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  • Look Around For Self Storage
    By admin on March 2, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    If you know that you are going to be moving in the near future, then you are going to want to be sure that you are getting all of your chores done in a timely fashion. Indeed, the last thing that you are going to want to do, here, is wait until the very last minute to start doing your chores. If you wait until the very last minute to start doing your chores, then you are going to find yourself cutting quite a few corners just to get all of your work done. Of course, a little bit of careful planning can go a long way, here, so you are not going to have to worry about doing too much extra at the end of the day.

    The first thing that you are going to want to do, here, is make sure that you are renting a self storage unit for the majority of your larger items. If you give yourself roughly two weeks to clear this out of your apartment, then you are going to find that it becomes a lot easier for you to do the cleaning that you have to do before you leave. Truly, reader, you are not going to want to mess around with cleaning when there is still a ton of furniture in the way. You are not going to be able to vacuum like you would like to do, and you are not going to be able to get your full security deposit back when you move out.

    Of course, you are also going to want to get an idea of how much stuff you actually have to move. The best way to go about developing this idea, reader, is to go ahead and pack all of your belongings ahead of time. When all of your belongings are boxed up and ready to go, you are going to be able to get a much better idea of how much stuff you are really looking at. You will begin to understand whether or not you are going to need a moving truck, and how big your truck is going to have to be if you decide to use one. If you know that you are going to need a self storage unit, then packing up all of your belongings before you begin to call around is going to save you a great deal of time.

    Finally, reader, you are going to want to be sure that you are giving yourself several weeks to look around for the help that you are going to need when it comes down to affecting your move. If you wait until the last minute to begin looking around for help, then you may find that you have run out of options at the very last minute. If you are going to get your family and friends to help, then be sure that you are giving them as much notice as possible. If you are going to hire professional movers, then you are going to want to be sure that you are giving them several weeks to schedule a window for you. You simply cannot afford to wait until the last minute when it comes down to getting the physical help that you are going to need.

    At the end of the day, you are going to be fine if you are not forcing yourself into a huge hurry when it comes down to moving. If you give yourself the time that you are going to need to get everything ready, then you are not going to have to worry about a thing. Two or three weeks should suffice, here.

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  • Moving and Storage Supplies Simplify Relocating
    By admin on February 10, 2010 | No Comments  Comments

    Are you shopping around for the perfect way to make your move a little bit easier? Are you sick and tired of dealing with all of your moving chores alone? Well, if that is the case, then you are in luck. It just so happens that there are tons of services that you can take advantage of when you are moving. Of course, if you have never given these services any thought, then you are going to want to be sure that you do so before you get too far into your move. For the sake of simplicity, this article will run through a few of the services that you are going to want when it comes down to moving your house.

    Of course, the first thing that you are going to want to look into, here, is a great self storage facility. Sure, you may plan to move straight into your new home, and sure, there is nothing wrong with that. But really, you should not fail to look into your local self storage facilities. If something should happen that would prevent you from moving into your new home, then you are going to have a great fallback plan. Indeed, you are going to have a nice, safe place to keep all of your furniture and belongings while your new house is being prepared.

    Now, if you know that you are going to be moving all of your belongings, then you are going to want to be sure that you are looking into moving trucks as well. Of course, one of the last things that you are going to want to do, here, is attempt to use your standard vehicle to move from one house to another. You are only going to end up wasting a ton of gas and time if you use a standard vehicle, so do not even bother. Simply rent a large truck, pack all of your belongings into it in one go, and head out to your new house with ease.

    Moving on, here, you are also going to want to be sure that you buy all of the packing supplies and moving supplies that you are going to need. You are going to want boxes, packing paper, and bubble wrap for all of your smaller, fragile items, as these are not going to fare too well in the back of your moving truck without a little bit of help. Of course, you are also going to want to be sure that you get your hands on some cables and tape for your larger furniture items, as the last thing that you are going to want is to allow these things to slide around in the back of your truck as you are making your way to your new home. Your larger items are going to pose a serious threat to your smaller items if you are not careful to lock them down before you begin your move.

    When you sit down and give you moving situation a little bit of thought, you are going to realize that you are not going to have much trouble if you simply make use of all of the services that are at your disposal. Sure, moving may be a daunting task when you are trying to go at it alone, but if you enlist a little bit of help and buy all of the additional products that you are going to need, then you can rest assured that you are not going to get too stressed out when your actual moving day rolls around. Making moving simple is simply the way to go.

