Tag Archives: Ocean City self storage space

Become a Garage Sale Guru

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Become a Garage Sale Guru

I love garage sales!  I currently own 200 garages, and plan to buy more… Hahaha, just kidding ! We all know that a garage sale is actually just a way to get rid of the unwanted items from your garage basement or other storage area, but we couldn’t very well call it a “stuff we don’t want sale”, now could we? I have been to hundreds of garage sales in my lifetime. I know people who own self storage space just to hold the items that they have bought at garage sales  When it comes to garage sales, there are good ones and bad ones. Here are a few tips to help you make sure that yours is a great one!

Don’t Call it a “ Garage Sale” – A garage sale is okay, but doesn’t a yard sale, estate sale, or tag sale, sound more appealing?

Timing is everything – Garage Salers like to get started early, so start your sale at 7 or 8 AM to attract those early birds. Another good tip is to have it around the 15th or the 30th of the month, to attract those folks that get paid bi-weekly .

Self Storage Space in Ocean City

Advertise –  Newspapers are great, but don’t forget Craigslist and Facebook for advertising your sale. Make signs for around the neighborhood, but don’t forget to make the print large enough to read from an automobile.,  Be sure to use heavy duty poster board, or even wood, to be sure that they last throughout the day.

Curb appeal  – Yes, presentation matters! Don’t just throw all your stuff in a pile on the front yard or the driveway! Most yard salers do a slow drive-by, before deciding whether or not to stop and shop. Have your items displayed nicely on tables or blankets. Be sure to have some large items visible to passersby –  you may even want to  display a few large items that you don’t really expect to sell, but that will draw attention from the street. you can add to your curb appeal by asking your neighbors if they have anything that they would like to include in your cell. when it comes to yard sales, the bigger the better!

The Price Is Right – If you item to sell!  Sure, that lamp might be worth a lot more than $3, but do you really want it sitting in your garage for another two years?  You carried everything out there with the intention of not having to carry it back in again – try to make sure that that happens! Nothing wrong with an end of day liquidation sale either – many yard salers expect this, and will take their chances and wait.

Little things mean a lot – Having some old newspapers for wrapping, and recycled shopping bags handy is a nice touch. I have even been to some garage sales that have coffee or a cold drink to offer their shoppers!

Be a business owner – It may only be for one or two days, but for this period of time, you are a business owner! Act like one – greet your customers, start conversations, compliment them on their clothes or vehicle.  People like to buy from friendly people!

Fun Fact –  An average of 690,000 people buy at garage sales every week, with weekly revenue from garage sales totaling about $4.2 million

So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get your share of that 4.2 million dollars, And don’t forget to say hello if you see me. I’ll be the guy wearing the $2 Hawaiian shirt, and the 50 cent sunglasses – Happy Selling!

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!

Summer Self Storage

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Summer Self Storage

Well, June is almost here, and Summer is right around the corner. If you are in the market for a self storage space that you will be accessing throughout the summer, here are a few tips. You will probably have three unit types to choose from –  inside, outside, or climate controlled. The types of items that you have to store, certainly will help to determine which of these summer self storage unit types you will choose, but don’t forget to consider your own comfort while accessing and sorting through your unit.

Ocean City Summer Self Storage

Outside Unit

If you are a sun worshiper, who enjoys basking in the warm weather , an outside storage unit probably will not be an issue. On a hot summer’s day, however,  you may be subjected to hot air and high humidity when you are moving things around and accessing your unit. This can be uncomfortable, and possibly even dangerous if you have any serious medical conditions. If this is the case, maybe you should consider an ….

Inside Unit

While the units that we refer to here are not climate-controlled, they are accessed via an indoor hallway or breezeway, providing shade from Summer’s hot sun.  This type of unit can also come in handy if you need to access your items on a stormy day. Another added bonus is price, as these storage units typically rent for less then drive-up or climate controlled units. The inside of these units however, can still be very warm, as they are exposed to the sun and heat from the exterior. If this is an issue for you, you may want to consider a….

Climate Controlled Unit

Ah – the ultimate in self-storage comfort! Climate controlled units are set-up to simulate the temperature of an indoor living area. You typically enter through an air conditioned / heated hallway in a building where the the units are kept at a year-round, preset  temperature and humidity range.  This not only protects your stored items, but makes it very comfortable for you to access and sort through your unit. This type of unit completely removes the daily weather forecast from your summer self storage equation!

So there you have it – no matter if you are a beach bum, who enjoys being in the sun and heat all day, or you are like many of us who head to the indoors and the A.C. the second the thermometer reads 80, there is a summer self storage unit choice that is perfect for you. Just drive on over to your local Self-Storage facility. The folks there will be happy to help!

 

It’s tax time – Yay!

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It’s tax time – Yay!

Well here it is,  April – the dreaded tax month! You could pay someone to do it, but why pay someone to do something that you can do yourself, right? So you pull out the Big box of receipts, and empty out the storage area  jammed with bank statements and credit card bills, and prepare to play accountant for however long this is going to take.

The truth is, according to most experts, that you should be preparing  for tax season throughout the entire year.

tax-taxes-file-files-16226669

What the experts say

Part of preparing for tax season throughout the year is to develop a good filing system. Get yourself a small file cabinet, and some file folders. Some categories that you will want to incorporate will be…

  • Credit card receipts
  • Bank statements
  • Medical and dental
  • Mortgage / Property taxes
  • Household utilities
  • 401k / IRA  statements

The new organized you

Now when you need to find something specific through the course of the year, you will know where to look . There will  no doubt be some items that you will no longer need once your taxes are  completed. Experts recommend that you shred these items, as they may contain personal information that you wouldn’t want to fall into the hands of the wrong person. Some documents you will need to save.  The rule of thumb for these items is 5 years. If you don’t have room at home, you may want to consider a small self storage space. Be sure to label all of your file boxes with the tax year, so that you will know which boxes to empty out as they reach the five-year threshold.

Okay, so now you’ve done all these things, and you are finally organized! This brings us to the good news, and the bad news – and they are both the same….you are now organized and prepared for many happy years of home tax preparation. Happy accounting!!

By Jerry Brown
4/1/16