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It can be tough to keep up with the changing needs of a growing family. As your kids get older, they need more space for homework, for playing, and just for hanging out. Additionally, you might need a little more space yourself! Unfortunately, your house won’t grow with your family, but don’t worry – there are plenty of ways to make more room in your home without breaking the bank. Here are just a few tips to get you started:

Utilise Self Storage

Self storage can be a great option for families who are short on space at home. By renting a storage unit, you can move the items that no longer fit in your home out into a storage facility to free up some much-needed space. The self storage unit cost is usually much cheaper than moving to a larger home, so if you’re feeling cramped, consider renting a self storage unit to help get your home organised and make more room for your family. 

Don’t be Afraid to Purge

One of the best ways to make more room in your home is to purge regularly. Every few months, go through your belongings and get rid of anything that you don’t need or use anymore. This will not only free up some space in your home, but it will also help you keep your things organised and clutter-free. This is particularly important when you have young kids – they can grow out of clothes incredibly fast, whilst toys can lie forgotten when something better comes along. In fact, most of the clutter when you have kids will come from their toys, so don’t let them pile up out of control.

Invest in Multifunctional furniture

If you’re short on space, invest in multifunctional furniture pieces that can serve multiple purposes. For example, a coffee table with storage underneath can be used as a place to store books, games, and magazines. A sofa-bed is also perfect if you need somewhere for guests to sleep but you’re short on bedroom space. Meanwhile, a dinner table can function as a desk during the day if you work from home, whilst everything can be swept away ready for evening meals, and set up again afterwards ready for the morning. By thinking outside the box, you can find furniture that will help you make the most of your space. 

Don’t Forget Vertical Space

Vertical space often goes unused, despite there being plenty of it. Vertical space is especially useful if you’re blessed by high ceilings, so consider installing shelves on empty walls to store toys, video games and blankets. Alternatively, hang a clothes rack from the ceiling to free up space in your wardrobe, giving you more space to tidy away shoes. Ideally, you want to remove as much clutter from the floor as possible – a cluttered floor not only makes a room look smaller and bottom-heavy, but it also presents a trip hazard, which is dangerous when you have kids running about.

Get Creative with Storage

Take a look at each room and consider where space is being wasted. The bathroom is a common culprit of wasted space – bath tubs are often boxed in, but the tub itself is curved, meaning there’s probably a large void between the tub and the boxing. This void is the perfect place to store things like cleaning products and toilet roll, so install a small door on the outside to turn it into a cupboard. Similarly, under the bed is a large area you can utilise by using under-bed containers. Meanwhile, you can install hooks on the back of doors to hang coats, bags and dressing gowns. Get creative and focus on the wasted space – there are plenty of storage solutions that can help you make more room in your home if you know where to look.

Wrapping up

Making more room in your home doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. By following these simple tips, you can create a spacious and welcoming environment for your growing family.

So, you finally did it. You decided to pull the go-ahead and buy a new home. Perhaps you just received an excellent promotion at work and are now in the process of moving your family somewhere new to start a new life. Maybe you decided to move to Seattle or Spokane to carve out a new artistic path. And who can blame you? Wonderful rainy weather, an excellent environment, and great people make Washington one of the premier destinations in the country for life, work and play. But sometimes moving comes with a bit of a caveat: finding temporary or semi-permanent storage for some of the stuff that will not fit in your new home. If you’ve never had to find self-storage before, it can be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, we’re here to help you figure out the best way to find a storage solution for you. Check it out below.

Needs

When you’re looking for the optimal storage facility, it helps to do a quick needs assessment beforehand. Determine why you’re going to be using a storage unit in the first place. There are plenty of reasons to get self-storage. Maybe you have too many household items that need to be stored. Perhaps you have excessive documents that should be kept safe in a storage unit. Maybe you need to throw that old guitar, video game console, drum kit, or another hobby item that you haven’t touched in a while but can’t see fit to part with into the unit. Your stuff matters to you. That’s why you should take care to ensure it is safely stored. By doing a full assessment of why you need a storage unit in the first place, you can find one that will work for you, be affordable, and offer any amenities you might need to keep your stuff safe.

Size 

Understanding storage unit sizes will go a long way to inform how you choose to store your stuff. Storage units come in sizes ranging from small closet size to large master bedroom size. They usually start at about 5×5, go up to 5×10, 5×15, 5×20, and more. These sizes can accommodate a closet’s worth of stuff, a bedroom’s worth of stuff, always worth of stuff, or even a living room’s worth of goods. The larger the unit, the more stuff it can accommodate. Smaller units can be valuable, however, because you can stack vertically and keep better track of your stuff. It’s especially proven to have an inventory of your goods so that you actually have an idea of what’s in your storage unit.

Location

Other than considering your size needs, there are three important things when it comes to a storage unit. These are security, location, and convenience. Location is important for safety, security, and convenience. If the location is in a rough neighborhood, it might not be the best place to store your stuff. If it’s out of the way, then it’s definitely not something you’d want to consider. So look for ones that are close to you that offer various amenities as well as decent prices. A storage unit should be budget-friendly. When you’re looking for budget-friendly storage units in Spokane, always do plenty of research and stay on top of these three considerations for the best results.

