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Manage space in your home with our cool storage ideas

Often when choosing a new home, we may not give a lot of time to thinking about the amount of storage space we will need. Instead we tend to be seduced by conservatories, plush fitted kitchens, en-suite bedrooms and fashionable dining rooms. It is only when we are trying to fit our old house into the new space that we may get a nasty shock and have to be super-creative in making everything fit. So here are a few simple tips from Need A Space to help you turn that diminishing space into a regular Tardis:
1. Organise that mass of Scarves and ties
Ties and scarves are funny things. One minute you can’t find one for love nor money – the next they seem to be taking over the house. Organise them so they are all located in one place. Wardrobe too full? All you need is a couple of towel bars and some shower rings. They go nice and easy on the back of a door and you know where they all are!
2. Buy a bed with storage area underneath
Don’t just think about how comfy that mattress is going to be or whether you should have a TV electronically appearing at the bottom of the bed. Make sure you have space under the bed to store stuff or buy a bed that at least has Draws to put clothes in etc.
3. Sit and store: ottoman and garden bench
Think about storage whenever you are buying for your new home. For instance, that ottoman can double as a laundry basket and can also be a pretty cool place to sit too. The same goes for that new garden bench which offers a place for your garden tools underneath the seating area.
4. Wall TV
Here’s an idea. We sit glued to it every night, yet we still forget how much space the TV is likely to be taking up. It probably came with a mounting bracket, so why not take it off the floor and put it on your wall right out the way – but looking even better.
5. Kids toy chest
When the floor is cluttered the size of the house seems to get smaller and smaller. Kids toys can be a main culprit for the chaos. Why not get them their own Toy chest which they will treasure and hopefully use to tidy up after themselves.
6. Pot rack or ceiling hooks
Frustration arises when you have a beautiful kitchen but there is just not enough cupboard space. Look to the walls and the ceiling. A pot rack or hooks in the ceiling to hold pots can create more space and give your kitchen character at the same time.
7. Garden tool rack
All too often sheds start bursting at the seams far too early. The key is to use the walls for garden racks, individual hooks for garden tools and sheds for that cornucopia of stuff you never really use.
8. Wall mounted shelves for those books and ornaments
You don’t have to splash out on a display cabinet or expensive bookcase to provide a place for your books and ornaments. A handy shelf here and a cute shelf there can show your valuables and priceless books off and make floor space at the same time.
9. Use that alcove
Architects are forever coming up with new designs. Square rooms are a thing of the past – but now we may find the odd alcove is not being used to its best benefit. The answer is to build a bookcase or set of drawers into the space. And don’t forget under the stairs too!
Need A Space offers self-storage at highly competitive prices in Kent. To learn more, click here
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The emotional roller-coaster of moving home

stressHere at Need a Space in Faversham Kent, we see people on the relocation journey every day of the week. We may well offer self-storage space and a house removal to help people with the logistics of the move, but these are very much practical services. The one factor that will be present with any move – whether it is local, national or international – is stress. Unfortunately, it is not a myth that moving home will probably be the most stressful things you do. So why is this true if you are likely to be moving to exciting pastures new?

Fundamentally, re-locating is more than just going to a new house. It is likely that the whole area of where you live is the resource for all of your creature comforts, social networks and important institutions such as your child’s school. If you have been resident in a specific area for a long time, those bonds and structures become part of our everyday lives. They are essential and form feelings of security and comfort – but on a daily basis they go unnoticed. The very road we live in, the local convenience store, well-known traders and professionals etc., are all variables which add to a feeling of belonging, easy living and safety. It is often only when we start the process of re-locating that we begin to notice again the precious assets we have around us.

This can cause many bitter-sweet feelings as we go through the process of moving. A roller coaster of emotions which swings violently between the excitement of the dream location coming to fruition and the feelings of loss we may feel about leaving the world we know so well, behind. One minute we cannot wait to get to the new location and the next minute we are left wondering why on earth we are leaving!

The last thing you need is serious doubt on top of all the other stressful practical issues involved in moving. Will you finish your packing by completion date? Will your buyer pull out? Will you be gazumped on the house buying? Will anybody in the chain pull out? There is a time in the whole process of locating when our identities are reflected more in the place we are going to than the place we are leaving and if a crisis happens which prevents the move going ahead, you may well find yourself feeling as if you are in no-man’s land.