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  • Help From Real Estate Agencies
    By admin on January 14, 2009 | No Comments  Comments

    Have you made up your mind of making an investment in residential or storage unit properties or are you still puzzled about the entire process? The common question that comes to the mind of any purchaser is whether it will be worth investing and what are the chances of getting cheated or losing the money that is invested. If you look around, you will hear several incidents where people have been cheated and losses incurred in such investments. Well, there is nothing to get disheartened about. If someone is at a loss, it does not mean that you too will be at loss. You just need to know the right process, to approach the right people and make an investment in the right property, and you can just see the profits. In this entire process the people who can help you with their expert advice are the professionals of the real estate agencies .

    The professionals of these real estate agencies are always in demand for their expertise in the field. Everyone seeks their guidance, whether a first time buyer or the owner of multiple properties. With real property you can never be sure, after all you never know when the market trends can change. Once you hire these agencies your work becomes much simpler. If you have chosen one of the reputed agencies of the region, your task becomes even much easier. You can rely on their staff with closed eyes, as they will provide you the best, and will settle for nothing less. The staff of all the real estate agencies is friendly and courteous. They are experts in their fields and know what can be the best for you, keeping your budget in mind. They will listen to your requirements carefully and patiently and often note down specifications so as to avoid future hassles, because they know that all your hard earned money will be going into. Depending on your budget, needs and location they start your work with immediate and full attention. They not only help to make your purchase they also guide and educate you with the current market scenario, so that you are aware of the trends prevailing at the time when you are entering the market.

    The real estate agencies are easy to locate and scattered all over the nation. No matter, where you are staying and where you wish to make a purchase and sale of property you shall find their offices. Searching the internet can be one of the fast options to know about their locations, the services that will be rendered by them and also the amount you shall be required to pay for their services. Under all circumstances, at the end you will say that it is worth the money spent. If you make an online search for the real estate agencies you just need to make a selection of your country, then region and within minutes you shall get a list of agencies. Some of the websites also display a testimonial of their satisfied visitors, so it acts as a boost. You can always consult the previous customers of the agencies, if you still have some doubts about the services of these companies.  If adequate research and planning is made your property shall surely reap you benefit in the long return and can be one of the best investments that you made in your life.

    Frederick Self Storage

    Gaithersburg Self Storage

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  • You Might Not Think That You Need Storage
    By Staff on May 12, 2008 | No Comments  Comments

    The last person wanting a storage unit, she was looking to find a place to store her personal belongings before the end of the month. She lives in a small one bedroom apartment in Manhattan and was moving in with a girlfriend that lived in a brownstone apartment in the Bronx. Devastated and in tears, she described how she lost her job that week and her boyfriend of three years just moved out. The lease was up in two weeks. She was reminded that she was lucky to have a friend who was there for her, being a true friend. The most trying times present an opportunity for your real friends to treat you the way they would want to be treated. She was also reminded that she was looking for a job when she found the last one, and now she has the opportunity to find a better one for herself. While she was searching online for management properties in the Bronx, she was showing strength of character in taking the first step to organize herself.

    She found out that there are a lot of management properties offering storage, and so many specials it was mind boggling. She did a search by zip code and narrowed down some of the management properties to check out. Then she made a list of management properties that featured high tech security and protection coverage. Then she telephoned to talk to some of the management properties to verify her guess that a five foot by fifteen foot storage unit would work for her. She was going to store everything except a good portion of her spring and summer wardrobe and toiletries. Because she had never stored before, she found out the climate controlled unit that was available at many of the management properties would work best for her, as designer clothes, including leather coats fair much better in a unit that maintains a controlled temperature. So no matter what season it is, the storage unit will stay within a few degrees of 70. The protection plan was also a must item to include in the month to month agreement. Why chance not getting compensated should a fire, theft or water main break at the facility, it was less than ten dollars a month? She really did not want to risk losing anything else in her life. The way her luck was going, she was not about to tempt fate.

