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| Advantages, Advice & Top Tips |
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"Do-it-Yourself" storage is
another way to put it and there are so many advantages.
In a nutshell, you bring your stuff to us, pack it in
your chosen size storage unit and then remove it when
you like! You can come and go as you please (during our
opening hours). It's flexible, simple and secure.
10 great reasons to use Southwick
Self Storage
• Ideal for Personal, Business,
Professional, Commercial and
Domestic use.
• Monthly payment plans.
• Very competitive prices.
• Unlimited access during opening hours.
• Easy ground level access.
• You lock it and you keep the key.
• Sack trucks and trolleys available for unloading.
• Large doors giving easy access to unit.
• Only one weeks notice needed on departure.
• Centrally located between Bath, Frome & Trowbridge.
Advice &
Top Tips
- Invest in good quality sturdy boxes and packing materials
- box strength degrades with use. If you buy boxes of
similar sizes it'll be easier to stack them securely in
the self-storage facility and will save you space.
- Box everything that you can.
- Fill boxes to capacity wherever possible to avoid breakages
but avoid making them too heavy - remember you'll have
to be able to lift them. You can use materials such as
paper or towels or can buy special packing to fill spaces
if necessary. You might be stacking boxes on top of each
other and the lower levels need to be sturdy enough to
take the strain. Boxes that are only partly filled may
tip over or collapse.
- Label all boxes clearly so you can identify the contents.
Label them on more than one side so you can see what's
what quickly. Mark 'Fragile' on any boxes containing breakable
items.
- Pack books flat to avoid damaging their spines.
- Don't store wet items as they can cause water damage,
mould and mildew.
- Large appliances need care before placing in storage make
sure you defrost fridges and freezers thoroughly before
storing them otherwise you'll be leaving yourself open
to water damage. Tie doors up for the move, although you
should leave them slightly ajar once in storage to stop
condensation forming and help ward off bad odours. Drain
washing machines before storing them and tie down hoses
etc.
- Wrap all fragile items and breakables such as dishes,
glasses, ornaments etc separately. Paper will do but bubble
wrap is a good investment. Pack them tightly into strong
boxes, filling any gaps with paper or filler. Try to avoid
putting heavy items on top of fragile ones in storage.
- If you're going to be storing clothes think about buying
wardrobe or clothes boxes - you'll then be able to simply
hang the clothes in them and they'll keep their shape.
- For the best protection for mirrors and pictures in a
self-storage facility, wrap them in a protective covering
such as bubble wrap and stack them on their ends. Mirrors
and pictures should never be stored flat. Mark them as
'Fragile'.
- Separate lamp bases and lampshades and wrap them for protection.
- If you're storing upholstered products such as mattresses
and sofas it might be a good idea to invest in covers,
bags or sheeting to give them some additional protection.
Stand sofas and mattresses on end wherever possible to
save space and don't stack too much on top of soft furnishings.
Mattresses are best stored on the long end.
- If you're storing a few items of furniture on top of each
other a simple dust sheet or cover placed between items
will minimize scratching and damage.
- You'll save space if you can dismantle furniture such
as beds and tables before you store it. Make sure you
keep hold of all the bits so you can get it all back together
again! Wrap and cover furniture sections and keep them
together, clearly marked, for quick retrieval. You can
put components such as screws and bolts together in a
plastic bag, mark them clearly and tape to the relevant
piece of furniture. Store large pieces of furniture vertically
to save space in the facility.
- Chairs can be stacked seat to seat to save space. Cover
chair legs with protective wrapping for extra protection.
- Spray your wood furniture with a good quality furniture
spray before storing it to give it some added protection.
- Electrical equipment such as TVs, stereos and computers
should be packed in their original boxes wherever possible.
If this isn't possible, pack them into boxes that are
about the right size making sure that you pack gaps with
paper etc.
- If you're storing items with fuel tanks such as lawn mowers
and cars etc drain the tanks before you put them in storage.
- You can tie tools and long-handled items in bundles. Don't
store a brush resting on the bristles.
- Don't store vacuum cleaners with the bag in - throw it
away before you store.
- Treat leather items with a leather conditioner before
you store them.
- If you do store loose photographs, place them between
pieces of clean cardboard and tape them together to avoid
curling.
- Think creatively and you'll make more space. Plan to use
furniture drawers as an extra box (they are especially
good for fragile items) and you can use the inside of
wardrobes to store boxes. Kitchen appliances such as stoves
and fridges can also be used in this way.
- Seal all your boxes with packing tape before you put them
in storage this will help keep dust out of the contents.
- In all but the smallest units, try to create an aisle
and leave enough room to be able to get round the back.
- Store your largest items first.
- If you're stacking your unit high with boxes, always make
sure to put the heaviest boxes at the bottom to avoid
damage.
- Stack boxes and similarly sized items together to save
space.
- Try to assess what you'll need to access frequently and
keep it at the front of your unit.
- Fill anything that's hollow - i.e. wardrobes, drawers,
washing machines and fridges with small boxes and other
items to maximize your available space.
- Make sure to stack boxes and containers so that you can
see the labels you put on them.
- Don't store anything in the facility that you're not sure
is sturdy vertically - if it seems wobbly store it horizontally.
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