U-Lock Mini Storage

Renting a storage unit is an excellent way to declutter your office or home, or to protect your valued belongings. While there are a myriad of benefits for renting a mini storage, some customers are still on the fence about whether they should rent a storage unit.

If you are having some hard time determining whether you should rent a self storage, you can use the following questions as guides to evaluate whether a storage unit is suitable for you.

1. Are You Moving or Selling Your Home?

If you are moving or selling your home, we highly recommend that you rent a storage unit to declutter your home, protect your belongings, or store items that you do not plan to move to your new home.

If you are staging your home, like many other homeowners do to beautify their homes and make them more appealing to potential buyers, you can rent a storage unit to ensure that there is enough space for home staging decor to be placed in your home. Additionally, renting a storage unit allows you to store unwanted items such as old furniture or hockey sticks, and keep them out of sight while staging your home for an open house or a photoshoot.

If you plan to move to a new property shortly after selling your home, you can store items that you will not be moving to the new place. For example, if you are downsizing to an apartment from a detached home and do not have enough space in your new home to store items such as a bicycle, hockey net, or other belongings, you can store them at a self storage unit during the open house period so you can get a head start on packing for your move.

If you are planning to keep these items in the storage unit for a long period of time, you can reserve a climate-controlled storage unit so more delicate belongings are not exposed to damage from extreme heat, cold, or humidity.

Items that should be stored in a climate-controlled storage unit include:

• Antiques
• Cosmetics & Toiletries
• Art & Collectibles
• Goods and Furniture made of leather
• Paperwork/documents
• Electronics
• Media (e.g. CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes)
• Photographs and Film
• Bicycles
• Musical Instruments
  

2. Are You Renovating Your Home?

Similar to moving or selling your home, renovating your home would also be a good time to rent a storage unit to make your home more spacious or protect your belongings. Renting a storage unit can help keep items out of the way for home renovators to work more freely. Renting a storage unit can also help prevent your belongings from being damaged during the renovation process.

Home renovations typically last anywhere between one to three months and you can reserve a storage unit for the duration of the home renovation – however long it may be. This makes renting a storage unit incredibly cost-effective. At U-Lock Self Storage, we offer month-to-month no commitment contracts to provide you with the financial flexibility you need for renting a storage unit.

3. Do You Need to Store Important Documents at a Secure Location?

Storage units are an excellent place to store important documents because storage facilities are highly secure and gated. All of our storage facilities are monitored 24 hours a day using digital surveillance. Each storage has an individual alarm installed; any trespasser who attempts to break in a storage will trigger the alarm and security or law enforcement will promptly remedy the problem.

Moreover, each renter is given a unique access code that they must use to enter the perimeter and unlock their storage unit. Each renter is also required to enter their access code when they exit the building and lock their storage unit. This protocol allows the storage facility to track who comes in and out of the building, and prevent trespassers from entering the perimeter, making the storage facility tremendously secure.

4. Do You Need Extra Space At Your Home, Office, or Store?

We know – it is terribly easy to create a stack load of paperwork, inventory, or equipment at your office, retail store, or warehouse. This is where a storage unit can help; you can store products, equipment, or inventory that you do not want laying around your working area.

For example, if you have summer fashion items that you have not cleared this year, you can store them at a storage unit and bring them out next summer if they are still in style.

5. Do You Have a Secure Place to Store Your Vehicle?

It is not easy to find a safe location in Greater Vancouver or on Vancouver Island to securely store a vehicle. With the number of auto break-ins on the rise, car owners are looking for new places to store their cars when they are out of town. A car or auto storage is the perfect solution for this problem. By renting a car storage at our Vancouver / Burnaby self storage location, you can store your vehicle at a gated, alarmed, access-controlled facility that is monitored via random patrol services as well as by our 24/7 digital video recording system. This robust security system will keep your vehicle safe and sound while you are away!

