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5 Self Storage Mistakes to Avoid

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Self-storage can provide a whole host of benefits. Itโ€™s convenient, helpful for home organisation, and can benefit both homeowners, students, and businesses. Itโ€™s important to be aware of the best practices for managing your self-storage unit, including what not to do to make the most of it.  

Today, weโ€™ll be diving into five of the most common self-storage mistakes and will provide guidance on how to avoid them. From proper packaging to choosing the right size unit, there are a few ways to maximise all that self-storage has to offer. We provide flexible, competitively priced storage solutions in Northwest England and Scotland, please request a quote to learn more. 

Failing to Properly Pack and Protect Your Items  

Mistake number one is failing to pack and protect your items for storage. Youโ€™ll want to ensure that your items are safe when you store them, and whether this includes using bubble wrap or other protective layers, itโ€™s a vital step to prevent your belongings from getting damaged. This especially applies to fragile materials like ceramics or glass, as even though your unit is secure from anyone else entering, if you forget what is inside a certain box when moving things around, things could get broken. 

Properly packing your belongings will help ensure they remain safe and undamaged during storage. At our box shop, you can find all that you need in terms of packing materials, including bubble wrap, tape, and a range of box sizes.  

Choosing the Wrong Size Unit 

Another common mistake is selecting the wrong size unit in the first place. It can be difficult to judge what size unit to go for when first getting it, as itโ€™s easy to over or underestimate how much space youโ€™ll need. On one hand, you want enough room to be able to store your items comfortably, but on the other, you donโ€™t want to be paying for unnecessary space. 

Luckily, we offer flexible agreements, so itโ€™s simple to upgrade or downgrade your unit size if you find that itโ€™s not quite working. If you really donโ€™t think youโ€™ll need much space, then our shared pallet option is a great choice for just a couple of boxes or suitcases. To gain a clear understanding of the unit size, gather all the belongings you want to store and take measurements where possible, and be sure to check out our other tips and blogs for ways to maximise your storage space.  

Not Labelling Your Boxes or Organising Your Unit 

We understand that when you first acquire your storage space, itโ€™s quicker to dump everything in there without any proper organisation. However, when you visit your unit, youโ€™ll want to be able to find things easily without having to climb over a bunch of boxes to reach something. Make a habit of labelling each box with its contents, either with a label maker or handwritten labels, and consider using clear plastic bins to be able to see whatโ€™s inside. 

Things like vertical storage and stackable containers are a great way to create some space in your unit, as they allow you to access everything youโ€™re storing at once. You may even choose to write an inventory list of everything in your unit in case youโ€™re struggling to find something in particular.  

Storing Improper Items 

You can store pretty much anything in our storage units, but itโ€™s important to be aware of what cannot be stored in them. For Kangaroo facilities, this includes living items like animals or plants, hazardous or flammable materials (including vapes), items that have the potential to decompose, like food and unauthorised or illegal goods. When preparing your items for storage, just double-check that none of the unaccepted items are included.  

Not Taking Advantage of Flexible Terms and Promotions 

If youโ€™re thinking about hiring your first storage unit with us, then the chances are we have a promotion or offer that you can utilise. Our Lowest Price Guarantee offer means that we beat any comparable quote by 10% so that you can be sure youโ€™re getting the best price in the local area.  

Moreover, if youโ€™re a first-time customer, then you can get up to 50% off storage for your first 8 to 12 weeks at some of our locations, or for long-term storage, we can offer additional discounts. With our Refer a Friend offer, you can pick up money off your storage when your friends become customers at our locations. Be sure to keep up to date with our website and social media pages to be alerted when new offers become available.  

We hope youโ€™ve found this guide helpful on how to avoid some common self-storage errors. Whether youโ€™re looking for household storage, student storage, or business storage, weโ€™re confident that these tips can help you make the most of your space. For any questions regarding our locations, units, or promotions, please do not hesitate to contact us.  

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