You have stuff you use certain times of the year. Maybe it is the boating accessories you take to the lake each summer or the fishing gear you spend the spring using. Each holiday there are decorations for outside and inside. Your winter sports gear needs a place to stay during the summer. Using a mini storage building is the extra space you need to store your off season things.

The idea of a mini storage building evokes pictures of boxy, metal garage type buildings lining highways and dark industrial areas. The facilities built today are more modern, architecturally pleasing and made to blend in with their surroundings.

There are a few steps to take when picking a facility to store your belongings and packing the items correctly.

Estimate how much space you will need to store your off season items. Make a rough sketch of possible ways to arrange your items so they are organized and easily accessible when you need them. Choose a mini storage building and pack to the ceiling instead of paying for unused space in a larger unit. These mini units are specifically designed for small loads.

Check with facilities in your area to get an estimate on the square footage of their mini storage building . If your equipment takes up vertical space, be sure to get height measurements as well.

Ask about the monthly rental cost and if there is any security deposits required. Is there a minimum time to rent the building? Insuring your contents might be your responsibility so be sure to ask. Find out when you can access your belongings. Most mini store building facilities allow access 24 hours a day for free, but some will have restrictions and charges. Ask what type of security the facility uses. You do not want your valuable gear ending up in the possession someone else.

Will you need a flashlight to access your belongings at night or is lighting provided? Will you need electrical outlets? Ask if the buildings are wired for electricity. Will you need controlled conditions for your items? Storing holiday candles in a building that can easily reach over 100 degrees can lead to disaster. The building needs to be dry for those heirloom linens and electronics. Having your building temperature and humidity controlled usually costs extra.

You should give some thought to how you will organize your belongings. Pack carefully. Use boxes that close in size for easier stacking. Plastic containers will hold up better than cardboard. Leave room to walk between boxes and gear. Fill the boxes to the top with padding to keep them from collapsing.

Treat anything metal with a rust protector. Finding your lawnmower with huge rust holes next spring can be disappointing. Lay plastic sheeting and old bed sheets on the floor to protect from condensation. Leave room around the walls for air to circulate.

Do not store flammables or combustibles in your mini store building. This includes gasoline, oil, cleaning fluids and paint thinner. Empty all gas tanks in your lawn mowers, boat motors and other gasoline powered equipment.

Storing your off season holiday decorations, outdoor furniture, kids toys, winter clothes, golf clubs, skis, bicycles, tools, camping gear, and lawn equipment in a mini storage building allows you to free up space in your home. With a little planning and organizing, you can have your belongings stored and easily accessed when you need them.

Source : Self Storage Blog

Mini Storage Search

When you are on the look out for a self storage unit, you know that you are going to entrust your valuable possessions and belongings in the hands of an organization which promises safety and security. A self storage unit is preferred by people over public storage, because they can secure their storage unit with their own lock and key. Not only do they have access to their belongings but they can also move to a different unit if they want. They can also add or get rid of items from their self storage units.

The most important concern for people when they opt for a moving storage unit or a self storage unit is the security of their items. Unless they know that their belongings are safe and secure, why will they choose the storage facility? Choose a facility based on the value of your goods and the level of security offered.

There are different storage facilities which provide various levels of security. It is important to check how secure the unit is when you visit a storage facility. Let us look at some of the security arrangements practiced by most storage buildings:

1. Coded gates: These are quite useful to prohibit unauthorized access to the storage building. The entry or access to the storage building is reserved only to the employees and customers who have the required codes. A record is kept of the people who enter and move out of the premises.

2. Motion sensors and alarms: They provide high security for a self storage or a public storage unit. The motion sensors can be used indoors as well as outdoors. They can be connected to light fittings or alarms. Whenever a motion is detected, the light is turned on and the alarms rings to notify the authorities. The alarm can also be connected to a local police station. Fire alarms are also installed in most storage units to protect your goods from fire attack. The fire alarms are generally connected to a local fire station.

3. CCTVs: Closed Circuit Television is another excellent way and a requisite for every self storage unit. The CCTV closely monitors and video tapes people who venture in and out of the storage unit.

4. Keypad access: This is one of the best security measures given to the person using the self storage facility. A code is provided to you which give you access to the elevators, rooms and even the floor where your belongings are stored. In a multi-story storage unit, you are given a keypad access code which gives you entry only to your floor, thus ensuring prim and proper security.

5. Locks: You are asked to keep your own lock so that you have total access to your goods. You can leave the key with the warehouse operator in case of emergencies. You may also give a list of the names of people, like your relatives, who can have access to your self-storage unit. You can also ask the self storage facility to give you a call for approval, before the visitor seeks to use your self-storage unit on your behalf.

6. Hallway Intercoms- This is one of the best ways for informing people about restricted areas in the self storage unit and also letting the guards get in touch with the storage facilitator when they are confronted with a visitor.

7. Guards: An ideal self storage or public storage unit will have round the clock security 24/7 working in shifts.

8. Fences: Choose a self storage unit which has adequate amount of storage security in the form of fencing. Brick walls and metal picketed fences go a long way in keeping trespassers at bay.

Apart from the aforementioned security arrangements, one should also go for a storage unit which is well-lit and ventilated.