Tag Archives: storage

Packing Tips

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1. Pack carefully to prevent damage.
2. Take inventory and estimate replacement value of items as you pack items.
3. Invest in quality boxes. Boxes deteriorate with use. Don’t reuse them once they show wear and tear or softening.
4. Investing in same-size or standard sized moving boxes facilitates stacking.
5. Box everything you can. Seal with tape for stability and to keep out dust.
6. Original boxes are the best for electronics if you have kept them.
7. Wardrobe boxes are best protection for clothing that is usually stored by hanging.
8. Don’t pack in sealed plastic bags because trapped humidity may cause damage to contents.
9. Don’t pack so many heavy items in a box that you can’t lift it or the box is in danger of breaking.
10. If you have lots of books, invest in special smaller boxes for those.
10. Fill empty spaces in your boxes with paper or packing filler to avoid shifting of contents.
11. Wrap all breakables carefully. Bubble wrap is best but paper will do. Mark the boxes FRAGILE.
12. Label boxes well on more than one side.

What are your tips for packing?

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In the Kingston, Ontario region, you can call upon Martha Stanton-Smith of Rearrangements Home Staging for all your home staging needs. Visit the Rearrangements website at http://rearrangements.ca. Be sure to download your free Special Report “Get Off The Home Selling Roller Coaster: 5 Reasons Houses Don’t Sell and What You Can Do About Them.”

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How Much Will Typical Storage Units Hold?

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Dimensions of Typical Storage Units Typical Storage Capacity
5×5 – size of small bathroom or a closet 30 file boxes on shelves

or a few bits of furniture
5×10 – size of large walk in closet 84 file boxes

or furniture from one to two rooms
5×15 – size of a very large walk in closet 130 file boxes

or furniture from three rooms
10×10 – size of a average, midsized bedroom 180 files boxes

or furniture from four rooms

or contents of 15 ft. Moving van

or contents of small 2 bdrm apartment including one appliance

or 30 – 50 moving boxes and some extras.
10×15 – size of a large bedroom or a very small garage 295 file boxes

or furniture from three to five rooms

or contents of 20 ft. Moving van

or contents of large 2 bedroom apartment

or small hoouse with refrigerator, washer, dryer
10×20 – size of small one car garage 379 file boxes

or furniture from 2 to 4 bedroom house with major appliances

or contents of 24 foot moving van
10×25 504 file boxes

or furniture from 3 – 4 bedroom house & major appliances

or 6 to 8 rooms of furniture

or contents of a 26 foot moving van
10×30 – size of a 1.5 garage Contents of 3 – 5 bedroom home plus misc items

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In the Kingston, Ontario region, you can call upon Martha Stanton-Smith of Rearrangements Home Staging for all your home staging needs. Visit the Rearrangements website at http://rearrangements.ca. Be sure to download your free Special Report “Get Off The Home Selling Roller Coaster: 5 Reasons Houses Don’t Sell and What You Can Do About Them.”

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Tips for Maximizing the Use of Your Off-Site Storage Unit

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items in storage chest

Now that you have decided to rent off-site storage, here are some helpful ways to make the best use of space and protect your items from damage.

General Tips:
1. Do not store food or items which will attract insects or rodents.
2. Do not store combustibles.
3. Check to make sure you have appropriate, adequate insurance coverage.

Appliance & Furnishing Storage Tips
1. Defrost, clean, drain and dry before storing appliances.
2. Tie appliance doors and lids shut for transport and wedge them open for storage.
3. Wrap mattresses in sheeting or mattress covers. Store them standing on ends. Set them on protective covering or raise them off the floor.
4. Disassemble tables, beds and the like to save space. Put small parts, nuts and bolts into a bag and tape to underside. Keep pieces stored together for easy retrieval.
5. Treat wood furniture with polish and condition leather before storing. Be sure to allow the treatment to cure before wrapping the items or their surfaces may be marked.
6. When piling up furniture, wrap with dust covers or moving blankets to prevent scratching.
7. After wrapping chair legs and high backs you can stack them seat to seat.
8. Take lampshades off and wrap them separately from the lamps.
9. Wrap mirrors and pictures in bubble wrap and store them on edge, not flat.