Questions? Feel free to call us at 1.866.647.8673 or contact us online at https://www.selfstorage.ca/contact-us and our staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Looking to reserve a storage unit? Find a self storage facility near you:

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

4 Items You Should Store In Heated Storage Units

Have you been searching for “storage rooms near me,” but can’t decide between renting an unheated storage unit or a heated storage unit? A self-storage unit can come in handy when you’re renovating your home, getting ready for a big move, or just need some extra space in your home or office. If you’re looking for local storage units to store your belongings during the BC winter months, a storage unit that keeps your items warm and dry may be the storage solution you need. While some low-maintenance items or boxes may not be affected by temperature, there are a few items in your home that may be susceptible to damage from the extreme cold, wet and heavy precipitation of the winters we experience here in British Columbia. To help you decide which of your items would be ideal for heated storage, we’ve compiled a list below of a few items that you should always store in a heated storage unit:

What is Heated Storage?

When you live in a climate that experiences drastic temperature changes, you want to make sure your items will be protected from the damaging effects of extreme cold and moisture. When it’s cold outside, heated storage units maintain a warm, dry and safe environment for your belongings. If you need to store goods for several months, a year, or longer, heated storage will provide a safe environment that will maintain an ideal temperature throughout the winter months, preventing your sensitive items from freezing and becoming damaged.

Items That Require Heated Storage:

Furniture 

If you want to ensure your valuable or antique wood furniture pieces stay safe from moisture or extremely cold temperatures, opt for heated storage. When moisture gets into the wood, it can cause the wood to permanently warp, crack, or even rot. If you need to store your wood furniture while you’re waiting to move into your new house or clearing out that spare bedroom for a new home office, a heated storage unit will provide a stable environment that will prevent the wood in your dressers, bed frames, and tables and chairs from expanding or contracting as the temperatures rise and fall during the winter months.

The same goes for leather furniture. Leather is extremely sensitive to fluctuations in humidity and moisture, which can cause the leather to shrink, thin out, become discoloured, and be susceptible to mould and mildew. Keep your leather recliners, couches, and furniture pieces preserved by storing them in an indoor or outdoor heated storage unit that maintains a stable temperature and has circulated air.

Clothing

It’s official, summer is almost over, which means it’s time to put your summer wardrobe away and make room in your closet and drawers for winter jackets, sweaters, and scarves. If you want your summer clothing to look, feel and fit the same when you pull them out of storage, then consider a heated storage unit so your clothes are kept clean, dry, and protected from the outside elements. Don’t use plastic bags to store your clothing as plastic can trap moisture, which can lead to mould and mildew. Instead, hang your clothing in a wardrobe box, use plastic totes, and don’t forget to rotate and refold your clothing once a year to prevent permanent creasing.

Important Paperwork & Business Documents

Paper, including photographs, can disintegrate, degrade, and become illegible. If you have sensitive or important business documents you need to store for long periods, it’s important to search for storage facilities that have the heated storage amenities that will protect and preserve your paperwork. By keeping your documents in a stable and controlled environment, you can have peace of mind that your business papers won’t get damaged over time. For added peace of mind, search for local indoor storage rooms that have individually alarmed doors, video surveillance, and storage facilities with passcode protected entry. 

Electronics & Household Appliances

Whether you’re storing computers or video game consoles, flat-screen TVs, audio equipment, or household appliances, we all know that water and electronics do not mix. In the winter, cold temperatures can wreak havoc on electronics such as laptops and tablets, gaming devices or home appliances by damaging the batteries inside, exposing electronic components and mechanical parts to moisture buildup, and causing your electronics to crack or rust, rendering them useless. Instead, keep your electronics preserved inside a heated storage unit. Add another layer of protection around large electronics by wrapping computer monitors and flat-screen TVs with moving blankets or blankets from your home. 

Looking for heated storage units on Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland?

Still not sure exactly what type of storage unit you need? Instead of trying to search for “storage rooms near me,” talk to a storage specialist at your nearest U-Lock storage facility location. Let us know what you’re looking to store and how long for, and we’d be happy to guide you towards the right storage solution to fit your personal and business needs. With a range of affordable self-storage options available, including exterior and interior heated storage units, there’s always a space for you at U-Lock Mini Storage.