    She figured that it was cheaper to rent a storage unit to keep her belongings safe while she got herself emotionally and financially back on her feet. Self-preservation rules during times pre-empting dramatic life style changes. She had enough money that she could afford to pre-pay for six months. In fact pre-paying turned out to be an incentive also, as the facility offered her another month of storage free. There is a sense of relief knowing you are not going to lose anything else. She felt sure she could get her life back on track in seven months. The last thing to organize was a truck. The facility also offered a free truck as a new customer incentive and only needed 48 hours notice to schedule. This was going to work out great, a free truck to use for three hours.

    With the storage unit secured with a ten dollar non-refundable pre-payment going towards her first months rent, she had taken the first step. Tomorrow she would go to the facility and sign the contract, pre-pay her six months, schedule the truck, buy her lock, boxes, bubble wrap and tape and go home and start packing. She was ready.  

    Miami Storage

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  • Storage Rentals
    By Staff on March 27, 2008 | No Comments  Comments

    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.

    Self Storage Rates

    Kentucky Motorcycle Storage

    Brooklyn Storage

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  • Save Time, Money and Space
    By Staff on March 21, 2008 | No Comments  Comments

    Look no further. You have come to the right place if you are searching for information on how to best utilize your self storage rental space. What you are about to learn from reading this blog should give you the perfect start in utilizing every inch of space in your self storage rental unit. If you want to make sure that every penny spent throughout your rental process is well spent, then keep reading. It may not be a wise decision to skimp when it comes to purchasing or attaining self storage supplies like boxes, bubble wrap and other items that you will need to get your belongings packed or organized and ready for storage. Sure you can go to your local business and try to re-use the boxes that they have received their deliveries in, and they may be free. But free is not always best. 

    For one, you will most likely end up with such a variety of awkward sized boxes that you will not be able to stack them as efficiently as you could if they were the same sizes. Number two, used boxes tend to lose their strength resulting in boxes that collapse. Then you have a mess. Weak boxes also lessen your ability to save precious self storage rental space because you will not be able to stack them as you would be able to with strong, sturdy boxes. Most self storage rental properties that carry moving supplies such as boxes will offer them in a wide variety of sizes that you can choose from to suit your needs. Another benefit of investing in boxes will be the money that you save because of less time spent packing, writing, sorting and stacking. Instead of packing three small boxes, save time by using one large sturdy box that you also know you can stack to save rental space.  And since self storage boxes typically come preprinted with rooms that you can simply check off for easy reference when putting them into your new home, you save time by not having to write it out. 

    You know how the old saying goes, time is money. Oh how that statement is so true. Now when it comes to stacking your items in your self storage rental unit, it is more of a space saver to first store your furniture pieces and then store your boxes by stacking them on top of the furniture. You can also fill in any empty spaces with your boxes to help utilize every inch of your rented space. Pack your unit from the back of the unit and surrounding the walls, before you fill in the middle of your self storage rental unit. When you do this, it will help to stabilize high stacked items and utilize the rental space more efficiently. 

    Other self storage moving supplies you may find helpful includes bubble wrap to protect fragile items from breaking during the moving process. This will save you the hassle and money on having to purchase new items because of broken pieces. Unprinted rolls of newspaper will not leave your hands and household items dirty with ink like printed newspaper will. If you have leftover unprinted paper, you can use it for multiple other purposes too. If you have kids, they can use it to draw on. You can use it for other craft projects too or just save it for future use. Furniture covers or rolls of plastic wrap will keep your furniture dust free and like new, saving you money that you would have spent on cleaning it after you moved it into your new home.   So as you can see, spending a little will save you a lot.  Check out other storage supplies offered at the self storage rental facility you rent from and you will find many useful items that you can take advantage of.

    Local Self Storage

    Illinois Furniture Storage

    Merriam Storage

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  • Personal Storage
    By Staff on January 6, 2008 | No Comments  Comments

    Overcoming Personal Storage Solution

    The most difficult decision in a storage customers life is deciding what to do with a lost family members personal storage . Selling or tossing away items that belonged to a love one usually is not an option. It is like erasing the memory of their life. The most difficult part in saving a lost one’s possessions is insufficient storage space. Team members here at the PhoneSmart call center are very sensitive to such issues. Everyday we take in calls from a grieving family member who is looking for temporary storage solutions for a lost family member’s personal storage until they find a permanent fix. Though these family members have found the correct storage solution, they are only a few. Most others are forced to make rash decisions before they consider self storage as a solution.

