Tag Archives: Northfield Storage Space

When One Garage isn’t Enough

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When One Garage isn’t Enough: Extra Storage Space

I have a neighbor named Joe. Joe is a nice guy, who has a nice family, and a nice house with a one car garage. The problem is that Joe has a car, his wife has a car, his teenage daughter has a car, and he has his toys – a motorcycle and a WaveRunner. His usual spring ritual is to open his garage, and reorganize the clutter that has accumulated over the winter,  just enough to fit his wife’s car in the garage. He then goes to the side of his house, where his toys have been in a makeshift outdoor storage space all winter, and begins the process of removing the tarps, bungee cords and canvas covers. You might say to yourself, why doesn’t Joe just build a storage shed?  Surprise! – Joe has a storage shed, but it’s filled with tools, yard equipment and bicycles – like I said, Joe has a problem … but this year I noticed something different.

 

Yes, Joe still cleaned out his garage enough for his wife’s car, and he still has both his and his daughter’s cars in the driveway, but his motorcycle and Waverunner seemed to have disappeared.  So, being the nosy neighbor that I am, I walked over and inquired, you know, just to make sure that nobody stole his toys. What he told me made a lot of sense.  What Joe realized, as he uncovered his toys, was that he was beginning to see signs of the weather affecting, and possibly damaging his motorcycle and WaveRunner. “ I realized that I was storing $20,000 worth of vehicles, and protecting them with $100 worth of plastic and canvas. At this rate they weren’t going to last another 10 years”. Joe’s solution?….

motorcycle

Joe lives about 2 miles from a very nice, family-owned self-storage facility.  There he was able to rent an indoor storage space just large enough for both his motorcycle, and WaveRunner, at  a very reasonable price. His $20,000  toys are now protected from the weather, and kept in a secure, convenient location. Gone is the unsightly bundle of canvas attached to the side of his house. Now when Joe wants to go for a ride through the country, or spend the day jumping waves on the bay, he just heads down to his storage space, hitches up the trailer, or hops on the bike,  and heads out . Just keep your phone off Joe – your wife might want her bike out of the shed!

Time to get the Jet Ski ready for Summer Fun!

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Time to get the Jet Ski ready for Summer Fun!

So, Summer is almost here, and it’s time to roll the jet skis and Waverunners out of your storage space, and get them ready for the water! Whether you’re headed to the ocean, the bay, or your local lake, you’ll want to be sure that your ride is ready. Here are some things to check before you head out for your wet and wild fun.

Storage Space in Egg Harbor Township

Check the Battery

You probably disconnected the battery prior to putting your PWC into your  Self Storage Space over the winter. It’s time to make sure that it’s fully charged before you head out on the water.

Fresh Gas

After sitting through a long Winter with a full tank and gas stabilizer, it’s time to empty out the gas tank, check for clogs, and refill with fresh gas.

Lines, Wires and Belts

Varying temperatures over the winter can cause fuel and cooling lines to thin and crack, and belts to loosen. These items should be checked along with wiring connections to ensure a safe trip across the waves.

Spark Plugs and Carburetor

Clean carburetor and spark plugs not only ensure smooth operation, but also fuel efficiency.
And last, but not least…

Make it Shine!

Make no mistake about it, a Waverunner is to a personal watercraft enthusiast, what a Harley is to a biker. A good cleaning and wax job, not only makes your ride look great, but also affords  you the opportunity to make a thorough inspection.

So go ahead and pull your jet ski out of the storage space unit, use this checklist to give it a good once-over, and head out for some fun on the water.  Don’t forget to obey all the water safety laws, and have a great summer!

 

Weddings and Self Storage Space

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Weddings and Self Storage Space

It’s Spring! Love is in the air, along with the buzz of millions of brides making the final plans for their wedding day. Time to deal with guest lists, seating charts, floral arrangements, decorations, and so much more! Most couples don’t think of self-storage when planning a wedding, but it could be very helpful !

Egg Harbor Township Storage Space

A self storage space can come in handy for items like decorations, centerpieces, extra tables and chairs, linens, and much more. This is a great way to keep everything organized and neatly tucked away until you set up for the big day – A one stop pick up for all of your items to be delivered to your reception hall!

Your storage space could also come in handy immediately after your wedding day. Have your parents, best man or maid of honor collect your gifts from the reception, and take them to your storage space for you to sort through after the honeymoon. You may even want to consider keeping a small storage space permanently for all of your wedding mementos. Considering a climate controlled unit if you plan to store temperature sensitive items such as photographs or your wedding gown.

So head on over to local self storage facility, and take some of the stress out of planning your big day. See you after the honeymoon!

Using Self Storage Space Effectively

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Using Self Storage Space Effectively

Pleasantville Self Storage SpaceThere comes a time In many families lives, where the kids have now grown and left the home, and we just have too much house –  it’s time to downsize! The Catch-22 is that while we don’t need as much space to live, we still have just as many items to store, and our new smaller home just doesn’t have the space. It may be time to consider Self Storage, so we size up what we have to store, and head off to the local self storage facility.  If you’ve never done this before, it can be a daunting task. How much room do I need? For example, our  local self storage facility, The Storage Inn in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, has over 45 different sized units! How high can I stack the items? What should I store them in? These are all very good questions, so here are a few self storage space tips that might help .