All these feelings tend to gather together at the worst possible times. Usually when nothing is moving forward with the move or at times when you are expecting the worst… The great news is the vast majority of couples and families we have helped move home at Need A Space are always happy they made the move, once it is all over. It may cause a whirlpool of feelings, but from our experience, it is likely to be a very happy ending…

 

 

All those removals extras you could ever need!

moving home

There is no doubt that moving home can be one of the most stressful things you will ever do. But if you prepare well for getting all the practical side of the project sorted it could make it a whole lot easier to deal with. Here at Need A Space, we offer our own House Removals Service. We also offer storage space to Canterbury and the surrounding areas for people and businesses making a big move and need an area to store furniture and valuables for a long or short period. Knowing storage space is available when trying to work out the logistics of the move can be a huge weight off your mind.
We also offer those basic extras that you are going to need to get everything packed away and ready for transit. You can see our full list here. But to be truly prepared you need to cover all bases. So here are a few extras that it will be worth having close to hand to help packing and transit go that little bit more smoothly:
• Sofa Covers – Whatever the length of journey your furniture will be going on, you are going to need to protect your favourite chairs and seating. You are going to need a good sit down when you get in!
• Wardrobe cartons and bar – It may be that for transport purposes you will need to dismantle wardrobes, or you may be thinking of buying new wardrobes at your new location. This is a really innovative way to temporarily store your clothes neatly until you are settled.
• Snap blade knife – After making such a grand job of taping up your cardboard boxes, you will need to get into them fast at the other end, so have a snap blade knife available to cut easily through those wrappings.
• Gloves – This may sound a little obvious, but we are not talking about the cold here. After moving heavy boxes and furniture around all day, gloves will help protect you from blisters and cuts to the hands.
• Blankets – Blankets can be a great way to protect your more fragile ornaments, furniture and pictures in transit.
• Heavy duty Cartons – You are going to need touch boxes. Also make sure they are the fight size for you. Big boxes will hold a lot, but they may be difficult to lift when full. On the whole it is far better to go for the smaller box which will be more mobile.
• Tape dispenser – You don’t want the frustration of “finding the end”, or the sickly taste of the glue as you bite the right length of tape. It’s slow and very tedious. A tape dispenser cuts the tape for you, puts the tape in position and makes the tape easy to apply.

The point is, be prepared and get the right tools. It may not make moving house a joy, but it will go some way in getting it all done faster and with less irritation.

Top tips on boxing up for the big move!

cardboard boxes

So – it is the day you have been waiting for you can start getting ready for your house move. A bit awe-inspiring when you think of all the stuff that has got to be packed away, but the key is to take each room individually – one by one – and leave any appliances, tools, gadgets or other paraphernalia that you may need on a daily basis until the very last moment. All possesins you need on a regular basis can go in the very last box.

Now to buy the boxes – that should be simple enough shouldn’t it? Simple yes, but if you want to cut costs, reduce breakages and back ache, there is a little bit more to it than you might expect.

Not all cardboard boxes are equal

When you think of the weight of some of the things you will be moving, you are going to need more than flimsy cardboard to keep the whole project together. You will need double strength cardboard boxes for the big move. This extra-strength will help to protect your valuables throughout the whole relocation process.

What size of box do you need?

Biggest isn’t always the best. Don’t forget the bigger the box, the heavier it will be and so the harder it will be to move. hence the more strain will be placed on the box itself – and you!!. You may have loads of stuff like books and records to move, but lots of smaller boxes are going to be more mobile, they will fill small spaces in the removals van and stack more easily. Do a good tour of the house first looking at what needs to be packed, what is going to be packed together, and the weights involved.

Close up tight

There is an art to closing a cardboard box for extra strength. To make sure you don’t end up with a hole in the bottom of your box, close the flaps so that one side of each of the four flaps is on top and the other side is below the next flap.

Keep all the accessories close at hand

Once you get going you don’t want to be stopping to hunt down the scissors so get all the things you need together in one place before you start:

  • Strong tape
  • Scissors
  • Labels
  • Marker pens
  • Bubble wrap

 

Think ahead

 

Mark up your boxes so that  when you are eventually moving you know what is in each and which room they will be going to in the new house.

 

Cutting costs!

Moving home can be an expensive business and watching the pennies can relieve a lot of stress on overall costs. A good place to start is checking out supermarkets or local shops to see if they can let you have any free. Also, don’t forget your friends – they may well be only too pleased to get rid of any lying around off their hands. Other than that, eBay can be a good source and there are many companies offering competitive process online.