As businesses are re-opening and consumers are more actively shopping or searching for products or services to purchase, the real estate market is also picking up. More homeowners are selling their homes and more home shoppers are looking for a new home!

Homeowners should definitely consider renting storage units when they are trying to sell their homes, since storage units can help declutter and organize your belongings, making it easier to move, and even providing extra storage after you have sold your home. Here are top five reasons why you should rent a storage unit when you are selling your home: 

1. Declutter your home for real estate photography or videography

Producing exceptional photos or videos to sell homes is a necessity in today’s digital age. Sellers or realtors need to showcase their homes’ exteriors and interiors in photos or 360° walkaround videos for real estate listings so buyers can get a good view of the homes they are interested in. To get the best photos or videos of sellers’ homes, it is recommended that the sellers declutter and organize their homes by moving non-essential belongings to storage units. If you are using home decor, or staging your home, you can also store items that you do not want to showcase in photos or videos. This way, you can improve the presentability and increase the saleability of your home.

2. Declutter your home for an open house

In addition to making your home more presentable for real estate photos or videos, you can also rent a storage unit to make your home more presentable for an open house. If you are staging your home or using special home decor, you can store items such as old bicycles or furniture at a storage unit to make space for staging items. Even if you are not staging your home, you can still store your belongings at a storage unit and make your home look more presentable, open, and spacious, and thus increase its saleability as well.

3. Keep your backyard or garage organized

If you have a backyard or garage full of kids’ hockey sticks, toys, sports equipment, yard equipment, tools, grills, patio furniture and everything else in between, you can rent a storage unit to store these items and to keep your backyard or garage tidy. After all, you want to make your home as tidy and presentable as possible to help your potential buyer visualize the space, comfort, and opportunities your property has to offer.

4. Protect your valuable belongings

To protect your belongings during an open house, we  recommend renting a storage unit to store your valuables temporarily. A 5 x 5 feet storage unit will suffice for most of your needs.

5. Make it easier when you move

After you sell your home, you will likely move to a new place. If there are some items you do not want to bring to your new home right away, you can store them during the open house period or when you are getting real estate photos or videos, and you can keep the items in the storage unit indefinitely until you need to bring them into your new home. This will make moving into your new home much easier because there will be fewer items to move!

Questions? Feel free to call us at 1.866.647.8673 or contact us online at https://www.selfstorage.ca/contact-us and our staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Looking to reserve a storage unit? Find a self storage facility near you:

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

Storage units are useful for homeowners to store valued possessions at a secure location while creating more space in their homes. Here are the top nine scenarios where homeowners should use storage units:

1.   Downsizing

If you are moving to a smaller home and not everything[RM2]  from your current home fits in your new place, you can store your belongings in a storage unit. Once you have settled in your new home, you can visit your storage unit to retrieve your belongings as needed.

2.   Staging a home for sale

You may have a lot of things in your home that don’t necessarily look ready for a real estate showing. To enhance the look of your home interior, you might hire a stager to decorate your home. Meanwhile, you can rent a small storage unit to keep some of your house items off-site during the selling or showing process.

3.   Closing date is pushed back

If you need to be out of your apartment by September 25th, but your closing date will not happen until October 7th, you need a storage unit. It is inconvenient to have to move twice, but at least you know your belongings will be kept safe and sound in the meantime.

4.   Moving Back Home Temporarily During School Break

If you are going for a business trip for some time, or going abroad for studying or training, storing certain valued items at a storage unit is a great idea. You can safely keep belongings and items that you cannot take on your trip at a secure location and easily retrieve them when you are back!

5.   Consolidating homes

This process can happen when a couple first moves in together or when an elderly parent moves in with family. In either situation, there is likely to be an excess of belongings. A storage unit can give you and your family time to get through the transition.