Storing Tools and Equipment
1. Drain all fuel from machinery or vehicles before storing. It’s flammable and smelly.
2. Oil metal tools before storing to prevent rusting.
3. Tie long handled tools in bundles for storage.
4. Store brooms and brushes with bristles up to prevent flattening them.
5. Before you store the vacuum cleaner, remove the dirt bag.

Packing Tips
1. Pack carefully to avoid having to re-pack for an eventual move.
2. Take inventory and estimate replacement value of items as you pack them.
3. Invest in quality boxes and beware that they deteriorate with use.
4. Investing in same-size boxes facilitates stacking.
5. Box everything you can. Seal with tape for stability and to keep out dust.
6. Original boxes are the best for electronics if you have them.
7. Wardrobe boxes are best protection for clothing.
8. Don’t pack in sealed plastic bags because trapped humidity may cause damage to contents.
9. Don’t pack so many heavy items in a box that you can’t lift it or the box is in danger of breaking.
10. Fill empty spaces in your boxes with paper or packing filler to avoid shifting of contents.
11. Wrap all breakables carefully. Bubble wrap is best but paper will do. Mark the boxes FRAGILE.
12. Label boxes well on more than one side.

Storing Photographs
1. Only put loose photographs in storage if absolutely necessary.
2. Separate them with cardboard and tie them in bundles to prevent curling.
3. Use climate controlled storage for photographs (as well as other items which could be damaged by heat or humidity.)

Arranging Items in Storage Unit
1. If floor may get damp, put down boards, pallets or protective sheeting.
2. Try to create an aisle to the back in all but the smallest units.
3. Store largest items first.
4. Try not to lean furniture against walls.
5. Do not lean heavy metal items against easily damaged items.
6. Fill insides of drawers, cupboards and even appliances with small boxes and items to use all the space.
7. Anything wobbly should be stored horizontally and not vertically.
8. Keep items you may need to access frequently closest to the front.
9. Stack boxes and similar sized items, being sure to put the heaviest on the bottom.
10. Turn the boxes so the labels can be seen.

Protective Measures Inside Your Unit
1. Consider adding your own moisture absorbers, deodorizers or pest repellants in your unit.
2. Fabric softener dryer sheets are good for both deodorizing and rodent repellant.
3. Baking soda in perforated boxes is a good deodorizer to store inside appliances.
4. If you use hanging bag style moisture absorbing products, ensure that they have secure drip pans and that the residue will not splash on unprotected items.

The next post will be “How Much Will Typical Storage Units Hold?” a handy reference chart.

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In the Kingston, Ontario region, you can call upon Martha Stanton-Smith of Rearrangements Home Staging for all your home staging needs. Visit the Rearrangements website at http://rearrangements.ca. Be sure to download your free Special Report “Get Off The Home Selling Roller Coaster: 5 Reasons Houses Don’t Sell and What You Can Do About Them.”

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Choosing an Off-Site Storage Provider – 7 Questions to Ask

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mobile self storage container

One of several self-storage options is the mobile container.

Off-site storage is provided by Self-Storage Companies and Movers in many different configurations. Often movers will stack your belongings on pallets, wrap them and store them in their warehouse. Self-storage companies typically provide either garage like units without climate control or lockers of various sizes inside climate controlled warehouses. There is also the option of having a container delivered to your home for loading. It is then stored in a warehouse until you wish to have it delivered – either back home or to your new home. These are provided by movers, self-storage companies and container specialists.

Whichever solution is right for you, here are 7 important questions to ask when choosing a storage provider.

1. Where is it located?
How long will it take to get from your home to the storage? If you want to have frequent access or have many trips to get everything transferred to storage, proximity could be quite important. Also, consider the neighbourhood where the facility is located. Will you feel safe traveling or unloading there?

2. How good is access and customer service?
Will the hours and conditions of access work for you? What happens if you have an unanticipated emergency need to retrieve something? Will you be able to do it? What is the availability of parking and vehicular access? Will there be someone around to help you, especially on move-in day? Do they have other things you may need, for example phones, washrooms, work space, moving dollies, shelving?

3. What security measures do they have?
Are there security cameras and are they monitored or recorded? Are there alarm systems or alarms on each unit? Is there security staff on duty and during what hours? Is there a live-in caretaker or manager? What are the smoking rules? Are there fire alarms? Is the storage of flammables prohibited? What is the access method for the facility? Is there a sign-in? Do individuals accessing the units need to be pre-authorized? Can people see into your unit? What are the locking methods and can you add your own padlocks to your unit?