Boxed in!

It won’t be long before you soon notice that your boxes are starting to take over your home! And if it is likely to be sometime before you exchange contracts this could put you in a state of chaos for some time. One solution is to put some of your valuables in self-storage until the big day.

Free packing materials!

And if you are using our self-storage facilities here at Need A Space in Kent we offer great packing accessories for free. To find out more click here

Archive it with self-storage!

archive

Self-storage in Kent

Keeping documents that can be archived in the office where you work can only lead to chaos and could also create inefficient business processes. If there is insufficient storage within your organisation you may want to consider self-storage facilities in your area. Here at Need A Space in Canterbury Kent we offer storage space for both business and domestic needs. But what is the best way to store those infuriating but precious pieces of paper?

Top tips for archiving your documents

  • Store for easy access: Some documents will need simply for legislative reasons (I.e. for tax purposes you need to hold on to business account information for 5 years) but there will be some documents that you may need to find for current activities. Load these boxes last so they are stored at the front and easy for access.
  • Protect against long term damage: Mould can grow quickly and cause damage. Keeping things dry from the start is the best way to avoid damage so whichever self-storage provider you use, ensure the unit will be dry.
  • Security: Check with your self-storage provider to find out what security provisions are in place. Many business documents and records are confidential and need to be private. Need A Space offer CCTV, a perimeter fence, high-security infra-red beams and state of the art alarm systems.
  • Label boxes.As well as easy access you need to know where each and every document is. So however short of time you may be, have a clear labelling system.
  • Office filing system: It is often useful to use an office filing system twinned with the labelling system you use at the self – storage outlet. For instance, labelling a box by a number and then put the relevant details on an excel sheet which is easily accessible in the office.
  • Be cost effective: Always find a self-storage unit close to your office for obvious reasons, but in some cases (especially with documents which need to be archived for long periods and do not necessarily need frequent access) consider storing outside of your location. For instance, London prices are high, but by storing down here in Kent you could make quite a saving.

 

Based in the heart of Kent, and situated on the outskirts of Faversham and Canterbury, Need A Space is conveniently located for both local county and South London clients. Looking for storage space in Faversham Canterbury or Herne Bay? To learn more about how Need A Space self-storage can help businesses in Kent and the London area click here

 

 

 

Choosing the right self-storage company in Kent

Self-storage as a service is relatively quite new. There is clearly a demand for it from both business and residential customers. It can help organisations store assets and archive material and equipment, that if left on their own premises would waste space and may prevent real company growth. Because self-storage can be so adaptable and competitively priced it can provide a factor in a business’s processes which perhaps would not be affordable through other channels.

But how do you know you have found a self-storage centre you can trust? What are the kind of things you need to look out for?

This list is not exhaustive but it gives a good idea as to the kind of things a self-storage centre should be offering to ensure you have privacy, security, and accessibility.

Security 

Perhaps the most important aspect is the security of precious valuables. Don’t be afraid to ask what security factors are in place 24/7. Here at Need A Space we offer CCTV, high-security infra-red beams, state of the art alarm systems and perimeter fencing.

Access

You may want to store in the long -term but it is highly likely there will be individual objects, or documents which you will need to have access to on a regular basis. For instance, you may wish to archive old tax receipts. 99% of the time they are going to be behind locked doors but there may well be a time – especially when doing the books – when you need to retrieve data. It is therefore important that the storage company has access as close to 24/7 7 days a week as possible.

Storage units 

You don’t want to be paying for a huge unit when you will be only storing bits and bobs. So a good storage company will offer different sized units for various needs. This also gives you the flexibility to increase or decrease space when you need to.

Privacy 

The units may well need to be exactly suited to what you are storing. For instance, you may need absolute confidentiality. In which cas,e you would not want a unit with windows. Again, the more choice you have the better.

Climate control

Some items will need special attention as far as air conditioning is concerned. For instan, if you store furniture or business documents in damp storage you could find yourself having to deal with a lot of damage.

Hygiene

In the same way, you want to know your storage unit is free from pests (is there pest control in force?) and the units are kept tidy and clean.

Access for vehicles

If you’re planning on storing a large amount, check that the self-storage facility has adequate access for the removal vehicle you’ve chosen. Many self-storage sites don’t have the space or access for large removal trucks.

Need A Space are based in Canterbury Kent and offer self-storage facilities to all surrounding areas such as Faversham and Herne Bay and including London. Talk to us. To learn more click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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