2 Storage Units Can Be Better Than 1
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During this past Holiday Season I found having two 10×10 units instead of one 10×20 was more convenient for locating my stuff. I knew when putting things into storage there would come a day that I would need to find something and I knew that it wasn’t something that I would want to have to dig for. I knew that I would need at least 200 square feet of space for my 2 bedroom home and garage. So the Storage Consultant recommended that I rent two 10×10’s instead of one 10×20. This way I would have better access to my things. Planning ahead saved a lot of time and hard work. I was able to find my Holiday Decorations up front in the smaller boxes instead of having to unload half of my unit looking. Then when I ended up needing some tools to hang the lights I just opened up the second 10×10 and was able to access my husband’s tools. Even the Turkey Platter was easier to locate with having my dishes boxed up in the unit where the appliances are. Now that it’s TAX Season looking for my important papers will be a breeze.
Non Conventional Uses for Moving Supplies-Strapping Tape
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I was moving some furniture and shop tools to my storage unit last week and found that I did not have any rope with me to secure some of those tools to the truck. In the top tray of my toolbox I noticed a roll 1-3/4” fibrous U-Haul Strapping Tape. Not wanting to stop what I was doing to go and get some rope I improvised by cutting the tape in 3’ sections and rolled each one lengthwise in the palms of my hands. Instant rope! They really cinched tight to the rails of the truck but expect to cut them loose as I found that they are impossible to untie. I also used the tape to secure a wall unit to the rails but I had to cut small pieces of cardboard to put under the tape protect the wood from the tape but I probably would have had to do that with rope anyway.
We all know that if we put heavy stuff in large boxes the sides will bulge and the box integrity will suffer. Here is another tip for using the strapping tape. Before you put any items in the box run the tape horizontally around the outside of the box twice at 1/3 of the way from the bottom and again 1/3 of the way from the top. This will keep the box from bulging and make it easier to handle.
Another tip is if you want to strap something together tightly for the short term but don’t want tape adhesive on the items, take the strapping tape and wrap the items with the adhesive part of the tape up or facing away from what you are wrapping. This will give you the killer strength without to adhesive residue and it will also allow you to stick padding on the outside of the item.
It also sticks well to canvas if your need to repair a tear.
So, put a roll of strapping tape next to the roll of duct tape that you carry in the car. You’ll never know when it will come in handy.
Looking around the store it seems that many of our products have uses for which they were not intended.
Importance of Customer Service – Storage Express
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A while back, I was looking for a bathroom cabinet. I went to one of the big chain hardware stores. I found exactly what I was looking for, it was perfect! The right size, color, and at a very reasonable price too, the only problem was that it was on the very top shelf, which was over 10 feet high. I looked around for someone to assist me so I could purchase it. I looked for over half an hour and could not find one person that was able to help me get this cabinet down and into my truck. I finally left and went to their competitor, which was less than a mile down the road. I found a different cabinet there, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, it only had one drawer and the other one had three, and it was a little higher priced. However, when I first walked into this department I was greeted by a young salesman that asked if there was anything he could help me with! He helped me find the cabinets that I described to him and he even called for another young man to come and assist him to get it down and they walked me to my truck and even loaded it for me!
Now WHY would someone be willing to pay more for a product that isn’t even particularly the one they were looking for? You ask…CUSTOMER SERVICE.
Customer service will get me to go back to a restaurant that might not get my order right every time or to a store that has a little higher price than the one down the street. It will get me to drive a little farther and spend a little more; it will also get me to tell my friends about it.
To me customer service isn’t fawning all over me when I walk in the door or making a big fuss over me even, it’s simply making me feel that I am welcome in their establishment and that MY business is important to them, and that they are genuinely happy to see me. They treat me as a friend rather than a customer and I would much rather do business with friends than with strangers.
It is our goal at Storage Express to deliver to all of our customers this kind of customer service.
Getting Ready to Move?
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Here are a few simple tips from one our employee’s, who is a military wife and has a few moves under her belt.
First thing grab an apron. (It will help you keep things you will need on your person.)
I put things like my phone, scissors, tape and my garage sale dots in the pocket so I don’t waste time looking for these items. I am notorious for laying them down and having to go hunting for them later.
