck

Balancing Act With Mobile Storage Truck

Super Cheap Self Storage Illawarra has some stories of their own, even though they are one of the younger outlets in the franchise. Mark Grogan who is the outlet’s manager would love to share some stories about how it was like to set up shop when he first took on the mantle of business owner.

In the short time that we’ve been in operation, we’ve already come leaps and bounds from our initial few days where I struggled with understanding the administrative bits of things and also getting used to the flow of the operations in the facility. Most days I was running around like a headless chicken because I had to take on many roles at once in order to make sure that things ran smoothly.

But it didn’t take long before Super Cheap Self Storage Illawarra got its bearings and I was able to breathe again. One of the biggest milestones for us has got to be when we started expanding the number of vehicles we had so that we could continue to expand business and reach in the area and we were expecting the delivery of new Pantech trucks which could hold 3 storage modules each on every journey. That would definitely save us lots of time and consequently enable us to give an even better value-add to our customers who are always on a look out for cheap rates and good quality storage services.

Well, what happened with that was that we were really quite impressed with the truck when it first arrived – it was all big and brand new – shiny to boot and the capacity of that monster was incomparable! We were excited to load it up and see how much the baby could really hold before we started bringing her out on our delivery and pick-up runs with our actual storage modules.

But I think there was something that the manufacturer forgot to mention to us – the weight of the whole truck leaned to one side! Maybe people don’t have our kind of “heavy usage” when they buy one of these trucks, but when you put the fuel tank and the doors on the same side of the truck, you are going to face quite some problems with the balance of the whole vehicle when you are loading it up!

Well after a bit of head scratching, we finally figured out what the problem was and sent the truck back to the dealership, quick as lightning to get them to take a look at the issue and get it fixed on the double! Once they had the spring upgrade, everything was good to go! That being settled, I’d say we are all ready to ramp up our operations and roll out our services to the rest of Illawarra and not anymore chances of the truck falling over at the traffic lights while we’re at it!

Simple steps for mattress and box spring storage.

Simple steps for mattress and box spring storage.

If there is one piece of furniture that does not respect to to its amount of continuous use and abuse it is the humble mattress. Everyone has a favorite chair, or position at the dining room table where it is easy to overlook the most used item in the household. Used constantly for eight hours (or more) on a daily basis the modern mattress is a delicate piece of engineering ingenuity. In order to maintain a high level of comfort and usefulness over years or even decades proper care and storage of your mattress and box spring is essential.

Whether you intend to store your mattress for only a few months to many years protecting the surface of your bedroom furniture centerpiece is the primary concern. While you want to keep your mattress safe from stains, water and the dirt and grime that accompanies any move it is important to allow your mattress and box spring to breathe while in its protective wrapping. This will help prevent your stored mattress from becoming susceptible to mold and mildew which grows eagerly in an environment of trapped humidity. Of course your self storage facility will provide a climate controlled and secure location for your furniture storage, so your main concern in wrapping your mattress is simple surface protection.

The best option for protecting the surface of your mattress while in storage is a breathable plastic mattress storage bag. These are commonly available at any mattress store, or furniture dealer who sells bedroom furniture. They can also be purchased from moving companies, and self storage facilities. The construction of these bags is of a specific design that protects the mattress and box spring from the elements and insects while allowing the items inside to breathe.

Once you have your mattress properly wrapped it is time to consider the length of time you hope to store your mattress. If you are self storing your mattress and box spring for less than six months is commonly acceptable to store them vertically, like books on a shelf. For this relatively short amount of time you should not expect any long-term degradation of the structure of your mattress. On the other hand if you intend to store your mattress for a time longer than six months you need to consider that gravity will be exerting a continual pull on your sideways stacked mattress. The springs and filling of your mattress will be drawn down toward the floor possibly resulting in a permanent change to the structure of your mattress, ruining its comfort and usability. For the long term storage of mattresses and box springs the best option is to store them horizontally in the same position as they were designed to be used.

When you retrieve your mattress and box spring from storage take the time to air them out before use. A simple procedure, just remove the mattress bag from around the mattress and let it stand vertically in a well ventilated area where air is allowed to pass over each exposed side for at least a few hours. This will allow the mattress to dissipate any stale air smells, allowing you a more comfortable experience when it’s time to lay down your head.

