For Your Residence November 28, 2014

‘Tis the Season to be Storing: Storage Unit Solutions for the Holidays

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The magic of Christmas!

Bringing in the season reminds us of Santa Claus, toys, happy smiling faces, lights, holly, wreaths, decorations, Christmas trees, and (my favourite) family visits from afar!

As the seasons change, many of us have good reason to think of storage solutions…

Just the other day, I rented a storage unit to a wonderful couple, and I’ll share their story: for thirty years, they lived in a family home that had five bedrooms, an entertainment section, a large back yard, and so much more—entertaining was a breeze! However, the kids have since moved on, and it was time to downsize. The couple sold their beautiful home, and purchased a two bedroom condominium at the waterfront in New Westminster. The biggest stress of downsizing is the question, “What do we do with all these boxes, but no extra space?” The seasonal items previously stored in the old home—in the attic, in the crawl-space under the stairs, and inside the garage—were now crowded their two spare bedrooms! So, they went on the Internet to “Google” storage solutions, and began their search for a local storage company. Public Storage was the answer! On our telephone conversation, I invited the couple to visit. During their tour, they were very impressed with the property; and, having seen three different storage unit sizes, the decision was made to rent a 50 square-foot unit. The size was right, and the price was within their budget. They both thanked me for the perfect storage solution—and, best of all, it was just in time for the Christmas festivities!

Storage is so useful at this time of the year. That spare bedroom in your home, which holds extra household items, should be cleaned out, ready to accommodate your holiday guests. The items, once boxed, marked and put in self-storage, will be easily accessible whenever needed. So a tip from me to you is to stop procrastinating, as the holidays will be here before you know it! Clean out your closets, you will soon find that all the extra seasonal items could be stored during the winter season in your unit at Public Storage. Find space you never thought you had in your downsized or smaller home!

We also have holiday solutions for the business community. For store owners who need storage for extra seasonal inventory, I recommend units above 100 square feet, since they give plenty of room for free-standing shelving, an ideal way to set up and safe-keep boxes of stock items before and after the holiday season. Often, offering our ever-popular $1.00 promotion, and pre-paid discount options, is of huge benefit, as well as an incentive to local businesses for long-term rentals. As an extra bonus, I’m happy to share expert advice on storage solutions, like how to best utilize the space inside the unit, by suggesting appropriate sized boxes, or how to mark and stack items just right for easy reach whenever needed.

A little trick I love to share before Christmas is to shop early to avoid the crowded malls, wrap your presents beforehand and include name-tags, then store these in Rubbermaid containers inside your storage unit at Public Storage. With our seven-day access to your unit, you could easily pick up your wrapped gifts the night before Christmas, without your family members finding your hiding spot! My favourite tip of all is to be brave, and go shopping on Boxing Day. There are so many deals on wrapping paper, decorations, holiday lights, and of course, even gifts for Christmas next year. So, when the season is over, all you have to do is just box your tree, the outside and indoor lights, all your decorations, and your Boxing Day purchases for next season, have everything neatly identified, and then safely stored in your unit at a Public Storage conveniently located near you.

Have a wonderful Holiday Season from my family to yours, and a Very Happy New Year!

A special thanks goes to Isabelle Schucroft for contributing her story!

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