Garage sale dots are one of the best tips I have. I use the dots to color code each room. For example all my kitchen boxes have yellow dots and my son’s room has blue dots and ect. This really helps on the receiving end of your move. I still write on the boxes to let me know what is inside but just writing makes all the boxes look the same. You sure can tell when on of my kitchen boxes are in with my son’s blue boxes. If I run out of colors I combine two or three colors for different rooms, maybe I will use a yellow and blue dot for the family room.
Hope this helps. Good luck and have a safe move.
Get packing supplies from any of our three locations.
Self Storage for Retailers and Businesses
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This Holiday Season we’re trying to help our local retailers!
Last weekend I was shopping at our local mall. I noticed that most of the stores I went into had boxes of holiday items everywhere! It was almost impossible to walk through the already crowded isles. Some of the stores were so bad I just left without even shopping around. I just kept thinking to myself…they need a storage room to put all this stuff until after the holidays. I spoke to several managers who told me they didn’t have enough storage room to cover the holiday inventory. I of course quickly explained how we at Storage Express could help with that!
If your retail area or showroom is overflowing with holiday stock; let us help you. We have several types of units for your convenience. Drive up units are great if you’ll be loading and unloading often or if you have a lot of larger items. Climate Control units are best for items that are sensitive to temperature changes such as candles, lotions, make up and electronics.
We have great holiday specials just for local retailers. We’ll also lend you (free of charge) our truck and driver to pick up the inventory at your store and bring them to the storage unit for you. You can access the unit 24 hours a day 7 days per week. In my opinion it’s a no brainer.
If you know anyone suffering through over stocked or crowded retail areas this holiday please send them our way. We’ll be glad to help.
Our Self Storage Locations:
Holiday Gift Wrapping and Storage Special
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November 19th kicks off our holiday gift wrap centers.
Wrap & store your gifts for only $9.95 thru January 2nd. That’s over 30 days of storage for under $10!!!
We’ll have over 10 different wrapping paper styles, boxes, bows, bags, tissue paper, tape, scissors. Everything needed to wrap gifts will be provided at no charge. Hot beverages and cookies will also be available.
Storage Express is giving away FREE pumpkins!
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If you stop by for a tour of the facility during the month of October, you will receive a FREE PUMPKIN!
Scary Specials this October!
All storage units from 5×5 to 10×10 are FREE for the 1st month when you rent in October!!!
Keep in mind our current customers get VIP pricing on all new rentals and packing supplies. YES, this is in addition to all others specials. So make sure to stop in for your tour to get your FREE PUMPKIN (while supplies last). Plus the 1st Month FREE (5×5-10×10)!!!
The Cost of Clutter
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How Does Clutter Affect You? What Level of Clutter is Realistic?
Clutter: most of us have a little of it here or there. In fact, many of us have more than just a little: According to a poll conducted online, over a third of readers avoid going home because of the overwhelming mess and don’t know where to begin cleaning. (In contrast, less than 10 percent say their homes are clutter-free.) How is all this mess affecting us?
Time: People often think of clutter as an energy drain, but it also drains us of our time. How? People in cluttered homes spend extra time virtually every day looking for lost items such as keys, money, shoes, tools, etc. Even when we’re looking right at the lost item, it becomes difficult to see it when surrounded by clutter–and the extra time it takes to search through the mess adds up quickly.
Money: When we don’t have bills and financial papers organized, bills can get lost, causing us to accrue late fees. Replacing lots items, and buying duplicates of those we didn’t realize we already had, can also carry a cost that adds up quickly.
Moving Truck Packing Tips
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How to Pack and Load Your Moving Truck
- Start packing well ahead of your move so you can pack a couple of cartons a day.
- Pack one room at a time. Label each carton with its destination (bedroom, garage, storage, etc.) before you seal it.
- Be sure that the bottoms of all your cartons are secured and will hold the weight of the contents. Packing Tape or gummed tape holds more securely than does masking tape. Pack heavier items towards the bottom of the box and lighter items toward the top. Try to keep a per-box weight limit of 50lbs or less; it makes moving a lot easier.
- Make sure you have enough Wardrobe Boxes; you really don’t want to fold all of your hanger clothes. If the boxes still have some space, consider filling them with lightweight items like shoes, pillows and bedding items.
- Pack some clothes from bureaus in boxes or suitcases so the bureaus won’t be to heavy to move. Consider using clothes as packing material in between breakable items or to fill spaces in other boxes.