Live From the 2015 ISS Expo: David Blum Talks About the Expanding International Self-Storage Market

In this video, filmed at the 2015 Inside Self-Storage World Expo, David Blum, president of Better Management Systems LLC, discusses the growing international self-storage markets… read more

Preparing Your Speed Boat for Storage

When the warm seasons come to an end, it’s time to get your boat ready for storage. The prep process requires some time up front, but it’ll save you plenty down the line while ensuring proper protection for your valued watercraft.

Perform Necessary Maintenance

The first step prior to storage is to perform a full review of your boat, preferably while you’re out on the water. Taking inventory of repair needs makes it easy to perform maintenance during the off-season, ensuring that you’re back on the water as soon as weather permits. Fixing any existing hull damage is also highly recommended, as problems can compound during transport and storage.

Check the Liquid Levels

After you haul your speed boat out of the water, make it a point to pull the bilge drain plug right away and perform a deep scrub on your decks and hull. Open up the boat’s seacocks to ensure complete drainage and give everything time to dry completely before storing.

To reduce risk of engine condensation, top off the boat’s gas tank and add a fuel stabilizer. Changing your oil and filters is also a good idea, as is performing an inspection on other major internal components. Finally, pull batteries and electronics to be stored in a dry location. Ensure that your battery is charged properly and double-check all fluid levels for best results.

Your boat represents a valuable investment—make sure you take the right steps before placing it in storage to find it just as you left it. For more information about marine storage in Salinas, please click here.

Packed and Ready to Go

Numerous boxes are stacked up and firmly taped, filling one side of the room. The tenant of this house is almost ready to leave for her new home after one final check through all the rooms.

Misinformation About Self-Storage From Valet-Storage Company Makes Me Mad!

Self-storage facilities are in scary neighborhoods, have long-term contracts and rate hikes, and jam-pack their customers’ stuff inside dirty, dusty storage units… read more

Three of the Strangest Things Found in Storage Units

Storage facilities are used by individuals from all walks of life for safekeeping just about anything you can imagine. When units go abandoned, owners forfeit their rights to contents, which are frequently auctioned off in a mystery-box style format. What are some of the strangest items that winners have unearthed? You might be surprised to find out.

Not a Typical Pineapple

A high-bidder who won an abandoned storage unit in Muskegon, Michigan was unenthused by most of the assorted junk found within—that is, until he happened upon a hand grenade in a small box. The man boldly brought the grenade to the local fire station, prompting the Chief to issue a statement that citizens should not personally attempt to transport potential explosives.

Fit for the Funny Pages

Actor Nicolas Cage had numerous vintage comic books stolen from his home in 2000, including a $150,000 copy of Action Comics which marked the first-ever appearance of Superman. In 2011, the valuable graphic novel was discovered in a Southern California storage unit which had been abandoned by the owner. The comic was returned to Cage, who sold it for over $2 million in the face of hefty debt.

Long Live the King

Michael Jackson was considered the King of Pop, but even MJ has B-sides and bootlegs that most listeners have never heard. When a storage unit formerly belonging to his father, Joe Jackson, was opened for review, a treasure trove was discovered: recordings of more than 250 new songs by Michael, some even featuring the legendary Tina Turner. Apparently recorded during stints between contracts, rights to the songs could not even be claimed by any record label—quite a find for one lucky individual.

For more information on a storage facility in Salinas, please visit this website.

Tips to Make Moving Easier

Moving is a stressful time for anyone, but with the right advance planning and supplies, it can be a lot easier than most people expect. The keys to making a move that is as efficient and stress-free as possible are relatively simple, but easy to overlook. Organizing your belongings, and packing them in ways that help keep them secure, is the first step. Using a coordinated moving plan that gets the majority of the work done in a single day is great, too, but it does require you to either hire help or to recruit it from your family and friends. Finally, providing yourself with options for storage can help to avert any anxiety that might come from staging unpacked boxes, having too many possessions for the new space, or other transitional issues.

The first step to a successful move is making sure that you have all the right moving supplies. This is about more than just boxes and packing tape, although you will want to make sure you have plenty of both. It’s also about making sure you have the specialty items that can really help you with your peace of mind. Items like flat screen protectors, furniture covers, and environmentally secure storage like airtight rubber tubs protect your more sensitive belongings, and that goes a long way toward ensuring that you have everything you need, in the condition you expect, at the end.

Packing items in these supplies is also part of the advance planning phase. Ensuring that environmentally sensitive belongings like electronics and fragile belongings are packed in secure, water-tight containers involves having a plan for cushioning and supporting them that gets the most out of your storage space without compromising on security. For less sensitive items like clothing, dishes, and other housewares, organizing various boxes is a matter of planning for the best combination of weight distribution and materials. Keep heavier, more dense items in smaller boxes when possible to avoid having any one carton that is a burden to lift and carry, and remember to stay organized by labeling your boxes.

Last but not least, consider your storage options. Many people find self-storage to be a useful tool when moving because it provides you with a location to store all of your packed belongings while you stage your new home. This can relieve the pressure felt by attempting to navigate around stacks of sealed cartons by providing a convenient and low-cost way to keep the clutter of moving at bay while you decorate. It can also provide relief by establishing a private space where you can keep older belongings that might not fit into your current space or your new choices for decor.

For more information on boxes in Salinas, visit this website.

Duct Taped Boxes

On moving day, nothing gives more peace of mind than boxes firmly packaged with strong duct tape. This tenant is ready to move, with all the boxes piled up in a corner of the room.

How to Prepare Possessions for Climate Controlled Storage

When space in your home or place of business is maxed out, storage units provide a handy solution. While items such as tools, appliances and sporting equipment tend to survive just fine at drastic temperatures, many goods require climate controlled storage in order to keep properly. It’s important to makes sure that everything stored is packed and prepared to ensure that you’ll find belongings just as you left them.

Candidates for Climate Control

Some of the types of possessions recommended for climate controlled storage include bedding and linens, books and paper goods, as well as many types of furniture which contain materials that may be affected by heat or humidity such as wood. Electronics and computer systems are also particularly sensitive to excessive heat or cold, so be sure to store them in proper settings.

It’s Not the Heat, It’s the Humidity

While temperature is not a concern in a climate controlled unit, humidity remains a threat in many areas. Laying down a thick plastic sheet is a good way to keep ground-based moisture from creeping up into boxes or electronics, preventing mildew and other potential damage. It’s also recommended to seal your boxes using a strong, moisture-resistant style of tape to maintain a reliable hold.

Covering your more sensitive belongings with an additional layer of plastic is also recommended to combat moisture from above. This applies to computer components, wood-based products and paper goods in particular, even when boxed. Use tight-sealing plastic bins for storing clothing or linens for added moisture protection.

For more information about climate controlled storage units in Salinas, please visit this website.

Seeing Green: Simple Ways Self-Storage Operators Can Celebrate the Earth Every Day

Much like Christmas or Halloween, Earth Day only occurs one day of the year. Still the impact it makes on that day, April 22 this year, can have long-lasting affects for everyone, including self-storage operators… read more