6.   Creating more space at home

Even before the dawn of the Marie Kondo era, people have had a strong desire to declutter. However, sometimes we are not in a position to get rid of belongings. They might have a sentimental value, or they might belong to another family member who is out of town.

Many people will temporarily rent a storage unit so they can slowly go through the decluttering process and keep their home tidy. People who have a knack for interior decorating also may utilize storage units for house decor items they can switch out from time to time.

7.   Keeping vehicles safe in the offseason

Customers can store their vehicles at our Burnaby/Vancouver Self Storage facility! If you are going to be out of town for several weeks or months and don’t have access to a secure parking spot, our car storage unit is a great solution. We have storage units in a variety of sizes. Our car storage is located in a gated, alarmed, access controlled facility that is monitored via random patrol  services as well as our 24/7 digital video recording system. This robust security system will keep your vehicle safe and sound while you are away.

8.   Helping organize a home renovation

Summer is here and you are ready to renovate your home. The first thing to do after selecting the home renovation company you want to work with, is finding a storage unit near you. You can store valued possessions or furniture to avoid accidental damage, while creating more space for home renovators to work freely.

9.   Organizing Home Office Inventory

As more business owners are setting up home offices to work from home 100% of the time, their homes become cluttered with office supplies or documents. Yikes! This is where storage units can help. By storing documents or office supplies at a storage unit, a business owner can declutter and clear his home or working area and keep his home office organized. Additionally, keeping your office supplies at a self storage unit will prevent them from being inadvertently damaged at home by pets, kids, or every-day activities.

Some common businesses that find value in storage units include:

●       Carpenters and contractors

●       Landscapers

●       Online shop owners

●       Sales and marketing service professionals

Looking to reserve a storage unit? Find a self storage facility near you:

1. Self storage Burnaby or Vancouver
2. Self storage Chilliwack
3. Self storage South Surrey or White Rock
4. Self storage Parksville
5. Self storage Nanaimo
6. Self storage Victoria

Questions? Feel free to call us at 1.866.647.8673 or contact us online athttps://www.selfstorage.ca/contact-us and our staff will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have!

Security Features To Look For When Renting A Storage Unit

Security is one of the most important features to look for when choosing a self-storage facility. When you are putting your items into self-storage, you want to have peace of mind that your items will be safe and protected by choosing a storage facility that utilizes the latest in security features. Regardless of what you are storing, here are some of the security features to look for in a self-storage facility:

Perimeter Fencing & Main Gate

Does the storage facility have a strong initial layer of security? Make sure the storage facility has perimeter fencing around the property to keep out anyone who isn’t working or storing at the property. How do people enter/exit the property? Look for a property that has a main gate with electronic gate access that can only be opened or closed when a code is entered on an electronic keypad. This ensures that the storage provider is aware of who is coming and going from the facility at all times.

Digital Video Surveillance

You want to afford yourself with peace of mind knowing that your items will be safe in storage. Look for storage facilities that have multiple cameras strategically placed throughout the property, ensuring nothing goes unseen. Digital video surveillance that is run 24/7 ensures that whether or not the staff is on-site, the facility and property can still be monitored at any time. Research also shows that just the mere presence of security cameras is enough to ward off potential thieves or trespassers.

Individually-Alarmed Storage Units

Controlled access to your storage unit is a must. Make sure that your indoor storage unit or outdoor storage unit is fitted with an alarm system that prompts an alarm if someone attempts to break into your unit. With individually-alarmed units, each renter is given a unique access code to the property, which they enter at the main gate and/or facility entrance doors to disable the alarm on their unit. When exiting, the renter will enter their access code again, thus, re-arming the unit alarm and ensuring their items are safe and protected.