Making Your House Move Easier

Making Your House Move Easier

“Oh I get by with a little help from your friends…” as one famous song by an English rock band would say. Moving is not only about the help you will get from people, but it also in advance planning. Moving to a new home requires lots of planning, organising, help and the money to pay for it all. If you are moving soon, follow these simple tips to avoid getting too frazzled from all the packing and organising. Who knows – by following some of these tip, you will not only avoid exhaustion, but also raise some money to at least defray some costs in moving and storage solutions.

• Enlist your family and friends – as much as we hate to ask for help, moving house just isn’t possible without a little help from your friends and family. Do give them time to plan ahead by sharing your schedule of clearing your clutter, packing, moving and unpacking. If you can, you may assign some tasks.
• Begin your cleaning and preparation as soon as possible. This should always start with a big cleanup of your home. You may need to allot time to clear your items, organise a garage sale or have these picked up for Salvation Army. You may even plan when to engage a self storage facility so that you do not waste time and money by leasing it for too long.
• Make a list of everyday and important items and set them aside so you can use them in your new home as soon as you arrive. You may need to pack these separately and label accordingly. You also need to plan the items that you are currently using and not accidentally pack these away for storage.
• Give away and sell as much as you can – the less you have to bring with you, the easier your move will be. By organising a garage sale, you can raise money to pay off the movers or the self storage facility.
• If you are going to renovate, consider putting some belongings in storage to make it easier. You need to take note of the items that you really need and those that you need to give away. Make sure that you are not keeping items that you do not find any use in the future. This will save you some space and money when renting a self storage facility. The lesser the items, the smaller the place you need to get.
• Clean all your interior curtains and blinds before the move so they are ready to hang when you arrive. If it is not an inconvenience to be left with no curtains during your last few days, then plan to have these cleaned so that by the time you arrive at your new place, you are just ready to hang these up.

Cutting the Costs of Moving House

Cutting the Costs of Moving House

Moving to a new home can be costly, as well as stressful. Not only will you have to take time off from work, but there are other cost considerations that you need to foresee such as removalists, storage and packing materials. But if you plan well in advance, gather enough information about these costs on how to avoid or at least lessen such, and execute the plan, then you might be able to cut costs or at least manage these in the most efficient way.

Here are some helpful tips that can get you started in managing your costs of moving houses:

• Set your timeline and make realistic milestones – set a date of your move and work yourself backwards when it comes to setting your timeline. Make certain milestones along the way, as you move towards your goal. Examples of such milestones are: setting a deadline on when to clear your clutter; when to have your sorted items picked up at your place and deliver these to either charity or throwing these away; when to start and finish your research on finding storage facilities, professional movers; when to get them to pack, pick up or deliver your items to the storage facilities and to your new home; and when to have the utilities cut and be installed in your new home. These milestones will help you achieve your to-do list and get you moving.
• Do ample research – when you are looking for storage facilities and professional movers, make sure you are shopping for the most convenient self storage facilities and the best prices for any moving vans, professional movers or other services you need for your move. With the information you gathered, you see which of the choices you have can best answer your house removal and self storage needs. You also give a timeline and deadline for yourself when to expect their quotations (you need to follow up on this!), and when you need to confirm getting their services.
• Call in reinforcements – before you move your items, you need to de-clutter your home. You do not need professional services for this. All you need is a little help from your friends and family members. Moving house is a battle, so you just need to call them up. Take this opportunity to give away to them some items that you don’t really need. This way, you are already clearing up your items productively.  Even if they managed to get some items from you, you still make sure you reward them for helping with a great lunch or dinner.
• Recycle – try not to buy too much packing material. If you happen to have good and sturdy boxes that you find in your attic, or if you free up some storage space like containers, then you can use these to store items that you need to be moved. If there is none that you can find at home, then you can source as much of it as you can from shops or from around your home.
• Clean up and sort it out – try and throw out, give away and sell as many of your belongings as you can before you move. This will reduce the cost of your move in many ways – there will be less to take with you and if you require a temporary self storage space while waiting for your new home to be done, you only need a small space, thus resulting to lesser costs.

Moving houses can be exciting when done efficiently. It is not fool proof that you will not encounter bumps or challenges along the way, but if properly planned and executed, it can be very exciting and build relationships among friends and family members who helped you. Moving houses can teach you a thing or two about reducing costs and inconveniences through proper planning, proper execution of plans, patience, thoroughness in research, and ability to face challenges along the way.  Moving houses can be fun.