    Reserve a storage unit to hold a lost one’s personal storage until a decision is made. It’s a better decision than storing furniture and clothes in your own home. Bringing personal storage back to your own home will only make it harder to depart with them. People become more personally attached to the personal storage that holds memories of the lost one as time goes by. Don’t set yourself up by bringing personal storage to your own home. Put it in a storage unit immediately.

    There are many solutions on the faith of a lost ones personal storage; therefore, you want to use the right one. First put the personal storage in a self storage unit and consider these options or all of them.

    You may want to sell the personal storage at a garage sale or an estate sell. It is a better solution than tossing the furniture and clothing in the garbage. Interested buyers can find good use of your late relative’s personal storage. They would be happy that someone else is creating their own memories with their old personal storage. If you feel disgusted by profiting from a late relatives personal storage then give the profits to charity in their name. It would be a wonderful way to honor their memory.

    Other family members might be interested in a lost ones personal storage for their own home. Other family members can go to the storage unit and pick out what they want for themselves instead of going to your home. Plus, we tend to not have enough room in our homes for our own furniture storage and car storage. Therefore a storage unit will free you from the inconvenience of cluttering up your own home with someone elses personal storage.

    How nice would it be to honor the memory of your late relative by giving their personal storage to charity? If you have no takers on your lost one’s personal storage , or if you don’t want to get involved with garage sales or estate sales, consider giving the personal storage to a charity in the love one’s name. It is your love ones last chance on doing something good in the world they left.

    Our personal storage holds sentimental value. Wouldn’t you like to know that you personal storage went to good use after your death instead of rotting away and decaying in some landfill. There is no reason to make fast rash decisions. Use a storage unit and consider your options.

    Brought to you by:

    Storage Concierge — Your Self Storage finder and Storage Units Locator

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  • Play On Words

    Ronald Smith PhoneSmart call center representative speaks out about communication and “conditional holds.”

    Welcome to the PhoneSmart call center blog. We offer an insider view of the self-storage industry.

    Words are a big part of communication. However, I have learned in communication classes that I have taken in college that the meaning of the message is in the receiver not the sender. That means once the caller hears the information, they may or may not interpret the words the same way you do.
    There are times when a customer calls for a unit and we only show that facility as having one space left. The unit may be available or they may have already sold the unit without updating our screen. In these cases, we do take the reservation on a conditional hold. The wording in the condition is where you have to get an understanding with the customer. The conditional hold with one or two units on our screen does not guarantee them that unit. If the unit is there when they arrive, then the unit is theirs.
    If the unit is sold when they get there, the hold gets them in to the next available unit at a comparable price. Sometimes the customer gets confused and thinks that the hold guarantees them a unit. It’s important to get that clarification because the customer may be upset when they get to the facility thinking they have a unit. That’s why it’s important to make sure you are clear with your words so that there isn’t any misunderstanding.

    PhoneSmart Your Source for Lead Generation
    Self Storage Blog A diary of the self storage industry
    Storage Concierge Helpful Hints for Storage

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  • Put On A Smiling Face :)

    Our upbeat call center rep, Mary gives us the benefits of a smile.

    Welcome to our property management blog, the ins and outs of property management and commercial management.

    Customers love to be treated like royalty, after all they are always right. People who call about storage are usually on a mission. They know what they want, or think they know what they want and they want the cheapest. Sometimes, they don’t care about anything else but to get to the price. They want to get right down to business. Does that sound familiar? Then sometimes people are nervous because they’ve never rented before. They don’t know what to ask, or they have a lot of questions. Some people are calm and easy going. Irate people are usually current tenants and are unhappy about something.
    Smiling while on the phone can give you a cheerful, pleasant impression to the caller. Your smile can do so much for you and you might not realize it. It can slow down that rapid hard to sell on the mission type, or make a nervous one feel comfortable, or an easygoing person just feel at home. A smile can even diffuse the upset customer who would seem to be the most unlikely to make happy.
    So you see, smiling can help a variety of people and, a word of warning; it can be contagious even though a caller may not see it.

    PhoneSmart Your Offsite Sales Solution
    Secret Shopping Blog Your inside peek
    Self Storage Search Engine Self Storage in New York

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