Crime Stats

There’s no getting around the common knowledge that anywhere you go there is going to be a certain amount of crime. Knowing and understanding the crime rates/statistics in your neighborhood and New City can help you significantly. Crime rates provide an analysis point for understanding where and why crimes occur. Moreover, it can help you understand how safe your neighborhood is. To find out your national crime rate statistics, you can check local city sources and resources online. But you shouldn’t leave it at that. It’s also integral to speak with people in the neighborhood, see how many homes are for sale in the area, and do a general assessment of the city. It’s also a good idea to check out the local news stories and see what’s been going on in the area prior to moving there. This can help you determine if it’s the right area for you and influence other decisions such as finding the location for your storage Manchester is a great area to find safe and reliable storage companies at a great price.

Temperature Controlled

When selecting a storage unit, temperature control is actually an important thing to worry about. Why? Because some items can be damaged in extreme heat or cold. Others might benefit from some type of temperature or climate control. In a storage unit, temperature control is used to keep things from going bad or sensitive items from being destroyed. Temperature control units do cost a little bit more, but they offer the peace of mind and knowing that your items are safe. If you’re interested in something like this, be sure that your self storage facility offers it so that you can keep everything that matters to you in good, working condition/order at all items while it’s stored.

Photos By: Stock Photos

When choosing a self-storage unit, many individuals end up with either too small or too large container that lacks the necessary features for proper storage of their belongings. In some cases, people store the wrong type of items, use improper wrapping material, or fail to label the boxes. Consequently, they face difficulties in the process of managing the unit in a fast and effective manner. These are the most crucial mistakes to avoid when renting storage space.

Choosing the Wrong Size

Probably the most common mistake individuals make when renting a self-storage unit is miscalculating the size of the container. Some people opt for a small-sized unit in order to reduce the monthly rent cost, without considering the risk of damage. The more items you cram inside the container the higher the chances of some of them breaking, particularly the ones placed in the back. In contrast, other individuals use self-storage rooms that are too spacious for their possessions, thus splurging more money on storage than necessary. Therefore, make sure you take the right measurements of the bulkiest items prior to selecting a size so as to estimate the approximate space amount you’ll need. You can also use the assistance of online calculators, specially designed for this purpose, to help you determine the right size. Click here for some useful tips about measuring things without a ruler.

Disregarding Insurance

Not insuring the belongings is another frequent mistake customers make when storing their possessions in a self-storage unit. Most storage facilities provide no insurance options to clients, hence taking no responsibility in case any of the objects gets misplaced, damaged, or stolen. In order to prevent such scenarios from taking place, customers are strongly advised to insure their belongings prior to transferring them to the container. Insurance companies offer favorable policies that provide coverage in the event of theft or deterioration. Consequently, you won’t have to worry about the condition of your belongings even in the worst-case scenarios.

Neglecting Security

One of the most common oversights of people renting self-storage units is taking no notice of the security measures of the premises they’ve chosen. Storage facilities are expected to be equipped with the required safety features to ensure no items get stolen or damaged by intruders. Therefore, it’s paramount to inquire about the security features of each facility on your shortlist, thus immediately neglecting the ones that fail to provide the basic requirements. Most of the reputable storage companies, like https://www.storageplus.com.au/, equip their facilities with CCTV cameras, security fences, alarm systems, and security guards whose presence is of essential importance. Choosing a unit with a wooden door over one with a metal door may prove to be a costly mistake. Make sure you sign no renting lease prior to asking the right security questions, as well as requesting a property tour from the staff members. Seeing no CCTV cameras, no padlocks, or alarm systems is a valid reason to raise the alarm and eliminate the facility from your list.

Storing the Wrong Kind of Items

Another mistake to avoid when using a self-storage unit is storing things that aren’t supposed to be stored in such rooms. For instance, food should be never kept in a self-storage container due to the high likelihood of becoming mouldy and rotten. Also, food is likely to attract pests, which will deteriorate your belongings in no time, particularly the furniture, as well as spread an awful smell around the place. Apart from food, you also aren’t supposed to store plants due to the lack of light and water. Similar to food, plants will eventually rot and spread a foul-smelling odor. Additionally, some people make the mistake of keeping their pets inside self-storage containers, which is absolutely inhumane. Pets require eating regular meals, drinking enough water, and getting the necessary attention. Moreover, self-storage units aren’t the right place for keeping hazardous materials in the form of propane, petrol, kerosene, and other chemicals. Improper storage of such material is likely to result in a life-threatening explosion.

Using Newspaper to Wrap your Possessions

In the course of packing their belongings for storage, most people wrap them inside a newspaper without considering the potential damage done by newspaper ink. Keep in mind that the ink will most likely smudge your items, particularly in the case of using a unit with no climate control. Although using a newspaper seems like a more convenient alternative, wrapping the items in bubble wrap provides better protection. If not all, make sure you pack at least the most fragile items in bubble wrap to prevent unnecessary damage. Using the inward side of this material will provide the required friction that holds the objects in place. Some of the storage companies sell bubble wrap at their facilities for customers to purchase when necessary.

Putting no Label on Your Boxes

Not labelling the boxes inside self-storage units is yet another oversight of individuals, which complicates the process of finding the items they look for. While packing, many people try to save time by not labelling the boxes, without considering the time-consuming nature of unpacking. Box labelling has proven to be particularly beneficial for people moving to a new home, using the unit for temporary storage of their belongings. Even if you rent the self-storage container for long-term use, it’s important to keep it organized. Make sure you put a clear label on everything in order to avoid searching for an item for hours by looking inside each box. Using your organizing skills on time would save you plenty of time in the future, like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Final thoughts

When renting a self-storage unit, make sure your possessions are insured, secured, properly packed, and well-organized. It’s the only way to keep them safe!