Locks

As the renter, you are required to use your own lock. Ensuring the storage units are secured with a high-quality storage lock should be the priority of any storage facility and self-storage renter. Many storage facilities of a selection of self-storage locks available for purchase, but which type do you buy? When choosing a lock to protect your storage unit and valuable items, consider the following self-storage locks:

Disc Locks: A popular lock in the self-storage industry, these thickly built locks are extremely tamper-proof and are drill-proof, pick-proof, resilient against impacts. Made of heavy-duty stainless steel, these locks have a disc-like shape and built-in shackle that fits tightly around your storage unit door latch, making them very difficult for anyone to cut with bolt-cutters or grind off. Removing these locks requires electrical equipment, as well as a lot of time and effort.

Cylinder Locks: Becoming the new industry standard, like disc locks, these tamper-proof self-storage locks are drill-proof, resilient against impacts, and virtually impossible to pick. These locks have a cylinder shape, which means they have no locking bar and are inserted internally inside the storage unit latching system with no part of the lock extending out from the door, making them impossible to be cut off. Not all self-storage facilities have this configuration, so it’s always best to call your storage provider before you arrive and inquire if their roll-up doors support cylinder locks or not.

Lighting

Lighting is an effective crime deterrent and a must for on-site safety. Make sure the property of your storage provider is well-light both inside and out. If you have an outdoor storage unit, you want to make sure the property has excellent exterior lighting and is well-light at night to avoid accidents and ensure you feel safe. When inside your storage unit, you want to make sure you’re not having to hold a flashlight at all times when sorting through your items, so look for self-storage facilities with good interior lighting with well-lit hallways and aisles.

Looking for secure self-storage?

If you’re getting ready to move your items into storage and need a safe and secure storage unit for your belongings, contact your nearest U-Lock location and speak to our storage specialists. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have, tell you all about our security features, and set you up with the right storage unit to fit your needs. 

Are you getting ready to move your belongings into storage? To help you save time and stress, and ensure you get the most out of your storage unit, here are a few common self storage moving mistakes to avoid:

Not labelling your boxes

Amidst the rushing around and chaos that is moving, many people often skip labelling their boxes to save time. Fast forward a month later when you need to grab something from your storage unit, but you have completely forgotten where you packed it. There is nothing more frustrating and time-consuming than having to rifle through every box to find what you came for. Save yourself a lot of time and stress in the future and label your boxes. We recommend labelling boxes by room with a number and keeping a detailed record of all the items that are in each box. That way, you can reference your inventory list and quickly find what you need when you need it.

Trying to reserve a moving truck the day of your move

The most common days people move are the first and last day of any month, which means reservations on moving trucks fill up fast. More often than not, people wait until the last minute to book a moving truck only to be told that there are none available in their city. Don’t wait until moving day to start finding a moving truck. To get the time slot and moving truck you want, start your search 1-2 months before your moving date. 

Not giving yourself enough time

Not giving yourself enough time to organize and properly stack your items in your storage unit will make it a nightmare to access. You want to be able to access your storage unit without having to rearrange it every time. If you leave everything to the last minute on moving day, you’ll likely find yourself tossing boxes and furniture into your unit in a rush – potentially damaging your belongings, hurting yourself, and creating a cluttered disaster. Do yourself a favour and plan your moving day well in advance. Check the hours of the storage office and storage facility and make sure you plan to give yourself and/or movers enough time to get your storage unit properly organized and accessible.

Not getting the right boxes

Whether you’re storing your items short-term or long-term, it’s important to pack your belongings in the right boxes. Using weak boxes that aren’t designed for absorbing weight won’t up stand up well during the move or in storage as they can bulge, tear or collapse. Instead, invest in moving boxes designed for moving and storage. Try to stick to 1-2 different sizes of boxes so you can efficiently stack your boxes and utilize your storage space to the fullest. Use larger moving boxes for lighter items and smaller moving boxes for heavier items. When stacking, be sure to place heavy boxes at the bottom and lighter boxes at the top. 

Avoiding Self Storage Mistakes

Need a few more storage tips? If you’re getting ready to move your items into storage and need some expert advice, contact your nearest U-Lock location and our storage specialists would be happy to answer your questions and set you up with the right storage unit that best fits your needs.