Storage Unit Packing Tips

  1.  If finances allow,  choose a self storage space that is slightly larger than what you actually need to leave a space between the furniture, bins, and boxes for easy access.
  2.  Try to use containers that are tough, water resistant, and fairly uniform in size. Begin by placing your heavier items towards the bottom, and lighter items towards the top.  This will allow you to stack higher, and without danger of crushing the lower containers. Save the fragile and breakable items for the very top.
  3. Make sure that all boxes are packed full so that they do not collapse when stacked.  Use towels, bubble wrap,  or old newspaper to fill them if necessary.
  4. You may want to consider placing  disposable moisture absorbers, such as “Damp Rid” in your unit.  Covering the floor with plastic sheeting , or installing wooden in your self storage space pallets can also help to preserve your items.
  5. Leave the doors of any appliances open to avoid odors and fungal growth.  You can also use the space inside of appliances to store smaller items.
  6.  Metal items such as gardening tools should be treated with a rust inhibitor prior to storage.  Other delicate items such as books may be stored in an airtight container along with a small moisture absorber.
  7.  Never store flammable or hazardous materials inside a self storage unit.
  8.  Keep a written record  of the items that were placed in the unit, when they were put there, and when they were removed.
  9. Keep the security gate code and the keys to your padlock in a safe place so that they will not get lost, and only you will have access to them.

Keep these tips in mind if you’re heading out in search of self storage space.  They could make your storage space adventure a bit more bearable. The Storage Inn serves Ocean, Cape May and Atlantic Counties, including such places as Pleasantville, Ocean City, Atlantic City and more

By Jerry Brown
3/11/16

Self-Storage and Small Business

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More Small Business’ using Self-Storage

When we think of self storage, most people think of long rows of metal doors that hide boxes, bags, and bins of unneeded household items. What we don’t think of is innovation and entrepreneurship, yet in growing numbers, that’s exactly what you might find.

Self-Storage Benefits for Small Businesses

What attracts small business owners to self-storage spaces? For most it is simply a flexible way to store goods and materials until sold. For many business owners, self storage offers needed space without being tied down, giving them the opportunity to respond quickly to the changing needs of their business’. Storage space can easily be increased as the business grows, eliminating the headaches of being tied down to a retail or warehouse space with expensive multi year leases.

With this lower overhead, the small business owner has more money to invest in his goods and services, and in many cases the cost of  self-storage can even be deducted as a business expense. Most self storage facility today also offer the capacity to accept deliveries for the tenant, eliminating the need for a small business owner to wait around for a shipment to arrive.

Small business self storage

Greg Meckel, Owner of The Storage Inn self-storage in Egg Harbor Township and Ocean City New Jersey offers his thoughts on the subject: “Many of our commercial customers store with us because we accept deliveries on their behalf. We sign for and take the goods into the store while they are out and about running their business, thereby avoiding them wasting their time waiting for deliveries”.

The market for small business self-storage use has boomed dramatically over the last two decades. Savvy self-storage business owners have recognized the desire for affordable storage space, and have turned their attention to this lucrative pool of potential customers. Self Storage experts estimate that 30 – 40% of rented units are now for business purposes. Could a self-storage unit be the answer to your small business needs?

By Jerry Brown
3/3/16

 

Basement Clean-out  brings back Family Memories

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Basement Clean-out  brings back Family Memories
2/11/16
By Jerry Brown

 It was not the way that my brothers, my sister and I wanted to spend our weekend. Our octogenarian parents had recently decided to sell the family home and downsize to a senior community with limited storage space. So we found a reputable self-storage facility and prepared to sift through the multitude of boxes and household items accumulated in the basement and attic. It was a daunting task that took two days. What we didn’t anticipate was the flood of great family memories that would be unearthed that weekend.

collage-old-photos-14254145

  During our basement clean-out we found boxes and boxes of old black and white photos, baby pictures, and photos of the four of us with our very young parents, and grandparents. We found boxes of of home movies – you know, the ones that Dad thought that we should all watch every time we had company to the house. Old Greeting cards, and letters, even some pictures of our parents as high school sweethearts! Pictures of our grandfather in uniform looking like a 1950’s movie star – he had served in two wars and in two branches of the military. But by far the most touching thing that we found was the box of letters and cards that our parents had given to each other over the years.  Love letters, Birthday, Christmas and Anniversary cards – even some pencil drawings that Dad had made for Mom.They met in 1952 at the Teen Club in Philadelphia, fell in love, and never looked back. Two people who have loved one another for over 60 years, raised a family, and still going strong at eighty plus. How fitting that we were doing this on Valentine’s Day weekend!

 All of these memories realized by undertaking the unenviable task of cleaning out the basement. Well they are carefully boxed now and ready to go to the local self storage facility, but what started as a chore, ended as a wonderful trip back in time.  So go ahead and get organized. Clean out the attic, the basement, and that old junk closet. You never know what memories you might find!