4. What pest control programs do they have in place?
Is the facility regularly monitored by professionals for rodents, insects, and even birds. Is the top of your locker in a warehouse setting covered to avoid bird droppings? Are the floors clean and smooth? How good is general maintenance including grass cutting and trash removal? These measures discourage pests.

5. Can you get a copy of the contract to read over in detail?
Take notice of the grace period for payments and late payment procedures? How do they bill and accept payments and will that be easy for you? What is their policy on seizure for arrears? What notice is required for move-out? How much notice do they give for rate increases? What are deposit and refund terms? Will you need your own insurance? If they provide insurance, find out exactly what it covers, e.g. is flood, fire or natural disaster included? For mobile containers, are there time limits for having the container at your site for loading? You should also ask about potential regulations prohibiting the containers in your neighbourhood and make sure you have adequate space for it to park while loading.

6. What will this unit cost?
Shop around and negotiate. Compare sizes of 2 smaller units with that of 1 larger equivalent. Are there move-in specials or long term discounts? What additional fees apply, i.e. key deposits, fees for access, individual unit alarm fees, or delivery fees for mobile units?

7. Can I see the specific unit I will be renting?
Many of the first six questions can be answered online or over the phone. However, you should not rent without touring. Preferably you should be able to see the actual unit you are going to rent. Here are things to observe:
- Observe friendliness of staff.
- Check maintenance, absence of tall grass, weeds and trash; facilities in good repair.
- Ask about recent break-ins and note what they have done to improve prevention.
- Sniff the unit for mold or other bad smells.
- How does the temperature and humidity feel? Touch the walls in climate controlled units; they should be dry.
- Is the floor dust free and level?
- Is the unit enclosed from view and covered on top from bird droppings or dust?
- Can you find any evidence of insects, spider webs, insect casings or eggs, insects, rodent droppings?
- Observe all the security systems, cameras, gates, door access systems.
- How secure will you feel at night?

The next post will be “Tips for Maximizing the Use of Your Off-Site Storage Unit.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Kingston, Ontario region, you can call upon Martha Stanton-Smith of Rearrangements Home Staging for all your home staging needs. Visit the Rearrangements website at http://rearrangements.ca. Be sure to download your free Special Report “Get Off The Home Selling Roller Coaster: 5 Reasons Houses Don’t Sell and What You Can Do About Them.”

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Off Site Storage – 7 Things to Consider

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messy storage area

One of the top things buyers ask themselves when considering a home purchase is: “How much space and storage does this home have?”
If you are selling, you want their answer to be “Lots!”

So when your Realtor or Home Stager advises you to start pre-packing and moving out excess furnishings, avoid simply sticking everything in your garage or basement. Off-site storage is preferable for selling. After all, the basement or garage you are filling up is also valuable real estate. Showing it stuffed full and disorganized defeats the purpose. It makes potential buyers think:
“Hey this house is too small. The people who live here don’t even have enough room for their stuff. I won’t even be able to use this garage/basement because I’ll need it for storage.”

Out of sight is out of mind. When selling, seriously consider storing excess items off-site. Without a generous friend or relative to store your things for you, you need to plan for a commercial storage option. Here are seven things to consider as you start your research.

1. What will you be storing? Is it household good and furniture; boats, vehicles, RV’s; specialty goods like a collection of fine wines; or business records. Each has it’s own special storage needs and you may look to different providers for each. This series of posts is about storage for household goods, furniture, appliances and personal items.

2. Will you need to access your belongings periodically during storage? During what hours? Will you eventually need the items to be picked up by a larger moving truck and added to your other belongings for a move? The answers will affect which facility you will choose and conditions of access will be an important question for you to ask.

3. How much space will you need? Remember to allow extra square footage for walking room if you need access to your items without unloading the whole space to get to the back. If your needs increase, will there be more units available in reasonable proximity? You can find estimates of unit capacities online. For example, contents of a small two bedroom apartment might take about 10 ft. x 10 ft.

4. Should you choose a climate controlled unit? Certain items such as photographs, paper, documents, cloth, mattresses, upholstered goods, furniture, antiques, artwork and electronics are affected by heat and humidity. They are at risk of damage without climate control.

