A lot of people are unaware that there are certain items that are prohibited at selfstorage facilities.  These items include perishable food items, plants, animals, flammable materials, weapons, ammunition, and of course people.  There are some exceptions to this rule.  The exceptions are generally awarded by the facility manager on a case by case basis.  A common exception being the storing of gas in an automobiles gas tank.

I own a lot of boots.  I have boots of all shapes and sizes.  My collection of boots includes hiking boots, cowboy boots, thigh high boots, ankle boots, and space walking boots.  With all these boots, I often find myself in need of more space to store my other household items.  These other items consist of tools, electronics, luggage, clothing, games, books, and other assorted items.  They are now stored in my storage warehouse to make room for more boots.

Packing tape is a very important tool when packing for a move.  Having your boxes fly open at the wrong time can lead to some very inconvenient situations.  A friend from work recently purchased a new windshield for a high end SUV, when a box he was moving in the back of his truck opened in transit and released its contents onto the roadway.  Had he used packing tape to seal the box, he could have avoided this unplanned for moving expense.

A lot of people live in homes that do not have enough space to hold all of their belongings.  These homes with limited storing space may be houses, duplexes, apartments, trailers, or dormitories.  Regardless of the housing type, if you have more stuff than space to hold the stuff, you have a problem.  Self storage is the perfect solution for that problem.  With self storage you are able to rent the space you need for your extra items in a safe and secure environment.

My new cell phone was only supposed to only have sixteen gigabytes of storage .  Unfortunately, the store I purchased my phone from was sold out of the sixteen gigabyte phones and I had to purchase a thirty two gigabyte version.  The sixteen gigabyte phone and the thirty two gigabyte variant are identical phones, with the exception of the storage space provided.  I will probably never even fill the first sixteen gigabytes of space, but it is nice to know that the thirty two gigabytes of space is available if I need it.

When moving out of a storage unit , it is a good idea to clean the unit.  Leaving trash or other discarded items in your unit is a good way to lose your cleaning deposit.  In some cases the facility may not realize that you have vacated the unit if you leave items in the unit.  In that case, they may expect you to continue paying rent until you have removed all of your belongings from the unit.

When potential rental unit clients ask me for a large unit, I usually tell them about the ten by twenty units.  A ten foot by twenty foot storage unit is the size of a one car garage.  These units offer two hundred square feet of storage space.  This is enough space to comfortable hold a two bedroom house or apartment with extra room for appliances like a refrigerator and washer and dryer set.

I love cats.  I collect stuffed cats.  I collect china cats.  I collect cats of every sort.  I live in a small home.  My small home does not have any storage space .  I have no where in my small home to store my cats.  So I rented a storage unit to store my cats.  I have shelves and shelves of cats on display in my rented space.

There are a few things you should know before storing your automobile in a self storage unit . At most facilities, your auto must be in running condition in order to store the vehicle.  Your auto will also need to be licensed and insured.  In some states, such as California. you can register your vehicle as drivable but not driven.  Many facilities also require that the engine fluids such as gas, oil, transmission fluid, and brake fluids be at minimal levels.  Check with your store manager to find out the rules specific to your facility.

My uncle recently purchased a boat.  The boat is a beauty.  It is thirty two feet long and seats eight people comfortably.  The stereo system  has a six compact disc changer and plays the MP3 format.  The stereo also has the satellite radio option, but my uncle chose not to purchase it.  The boat rocks.  My uncle has chosen to park the boat at a local storage facility instead of his driveway.

Before getting married, I kept a small storage unit to hold the over flow from my condo.  Condominiums are not known for having a lot of closet space.  Mine had less closet space than most.  After getting married, my need for storage increased by a factor of ten.  I never knew one person could have so much junk.  Now I do.  

The convenience of a drive up, outside storage unit can be measured in both wear on the back and time.  By not having to carry your couch into a building, up stairs or maneuver it into an elevator, your back will thank you.  With a drive up, outside storage unit you are able to pull up to or back up to your unit for loading and unloading.  This advantage cuts down on the distance your items need to be moved, thereby cutting down on the amount of time it takes to load and unload your unit.

With the state of the economy and fewer people spending money, every opportunity for a sale counts.  Quality customer service is more important than ever before.  With fewer people calling or coming in to rent a unit, a manager or sales representative needs to do everything possible to secure the sale.  One of the easiest areas of the sales presentation to deliver with perfection would be the service oriented tone.  This tells the potential storage customer that you want their business and that they are important to you.

With orders for new dresses pouring in the door, she had to begin ordering materials in bulk to meet the climbing demand.  In the space that previously held her dress making materials, she now had her dress makers working to produce the dresses needed to fulfill the orders.  This left her with the need to store the materials in another place.  I was able to help her find a storage unit that would hold her materials.

Occasionally I receive calls from people wanting to store their pets.  As a general rule, most storage facilities will not allow you to store any organic material, live or dead.  Why would someone want to store a pet in a storing rental unit?  I could not tell you why.  I can tell you that it is neither allowable or ethical.  If you need a place to store your pet, you should take a look at using a pet boarding company.  Your pet will be happy that you did.

Storage managers come in all shapes and sizes.  There are big ones and little ones.  There are tall ones and short ones.  Some managers are very strong, while others cannot lift very much.  Regardless, most managers are very helpful and can aid you with your moving and storing questions and concerns.  If you need help with your storing, try stopping in for a chat with your facility manager.  They have the experience and expert knowledge to assit you with most of your storage needs. 

My sister owns a shoe store.  The strip mall that houses her shoe store is very limited in the space they have to store her excess merchandise.  She had begun to store the excess in her garage, which left her parking her vehicle curb side.  This worked well for her until the night of the hail storm.  The hail caused extensive damage to her vehicle and left her looking for a new solution to her storage problem.  To be continued.

Recently I spoke with a woman that needed storage for her dress making business.  She had started her business as a way to make a little money on the side, but her business had increased to the point that she had quit her day job and was employing three other seamstresses.  At the start of her business she had needed very little space to store her sewing machines and supplies.  To be continued.  

The other day, I think it was last Friday, a young man called to get prices on a self storage unit .  I told the young man that I would need to get some information from him in order to give him a quote on a unit that would meet his needs.  The first question I asked, concerned when he would need the unit, but the answer is not relevant to this story.  The second question is relevant.  I asked him what he would be storing with us.  Comic books, he replied.

There are many types of storage units .  Before determining what type of unit a potential rental customer needs you should always qualify the customers.  Qualifying the customer means insuring the location is convenient, the time frame the unit is needed, and determining what the customer needs to store in the unit.