5. How will you move your items to storage? Will you need a truck? If so, you may consider a mobile container that is delivered to your locations for you to fill, or a mover who handles everything or possibly a self-storage that offers truck rentals. The alternative is to do a bit more leg work and book the truck separately. Don’t forget the cost of the truck rental, insurance and gas in your estimates.

A related question here is how hard are your items to carry? Do you need the type of storage where you can back right up to your unit? Or can you deal with getting them some distance from the door to your assigned space?

6. How long do you expect to need storage? Overestimate a bit here if you are unsure. Is the storage a temporary stop on an eventual move? Perhaps you should be booking movers now and letting them handle the storage. It might save in the long run. However, a need to access items in the interim could make it unfeasible with certain movers.

7. And finally, what is your budget for storage? You don’t want to risk losing your items because you aren’t able to keep up with storage fees. Having to bring them home while still trying to sell would be counterproductive if not disastrous. Consider whether the cost of storing easily replaced, bulky items might end up to be more that just buying new when you need them again.

Next post will be “Choosing an Off-Site Storage Provider – 7 Questions to Ask.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the Kingston, Ontario region, you can call upon Martha Stanton-Smith of Rearrangements Home Staging for all your home staging needs. Visit the Rearrangements website at http://rearrangements.ca. Be sure to download your free Special Report “Get Off The Home Selling Roller Coaster: 5 Reasons Houses Don’t Sell and What You Can Do About Them.”

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Where Can I Hide My Stuff?

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Sunroom before staging

Sunroom before staging - purge required?

sunroom After Staging by Homeowners

Sunroom After Staging by Homeowners

Q. Where are some good hiding spots for extra things when showing a home for sale?

A. 80% of home buyers feel storage space is important. To find it they will look inside your cupboards and closets. Buyers may look inside appliances too, even if not advertised as part of the deal. You might get away with a load of dry clothes in the dryer and a load of clean dishes in the dishwasher. However, packing the oven with excess pots and pans might signal too little cupboard space.

Remove non-essential items from your in-home storage spaces to make them look more spacious and to impress buyers that storage in your home is ample, instead of squeezing more items in there. The garage, basement storage area and garden shed are also valuable spaces and should not looked jammed. Neatly organizing the remaining items will allow you to keep a little more than you could if things were just tossed in a jumbled pile.

You’re getting ready for a move so carefully consider whether everything really needs to come with you. The less you take, the cheaper the move. Now is the time for a purge, a garage sale and little gift giving and donating. That said, there will likely be some things that you want to keep which are not suitable to display when the public is coming through your home. Here are some ideas.

  1. Probably people won’t look under beds, so as long as bed skirts cover the items, you can use that space for storage. If your bed is not high, you could invest in risers to go under the legs. This would give you a more luxurious looking bed plus a bit more storage space. Be careful that things aren’t left peeking out from under the bed skirt.
  2. Also, large furniture with skirted bottoms can hide a few things. Games or table leaves could be stashed under the sofa. But make sure nothing is peeking out or your secret will be revealed.
  3. The trunk or backseat of your car is a good place to stash things that are out of place when you make a last minute clear-up before a showing. Have some bins, laundry baskets or duffle bags handy to scoop up stray belongings and pet items as you get ready to head out while a showing takes place.
  4. If you don’t have time to run a load of laundry your dirty clothes and wet towels can go in a hamper with a lid or a towel folded overtop. Be careful about smells from the hamper. Throw in some scented dryer sheets and try to keep up with regular washing, drying, folding and replacing items in the proper closet.
  5. In the bathroom, you may have space for some covered baskets which can be decorative as well as useful in concealing small toiletries which are required on a daily basis.
  6. The best spot for storing extra belongings is an off-site storage unit. If you are reluctant to move things twice, you might decide to use container storage. Containers are delivered to your home and you fill them. Then they are taken to a warehouse and when it’s time to move they can be delivered to your new home. By allowing breathing room in your home’s storage areas, your house will bring better offers. The small investment in rented storage space will pay off.

Author, Martha Stanton-Smith, owner of Rearrangements, is a Certified Canadian Staging Professional who helps serious home sellers in Kingston, Ontario get full worth for their homes. She completed her staging training in 2006. Visit her profile here: